[Gallery] Brandon Semenuk’s X-Games RealMTB Utah

A few months ago I was lucky enough to head down to Utah to shoot a section of Brandon Semenuk’s X-Games Real MTB part. It seemed fitting to throw up a behind the scenes gallery from the trip today, now that he was announced as the winner just moments ago. Enjoy…

Per usual, working in the desert involves dealing with a lack of water and plenty of annoying prickly, brushy plants.

It also involved some early mornings and late evenings…

Cannonball – note that both hands are grabbing the seat. Not to be confused with a caveman…

No shortage of big hikes.

Brandon going through the motions on the nosebonk to suicide no hander on a tombstone slab way up high in the hills.

After some fine tuning, he got it. This was one of the more technically moves for sure. The exposure was terrifying and the timing had to be spot on, despite a blind view of the run out.

Evening hits on a massive step down over a natural gap, way up in the hills.

Greased it…It’s hard to see from this shot, but the run out was terrible. Also note the road and cars way down below.

When everyone realizes Rupert nailed his shot.

Cold mornings made things a little difficult for Clay and Rupert. Gotta have dexterity to run those buttons and focus rings. Now just imagine being Brandon and having to send huge tricks in 35º F weather without much practice…

Matt Edelston and Dusty Wygle – of Nitro Circus fame – came along to help with the build. Much of the work was also done by Evan Young and Justin Wyper as well.

Waiting for the long drop in…

For an opposite 360 berm slider in perfect light…

The multi colored layers in this particular zone were something else.

There was no shortage – at any point – of perfect light…

There was however a bit of nerves in the air…

The ender – a 720 Barspin on this massive step down was one of the heaviest things I’ve seen Brandon do – and I’ve seen him do a lot of things. He was battling heavy wind and an incoming snowstorm that was set to begin the next day. In the shortest lull, he managed to stomp the trick with the perfect last sliver of light hitting him as he came off the lip.

*also note the white patches in the landing. That is solid rock underneath a few inches of dirt.

Sweet relief.

Utah crew, over and out.