A Freeride Fiesta south of the border!

We hopped on a plane in cold, snowy Bellingham to head down to Guadalajara, for Mexico's largest freeride mountain bike event, run by our very own Johny Salido. Follow along for an inside look at the event!

First hits always get the nerves going, especially when the jumps are this committing.

Event organiser, shuttle driver, party pumper, and most importantly, rider. Johny Salido puts so much work into this event, always prioritizes the riders, and we are super proud of what he's pulled off at this event.

Freeride fiesta was Talus Turk's first proper freeride event, only three years ago. At his debut, he was as excited as he was scared of the massive air time, but fast forward to now, and he rides with unmatched confidence and skill.

Him and his roommate Hayden Zablotny, showed up this year with an idea. They stacked a lip onto the 50 foot tip to tip drop, which can only mean one thing: a flip. After run ins, speed checks, and a handful of straight airs, Talus laced the flip, with Hayden in tow, earning them the award for best trick.

Bellingham local, Hayden Damon, found himself in a similar position to Talus at his first event. Hayden came to Fiesta with the goal to ride the whole course smoothly, and due to his calculated and thoughtful approach, he accomplished that, and more.

Bike setup is hugely important when the speeds reach this level. For most, that means max PSI front and rear.

It's a bird! No it's a plane! NO, it's Lars!

At a ripe 47 years old, factory team manager, Lars Sternberg, can never just watch the fun, he has to get in on it.

When you see this many Transitions, you know it's gonna be a party.

Johny leaning back on the gnarliest jump on course.

This year, Johny arranged to light up the main step up, so Torsenn and Hayden took advantage, getting as many laps as their legs could take.

After a long week of practice, the final jam day came, and the crowds showed up in droves.

One of the coolest aspects of this event, is the spectator day. It felt as though all of Mexico came to support this display of airtime.

Sadly wind is a huge factor when you're talking about sending yourself into the air, and it came in full force for the majority of the day. Luckily once the sun started to get low, so did the wind, and the riders loaded up in the shuttle, and gave the crowd what they wanted.

The metal ramp jump is the pinnacle of the course, providing airtime like no other. To someone like Talus, this jump is worth flying to Mexico for.

And just like that, the week of Freeride Fiesta is over. Between huge progression for Hayden and Torsenn, and Talus and Johny refining their craft, we were excited being a part of this special event that really kicks off the season. Cheers Johny and the rest of the Fiesta crew for putting on an amazing event year after year.

Rest assured we'll be back next year for the Fiesta!