The Post Office jumps in Aptos, CA are without a doubt the most iconic in recent mountain bike history. A great deal of incredible, timeless images have come from the area, and many fantastic events have been held her. Unfortunately it’s the end of an era. In mid February, the jumps are slated to be torn down to make room for a development. While the good news is that there are plans to rebuild, it definitely won’t be the same.
We’ve been spending the last couple of weeks trying to do Aptos justice and have been sneaking in some last minute shots before the jumps get dismantled.
Rule #1….No dig, No ride. Pictured above, locals Kyle Jameson, Jeff Herbertson and Ryan “R-Dog” Howard spend some time putting in work after 10 days of straight rain. The black dirt here is just perfect for sculpting these impeccable forms. Oh, Brandon Semenuk is practically local. He has been spending his off seasons here in Aptos with these boys for years.
Alex Reveles has been riding here and schooling the groms for quite some time now.
Does this guy look familiar? He should…
Here’s a better look at him – BMX dirt jump god Ryan Nyquist is a local who has been riding at the Post Office for ages.
Someone’s excited to ride…
As probably most loc dog locals at the Post Office, R-Dog is always oozing with style. Even the best riders in the world have a hard time matching his effortless steeze.
Troy Lee Designs/Scott rider Kyle Jameson has been crushing it lately. Such an insane all around rider. Kyle has been a key digger for SO many huge projects as well.
Up and comer Raymond George recently signed with Polygon bikes – another local who’s consistenly out here.
Andrew Taylor!
Some groms in the mix.
King of the groms, Connor Gallart….WATCH that name. 15 year old Trek rider who is just as good as most of the big dogs that ride here. When he wins joyride in a couple years remember that you heard it here first.
Jeff Herbertson – Madman. Whether it’s going massive and flipping a 73′ canyon at Rampage, doing stretched out double whips or building some of the gnarliest courses and sections we’ve seen Jeff can do it all.
Clay Porter lives nearby and has been popping in to check out the scene a bit lately. He’s already captured some bangers on his RED camera. Maybe if we all ask nicely, he’ll be putting out a sweet little edit about Post Offices final days…Time will tell, but when he’s around the guys all throw down extra hard. Above he chats with a local who’s been enjoying cruising down to the post office for years to watch the riders throw down.
Greg Watts – also a local legend and an incredibly skilled dirt jumper. The amount of talent that has come from this area is staggering.
Tyler McCaul is another insane local. Fresh off of an injury that kept him sidelined for a few months and out of contention at rampage this year, this photo is from T-Mac’s first day back on the bike. You could say he’s fully healed.
Without a doubt the most talented rider to dig shape and ride at Aptos would be Brandon Semenuk. Likely the most talented man on a mountain bike altogether, there is nothing Brandon can’t do. Shooting him is every MTB photographer’s dream.
As the sun sets and night creeps up on the day, that’s when the riders swarm. The jumps are oriented in a way that most people don’t ride until right at the end of the day. This makes it tough on the cameras so the best bet is to shoot some silhouettes or bust out some flashes. Bonus round! Night shots…
Jeff Herb
Connor Galart
Brandon Semenuk
Ryan Nyquist
Kyle Jameson
