Nobody likes to be reminded that they’re not a young as they used to be. But if you’re veteran MTB freeride legend Darren ‘Bearclaw’ Berrecloth, at least you can take comfort in the knowledge that you’re still in with a chance of a win even if some of the riders you’re competing against were still styling it on wooden tricycles when you were competing in your first professional events.

In episode two of their fascinating series Beyond the Bike, DirtTV catch up with Darren to get a better idea of the driving forces behind his success, and to learn more about his early days in riding and his approach to the sport after so many years at the top.

Coming from a small town with no bike parks nearby, Darren spent his early years riding in his local woods, learning how to build trails as he went along. He lives in the same town to this day, and of course he’s still out riding in those woods whenever he gets a chance. It’s the same passion and commitment which has seen him either compete in or attend every Crankworx slopestyle event to date, and which has won him recognition and respect throughout the MTB world.

Darren is known for taking lines other riders can’t even spot, or perhaps just dismiss as too difficult, and it is this combination of fearlessness and innovation which sets him apart. He took this flair for pioneering uncharted MTB territory even further with his 2012 film Where the Trail Ends, in which he and some other intrepid riders scoured the globe for terrain hitherto undiscovered by their fellow shredders. With a sequel rumoured to be in the works, it seems clear Darren has absolutely no intention whatsoever of quitting anytime soon.