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Interview With Josh Bender
Aired October 23, 2003 - 15:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take it to the extreme for a minute. Folks, don't try this at home. Don't try these moves anywhere.
Extreme bikers from around the world are in Virgin, Utah, to take part in -- it's a sport? It is a sport. It's free-riding. And it's a twist -- to say the least -- on traditional mountain biking. Just doing the downhill portion, with gusto.
And joining us on the phone from Virgin, Utah, the hometown favorite there, free-rider biking giant Josh Bender. Josh, how are you?
JOSH BENDER, FREE-RIDE MOUNTAIN BIKER: I'm doing excellent today. And yourself, Miles?
O'BRIEN: I am well. Now, this is a course I'm gathering you do a lot, since you're from that part of the world, right?
BENDER: Yes, it's terrain we ride pretty much on a day-to-day basis.
O'BRIEN: You ride this on a day-to-day basis. Give me a sense of what it is like to just go off the cliff there, as it were. I don't think -- looking at this tape we see right here, I don't think we have full appreciation for how steep it is. Maybe right there you did.
BENDER: No, I would say that video and film footage really flattens out the terrain and makes it look like anybody can ride down this stuff. But when you get out there and realize what these die guys are putting themselves through and their equipment through, you definitely gain a new respect for mountain bikers.
O'BRIEN: How fast are you going, typically?
BENDER: Anywhere from 15 miles an hour upwards to 30, 40 miles an hour to clear some of these gap jumps.
O'BRIEN: Wow. And as far as the course goes, you sort of plot it out in your head in advance, much as a mogul skier would do it and you try to implement. But it's -- wow, it's not so easy, is it?
BENDER: No, it's based pretty much on visualization. We have two days, the competitors have two days prior to the rampage to go out and scope the lines, work terrain features into a safe manner and take things out that would otherwise hurt you seriously.
O'BRIEN: We've slow-mo'ed one of your runs. You're wearing yellow?
BENDER: Red and yellow, yes.
O'BRIEN: I hope this is you. Check it out. Can you see CNN?
BENDER: I can.
O'BRIEN: Is that you?
BENDER: I do not -- no, that is not me.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, walk us through it anyway. As this guy -- oh, ow! Right there, what did he do wrong there? Josh?
BENDER: He got pitched right over the bars. He just came up on an unforeseen obstacle, which sometimes happens and takes you out.
O'BRIEN: Well, now, as I'm looking at it here, you've scoped out the course. You still find unforeseen obstacles that come at you?
BENDER: Oh, definitely, because you try to take all the factors and put them in your favor but sometimes there are certain factors unforeseen until your plummeting at them at terminal velocity.
O'BRIEN: Why do it? Is this for money? What is the grand prize?
BENDER: The grand prize for first is $3,500 cash that Red Bull throws down. That's not that much money.
O'BRIEN: No, that will probably repair your bike.
BENDER: Indeed.
O'BRIEN: Obviously, you're doing it for some other reason.
BENDER: Because you can and because it inspires others to be their best at whatever they do as well.
O'BRIEN: All right. Inspiration wasn't the word that came to mind right away, but I'm going to go with that, Josh. Wish you well. When is your final run?
BENDER: Final run in terms of...
O'BRIEN: The competition continues, right?
BENDER: No, the competition finished up Sunday and Cedric Grassia (ph) from France walked home with the title this year.
O'BRIEN: How did you do?
BENDER: I didn't make the finals. I just gave a huge show for the crowd.
O'BRIEN: All right, Josh Bender, we enjoyed watching the spills. Safe riding out there, OK?
BENDER: Thank you very much, Miles O'Brien.
O'BRIEN: All right have a good day, Josh Bender.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired October 23, 2003 - 15:39 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's take it to the extreme for a minute. Folks, don't try this at home. Don't try these moves anywhere.
Extreme bikers from around the world are in Virgin, Utah, to take part in -- it's a sport? It is a sport. It's free-riding. And it's a twist -- to say the least -- on traditional mountain biking. Just doing the downhill portion, with gusto.
And joining us on the phone from Virgin, Utah, the hometown favorite there, free-rider biking giant Josh Bender. Josh, how are you?
JOSH BENDER, FREE-RIDE MOUNTAIN BIKER: I'm doing excellent today. And yourself, Miles?
O'BRIEN: I am well. Now, this is a course I'm gathering you do a lot, since you're from that part of the world, right?
BENDER: Yes, it's terrain we ride pretty much on a day-to-day basis.
O'BRIEN: You ride this on a day-to-day basis. Give me a sense of what it is like to just go off the cliff there, as it were. I don't think -- looking at this tape we see right here, I don't think we have full appreciation for how steep it is. Maybe right there you did.
BENDER: No, I would say that video and film footage really flattens out the terrain and makes it look like anybody can ride down this stuff. But when you get out there and realize what these die guys are putting themselves through and their equipment through, you definitely gain a new respect for mountain bikers.
O'BRIEN: How fast are you going, typically?
BENDER: Anywhere from 15 miles an hour upwards to 30, 40 miles an hour to clear some of these gap jumps.
O'BRIEN: Wow. And as far as the course goes, you sort of plot it out in your head in advance, much as a mogul skier would do it and you try to implement. But it's -- wow, it's not so easy, is it?
BENDER: No, it's based pretty much on visualization. We have two days, the competitors have two days prior to the rampage to go out and scope the lines, work terrain features into a safe manner and take things out that would otherwise hurt you seriously.
O'BRIEN: We've slow-mo'ed one of your runs. You're wearing yellow?
BENDER: Red and yellow, yes.
O'BRIEN: I hope this is you. Check it out. Can you see CNN?
BENDER: I can.
O'BRIEN: Is that you?
BENDER: I do not -- no, that is not me.
O'BRIEN: All right. Well, walk us through it anyway. As this guy -- oh, ow! Right there, what did he do wrong there? Josh?
BENDER: He got pitched right over the bars. He just came up on an unforeseen obstacle, which sometimes happens and takes you out.
O'BRIEN: Well, now, as I'm looking at it here, you've scoped out the course. You still find unforeseen obstacles that come at you?
BENDER: Oh, definitely, because you try to take all the factors and put them in your favor but sometimes there are certain factors unforeseen until your plummeting at them at terminal velocity.
O'BRIEN: Why do it? Is this for money? What is the grand prize?
BENDER: The grand prize for first is $3,500 cash that Red Bull throws down. That's not that much money.
O'BRIEN: No, that will probably repair your bike.
BENDER: Indeed.
O'BRIEN: Obviously, you're doing it for some other reason.
BENDER: Because you can and because it inspires others to be their best at whatever they do as well.
O'BRIEN: All right. Inspiration wasn't the word that came to mind right away, but I'm going to go with that, Josh. Wish you well. When is your final run?
BENDER: Final run in terms of...
O'BRIEN: The competition continues, right?
BENDER: No, the competition finished up Sunday and Cedric Grassia (ph) from France walked home with the title this year.
O'BRIEN: How did you do?
BENDER: I didn't make the finals. I just gave a huge show for the crowd.
O'BRIEN: All right, Josh Bender, we enjoyed watching the spills. Safe riding out there, OK?
BENDER: Thank you very much, Miles O'Brien.
O'BRIEN: All right have a good day, Josh Bender.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
