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Fuck it, I’m here, so you better get going and jump off this cliff… |
It’s a family affair
Like everything at Airdrop, Hardline is a family affair, with three of the four of us involved all week. Craig is our driver, Andy looks after the tools, and James handles the dadcam. We have a habit of doing things a little differently (usually the hard way), and Hardline is no different: we’re fully committed.
First off, Craig is an Airdrop employee. Unlike most of the other participants, he is not a sponsored athlete. Craig splits his time between the workshop and riding. He is the definition of a semi-pro, which makes it even more impressive that he can perform at this level and really showcases his talent on the bike. A true rider’s rider.
Watching a good buddy compete in one of the toughest events in the sport, on a bike we designed, representing a company we built is something really special. Hardline isn’t necessarily about results, likes or clicks. It’s just an opportunity to support our buddy, make some cool memories and meet a ton of good people. We win just by being there.
What makes Hardline so great
Being at Hardline is very different than it looks from the outside. Of course, the big spectacle is the race on Sunday and the social media content surrounding it. But there is so much more to the event than the race itself.
Hundreds of people are crammed into a sort of fishbowl halfway up a mountain in Wales, and everyone works to make Hardline the event that it is. For one week a year, we all live together, eat together, drink together. It’s a crazy scene as there are always funny antics going on. Red Bull takes care of everything: where you need to be, what you need to do, when you need to do it. There’s an ever-changing schedule (not to mention the role the weather plays). It’s pretty grueling for drivers and crews, with lots of early starts and late finishes. Plus a bit of fooling around in between and some extracurricular activities.
In the lead up to the weekend, Hardline is basically one giant session/jam. The riders all work together to tick off features one by one until a full run is possible. It’s great to see the camaraderie between riders from all over the world. Regardless of background or status, they’re all in it together. They’re pulling each other up, giving advice on line selection and speed checking, or just building their confidence. Everyone celebrates the success together – riders, builders, media, and even staff. It’s cool to be a part of it. It’s not until Saturday afternoon that you see some riders get serious and their game faces come out.
Cycling guide
Hardline attracts riders from all different backgrounds: slopestyle riders, freeriders, World Cup racers, YouTubers and riders’ riders. It’s a blank canvas and your experience, past results or background don’t matter.
In the MTB sector, the focus is always on the fastest driver or the craziest trickBut if we have to judge the riders, perhaps it’s best to do so as riders. Hardline is the perfect event for the best riders in the world to challenge themselves.
This year was Craig’s 8th Hardline. He is one of the regular riders and won the event back in 2017. It’s the jam/session portion of the week where Craig really shines as both a rider and an all-around good guy. He was the first rider to tackle many of the features this year and tackled everything on the course with ease, without even a hint of a suspect moment. And he did it all with style and ease in his typically humble manner – and always with a smile on his face.
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For me, Hardline is an opportunity I just can’t turn down. Every year I think it’s going to be the last time and then I get sucked back in, sending me into panic mode and sleepless nights. It’s one of the best weeks of the year – not only is it a chance to ride terrain and features that aren’t your average, but it’s a great feeling to do it with friends old and new. It’s still kind of crazy to be around all these people who are fucking awesome. I always feel like I have no business being there, but I also think to myself, screw it, I’m here… so you better get to work and jump off that cliff! The experience of doing this course together is a way to make lifelong friendships. My only goal for the week is to make it to the bottom on Sunday and I sincerely hope everyone else does the same. The relief of finishing the last run, sitting back and watching your buddies come down is special.
For me, having Andy look after my bike and filming James was amazing. It’s important to be surrounded by good people and to have fun. Having your friends by your side gives you that extra confidence boost and is a great way to take things easy. It’s reassuring to have someone you can trust working on your bike. I can just focus on the task at hand and know it’s done, rather than worrying about my bars coming off. A huge thank you to everyone at Red Bull for looking after us so well all week. Going back to normal life and having to remember to eat is difficult. |
Thanks
This year’s Hardline was the best yet and was only possible thanks to the hard work of a lot of people, many behind the scenes. This includes the live stream crew, all the runners, the catering staff, the drivers and the local heroes. So we just want to say Thanks to everyone who helped, supported and laughed with us all week. Thanks to Red Bull UK for letting us be there, to the Cannondale crew for sharing their boxes with us (thanks Graham), to the trail crew for all their hard work (thanks Alf), to the spectators for cheering Craig on, to Scuzz who is an absolute legend, to Ben Gerrish, Brendan Conroy and Craig Robinson for the media and to everyone else who took part in the circus. We had a blast – thanks for the memories.
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