12 best Canadian mountain bike videos of 2018

There was some great video’s this year: cutting edge Lego bikes, Skiing everything but snow and, of course, floofy dogs. But, right next to top international efforts, Canadian mountain bike videos stood out as exceptional viewing content.

RELATED: 12 standout performances from a big year in Canadian mountain biking

As with every year since bikes rolled off the tarmac into the woods above North Vancouver, there’s a strong representation from the left side of Canada. It’s not all sendy shreddits, though. There’s XC from Ontario, humor from IFHT, and solo journeys into Canada’s far north. From entertaining to inspiring, here’s the best off-road CanCon of 2018.

Jordie Lunn – Rough AF 3

Jordie Lunn is as creative with his building as he is wild with his riding. The Victoria, B.C. rider steps up the insanity again for Rough AF 3. If you missed it when it came out, these stunts have to be seen to be believed.

Something in the water on Vancouver Island. Mark Matthews followed up shortly after Rough AF 3 by sending big features with minimal suspension in A Hard Tale.

Brett Rheeder – Beautiful Idiot

Brett Rheeder had an excellent 2018. Winning a Crankworx round as a warm-up to stealing the show at Red Bull Rampage at the end of his season. Before that, Rheeder let fans in on what happens before the big show. The Canadian talks about how he prepares, mentally and physically, to compete in big slopestyle events.

IFHT – How to Buy a Mountain Bike

With their spot on humor, Richmond, B.C.s IFHT crew walks you through the often weird process of buying a mountain bike.

The Frozen Road

In the middle of a solo bike ride around the world, Ben Page finds him self very alone and out of his element in the unforgiving wilderness of Canada’s arctic. Frozen Road documents the inner struggle as effectively as Page’s struggle to survive in the harsh surroundings.

Bas van Steenbergen – Straight Forward

Bas van Steenbergen’s flow line at Big White in Kelowna, B.C. may go in a straight line, but it’s anything but straight forward. Van Steenbergen makes the technical line look so effortless you almost don’t realize how big some of the features are.

BC Bike Race – The Journey

What’s it like to race 300km of B.C.’s best singletrack in seven days? The Journey follows Canadian XC legend Geoff Kabush and a team of South African riders for two very different perspectives on the iconic west coast event.

Brandon Semenuk – Raw 100 V4

A new Brandon Semenuk video is always a noteworthy event, but the Canadian’s fourth turn at Red Bull’s Raw 100 format stands out above his usual draw dropping edits. From start to finish, Raw 100 V4 is sublime. The format helps, too. Thomas Vanderham’s take on Raw 100 on Vancouver’s North Shore is equally worthy of repeat viewing.

Casey Brown – Way of the Wildcard: Barefoot Biker

Casey Brown is one of the most interesting and talented mountain bikers out there, and Barefoot Biker does an excellent job of telling her story. From growing up in the remote New Zealand back country to the B.C. interior and World Cup downhill, with a couple unexpected twists along the way, Barefoot Biker is an inspiring story.

Finn Iles and Kate Courtney – Fast Life Episode 6: Mont-Sainte-Anne

Canadian downhill racer Finn Iles and American world champion XCO racer Kate Courtney star in the second season of The Fast Life. The series follows the two young athletes through their first year of racing elite on the World Cup circuit, as they deal with the pressure of converting successful junior and under-23 careers into results in the big show. From Episode One through to the series final, it’s an excellent perspective on the highest level of mountain bike racing.

Rob Warner Meets: Mark Wallace

The second season of Red Bull’s World Cup commentator, and the voice of English language mountain bike commentating, Rob Werner’s Meets web series heads to Vancouver Island to shine the spotlight on Canadian downhill racer Mark Wallace. It’s not the only time Warner landed in B.C. during season two of Rob Warner Meets, either. In Episode Four, Warner trades in a chainsaw for axe throwing when he visits Finn Iles in Whistler.

Matt Hunter and James Doerfling: Return Route

Return Route makes this list as much for Matt Hunters incredibly contagious level of excitement throughout the video. The Canadian could not be more stoked to be riding his bike, and after six minutes of shredding, we want to go ride too. Hunter and James Doerfling’s riding down the steep walls of Farwell Canyon is excellent, as well.

Peter and Quinton Disera – A Disera Story

Ontario brothers Peter, the reigning Canadian XCO national champion, and Quinton Disera have been racing together for years now. A Disera Story, now three episodes long, splits its time between School, the family home and the race course, showing what it takes to make it on the World Cup circuit.