Brage Vestavik finally lands Bender’s Jah Drop
Two decades after the freeride pioneer sent it in Kamloops
Photo by:
Freeride Entertainment
Over 20 years after Josh Bender first pioneered the infamous Jah Drop, someone else has finally attempted it. Brage Vestavik, already known for his burly freeride style, is the first rider in decades to take on the 55+ foot drop outside Kamloops, B.C.
Vestavik attempted the drop for the new film, Nothing’s For Free. The new film ties together the origins and present state of freeride mountain biking.
Bender first rode the Jah Drop back in 2001 for New World Disorder. That series helped catapult freeride into the mainstream of mountain bike culture as well as earning attention from the the general public. It’s still stunning, 20 years later, seeing Bender fly off the massive drop on his wild 300-mm travel custom Kapriel. In a testament to how far ahead of the game Bender was, it’s just as heart-stopping watching Vestavik hit the drop two decades later.
Brett Tippie shared that brief Vetavik clip from Nothing’s For Free, but you should probably watch the whole movie when it comes out. Watch the film’s trailer and Bender’s original segment from New World Disorder below.
