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Watch: Gee Atherton’s harrowing crash in “The Knife Edge”

Atherton's get real for edit of line that pushed Gee too far

Gee Atherton The Knife Edge Photo by: Atherton's YouTube

Gee Atherton was on a roll, astounding fans around the world with his progressively more daring edits. First, The Ridgeline. Then, with racing still on hold, The Slateline. During filming for the third video in a daring trilogy, The Knife Edge, it all came unravelled in the most dramatic way possible.

After flirting with disaster in the prior edits, Atherton ran out of luck. The World Cup downhill racer and freerider crashed hard. Gee was left with a broken femur, broken ribs, fractured eye socket, concussion and several other broken bones.

Most riders would be hesitant to share footage from such a potentially life-altering crash. Gee Atherton went in the opposite direction. The Knife Edge is more raw than either of its two predecessors, but shows an important – and often hidden side of extreme sports. What happens when riding doesn’t go according to plan?

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Warning: This video contains graphic footage of a serious crash. As you might guess from the description of Atherton’s injuries above, it is not easy to watch.

Gee Atherton: The Knife Edge

What are the Atherton’s saying about their experience filming The Knife Edge?

“When you’re constantly seeking to go beyond your comfort zone, to do things that nobody has ever done before, sometimes the outcome balances on a knife edge” -Dan Atherton

Gee Atherton’s ‘The Knife Edge’ is not the glossy action sports edit that we’ve come to know of late. In fact very little has been edited here, so while we get to enjoy the mind-blowing mountain-biking skills and the daring that we associate with Gee’s recent big mountain projects such as ‘The Ridgeline’ and ‘The Slateline’, he also talks of the fear he needs to overcome and shows the horrific crash that resulted in many broken bones, a punctured lung and a 2 week stay in the hospital.

Gee explains why he chose to share such a raw piece of footage and why he feels it’s important that we don’t shy away from the less glamorous side of extreme sports.

Spectacular action and personal reflections from one of the world’s toughest and most accomplished mountain-bikers.

Huge thanks to the crew, to the paramedics, Aberdyfi Search and Rescue team, the Air Ambulance who transferred Gee to the hospital and the surgeons at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. Gee is making a rapid recovery without lasting damage.

Any profits from this film will be donated to the rescue services.

Filmed by @wearepeny.
Drone work by Eastwood Media and Tiny House Creatives.
Additional filming and photography by Dan Griffiths | Moonhead Media.