Event of the Month: Darkfest 2022 – Another one for the history books

Mountainbiking festival in Stellenbosch pushes the level of freeriding yet again (press release).

Words by Monster Energy. Photos by Eric Palmer, Syo van Vliet and Grant Mclachlan.

A new chapter for Freeride MTB has been carved into the history books at Darkfest 2022. We had 90-foot jumps from the ladies, cali Rolls and double flips from the gents and a whole heap of Darkfest best moments, as the sixth year of this 10-day, boundary-pushing event came to a close in mid-April. 

Welcoming the most legendary and biggest group of Freeriders ever to the 2022 event, there was big hype on the international athlete roster. The course was tweaked to perfection, a dream weather window was on the horizon and riders were frothing to get out there and prove that they could throw down on this epic course.

Robin Goomes and Casey Brown opened up the 90-foot goliath Darkfest jump and cemented their place firmly in the history books by landing the longest dirt-to-dirt jump ever ridden by a female mountain biker. “My first time at Darkfest and I couldn’t believe the size of the jumps. Today I hit the 90-footer, which felt unreal! So stoked to land that and open it up for the ladies!” said Robin.

“My first time at Darkfest and I couldn’t believe the size of the jumps. Today I hit the 90-footer, which felt unreal! So stoked to land that and open it up for the ladies!” – Robin Goomes.

Another historic event took place when Chelsea Kimball successfully opened up the Rocket Launchers at the end of the course for the ladies. The ‘Mozart of jumps,’ which are globally recognised as propelling the riders into the air with the most amplitude and airtime of any jumps in the world, have seen many a crash and broken bone through the years. Closely followed by Hannah Bergemann and Vero Sandler, the full complement of ladies attacked the highest and longest jumps ever ridden by female Freeriders.

Darkfest 2022 prize winners. Photo by Eric Palmer.

Darkfest has been the stomping ground for many athletes to prove themselves up against the biggest dirt jumps ever built for six years running now. Beginning as a video project called ‘Pure Darkness’ by Sam Reynolds and friends, the event is progressing Freeride into a fresh direction where new talent and new tricks are discovered every year.

“I’ve spent the last five years putting blood, sweat and tears into this course. It’s a lifetime’s work all coming into one awesome set of jumps, which is hopefully the best set ever made. All the riders are saying the jumps are bigger and better than ever… as a course builder there’s nothing more I could possibly hear!” Sam Reynolds. 

“I’ve spent the last five years putting blood, sweat and tears into this course. It’s a lifetime’s work all coming into one awesome set of jumps, which is hopefully the best set ever made. All the riders are saying the jumps are bigger and better than ever… as a course builder there’s nothing more I could possibly hear!” said Sam.

Adolf Silva. Photo by Eric Palmer.

There were countless other headlines from a week of unforgettable tricks on this boundary-pushing course. We witnessed redemption double flips from Adolf Silva on the Rocket Launcher, which had taken him out and smashed his wrist into multiple fractures in 2021. 

Bienvenido Aguado pulled an outrageous one-foot can on the 90-footer and Vero Sandler landed a ‘Nothing’ on the Step-Up to win the Best Trick and Best Whip award.

See you in 2023.

Event Winners

King & Queen of Darkfest 

@bienvenidoaguado

@chelseasendsit

@kendatireseurope Best Trick 

@adolfsilva

@veroniquesandler

@spankbikes Best Whip 

@kaosseagrave

@veroniquesandler

@ns_bikesco Stay True award 

@tom_isted

@casey__brown__

@fiveten_official moment award 

@samhodgs0n

Vision moment 

@robin_riding_hood

Checkout more Darkfest action on Instagram

Event highlights photo gallery and official video: