Video: The PBA Photo Challenge - Pinkbike Academy Episode 3

 Makes me want to throw up in my mouth. Not the kind of influence that I want.

 Pro's have always been influencers, far before social media ever existed. The whole point of being having a sponsor is to influence people to buy their product.

 @chriskneeland: True. Except most "influencers" these days aren't actually pro... nor are they as fast as one. They've managed to compile a robust social media following which shouldn't be conflated with actual race results.

 @chriskneeland: yes but Pros are pros because they are fast and good. Here is just who can be best stock photo equipment carrier.

 @brianpark: what a ridiculous statement. comparing one of the most talented people ever to ride a bike with some of these average joes with a vlog/instagram that brands send their equiptment

 @brianpark: weird comparison because this series is about racing, non?

Also Danny Mac is a likable dude who puts out high quality content in a discipline where watching someone do sick tricks on a bike is the whole appeal. At least two of these candidates are not very likable (imo) and the whole appeal of watching racing is seeing who’s fastest.

So your argument is kinda apples to oranges

 @brianpark: I don't think of Danny Mac as an 'influencer' as such. He creates innovative content off the back of being a really talented rider. He's not 'Look at me skid around a berm......here's 10% off some grips'.

 @brianpark: Did roadstains hack brian's account? Seriously Danny mac and others create great content. They release maybe only one or two amazing edits a year. An influencer releases 3 videos a week and they're all complete garbage.

 @kcy4130: nah I’m just poking fun and saying race results are not the only thing that matters to being a pro rider. Everyone grumpy today aha.

 @brianpark: That's true. Sorry, I called you roadstains, that was below the belt.

 Do a long jump contest if you want more diversity than racing. It would be much more entertaining to watch.... Need more Ben Cathro content on pinkbike. He's the best media publisher on this site.

 Everyone is an influence really, we all make product recommendations to our mates, wear branded merch, carry bags with logos on etc etc. Just the word itself now has some filthy negative connotations for obvious reasons. Early comment about pros being influencers from early on is true, anyone under sponsorship is only sponsored to "influence" people to buy more of the brands product.

 @Soucy: more Cathro is incoming shortly. And we WERE looking forward to doing another Unofficial Long Jump Worlds at Crankworx this year... www.pinkbike.com/news/video-whistler-long-jump-contest-with-pro-mountain-bikers.html

 100% such a disgusting term I never want my children to have to hear it, hopefully it’s died a horrible death by then!

 @josh250: they could also become content creators. Fear not, they will be able to add value to society!

 @josh250: agree with you 110%

 Props already given

 @brianpark: Even weirder is your extrapolation... and no, I'm not grumpy and Pinkbike is still my favorite site, so there!

 Everyone realizes that the only reason anyone gets a discount/gets sponsored is to sell products right? Like it or not fast racers are selling less vs social media these days. It would be fantastic if being fast were the only thing that mattered, but that doesn't sell bikes or parts much anymore.

BTW when anyone mentions the term "Influencer" all I see in my head is some vapid idiot who has sold his/her soul to peddle skinny tea or some other ridiculous crap that they never actually use. The way the term should really be used is someone who provides value to individual consumers outside of paid marketing.

 @chriskneeland: So true. Remy Metailler says I "I love this shock/Camelbak/socks/". I'm already mashing the keyboard to buy it!

 I think the strong reaction people have to influencers has to do with the characters we are flooded with who appear self entitled, superficial, and with less investment to the people or places they seek to earn cash from. Those people suck and are everywhere- some perhaps making money off bike companies and mountain bikers. There is also the side though where athletes are hired to sell product and some naturally do that better than others regardless of who is the better rider. People always have their favorites and are drawn to what they do. I think of a guy like Gee Atherton who based solely on riding is easily one of the best riders of all time when you take into account his Rampage appearances, years of high level racing, freeriding etc. but for a while there he kinda went out of style- not because of riding skill or riding merit but because he was perceived to be less "cool" than some of the other riders around him. Companies want likable riders who make good content- like the Masters brothers, Cathro, Elliot Jackson etc.

I don't have issues with guys like Seth's Bike Hacks either as he never sold himself as the best rider but rather as a guy making video's about stuff he was figuring out on the bike and projects he was doing and he has been authentic to that. There has been an audience for that. He didn't choose to be more popular than other people some assume have more claim to it due to skill- he just did what he did well and was likable. Good on him and if I were running a company and knew putting a derailleur on his bike got 2 million eyes on that product vs. the best rider in the world who may only draw 15,000... Seth is a better decision.

For this show the parts that I liked watching the most were the riding and while I'm not a fan of the character Ben seems to be playing, or someone asked him to play?, watching his style on a bike was one of my favourite parts of the episode. Scrubby whips all day over lifestyle shots. I also liked the photographers input that you also have to know how something looks through the camera lens. It's why Misa's shot was great and why Schley dominated early print media etc.

 @forestbathing: “be better” is the biggest shit eating c*nt phrase of this year. Be better

 @onlyDH: "shit eating c*nt" is the biggest shit eating c*nt phrase of the year. Please be better, you shit eating c*nt.

 @forestbathing: Comments like yours from a "person" are embarrassing and reflect poorly on you and the entire human race. Please... aww fack, I can't bring myself to repeat it!

 Have you been completely ignorant about marketing and advertisement your entire life? ...right up 'til NOW?

 @wallheater: I think lots of you guys are struggling with the word influencer. Having an emotional response to the word rather than thinking about what it means.

100% of pros are influencers. Santa Cruz, POC, red bull etc sponsor Danny Macakill for his influence that he creates through his riding, his content and his persona. Every world cup podium you've ever seen riders have branded hats, jerseys, they get their bike infront of the podium etc.

Yoann Barelli and Remy Metailler are pretty much full time influencers at this point. Olly Wilkins, Sam Pilgrim. Probably Matt Jones. Old heads like Brett Tippie, Rob Warner, Steve Peat - none of those guys race any more but they're still active in the sport and they're still covered in sponsored kit head to toe because they still have influence. Some people are more subtle - they just wear the kit and never talk about it. Others give big shout outs and discount codes and all that stuff and it's more obvious. Still an influencer either way.

Lots of these people make money through other avenues as well - product testing, managing their own ventures etc - but that doesn't mean they're not an influencer.

 @tom666: That's pretty well my point. The people above are talented at riding bikes first and foremost. They make a living off the back of that talent, and with the right personality continue to do so once their riding career is over.
It's easy to see that the likes of Barelli and Metallier put a lot of work into their videos. I've 'featured' in a couple of Paul The Punter videos and I know that he takes his job very seriously.
Any sponsored person is an influencer to use the old description. Even your local Dentist who gives you a certain brand of toothbrush.

What I roll my eyes at (and it seems to have struck a chord with a lot of other people), are the totally average riders who manage to blag a couple of free handlebars, then proceed to turn up at every new 'cool' trail, 'gram the shit out of it while pretending to be pro rider. "I couldn't have got down this feature without this sick handlebaaaaa" type bollocks. It doesn't help that I live in Influencer capital of the world (Squamish). Every time I scroll through my IG feed, loads of pretty random people are trying to tell me to buy product, yet most don't have the marketing skills to convince me why. It's just 'look at me roll down this slab. #buythesegrips'. It's f*cking lame!

 @wallheater: I'm sure you can see then that people reacting so strongly to the word influencer "made me not watch the video", "makes me throw up in my mouth" are ridiculous because their favourite riders are influencers.

A huge part of being a professional mountain biker, which is what this series is all about, is being a positive influencer for the brands that sponsor you, hence this challenge.

People who make terrible marketing material and/or are shitty riders and/or come across disingenuous trying to promote product are very bad influencers who won't do very well.

 Some of y'all don't know what a brand ambassador is and it really shows. This episode was a marketing competition, which is pretty crucial for a sponsored rider these days, inside the tape and out.

 @kcy4130: saying “influencers release 3 videos a week and they’re all garbage” but because macaskill releases higher quality videos but less of them, he is somehow not an influencer is just saying Danny is not a bad influencer therefore he’s not an influencer at all. What he is doing is the same thing except at a way higher calibre than whatever your used to.

 This exactly

 I did WTF at that also its pretty much cornering 101...

 @McMeta666: I'd take issue with that advice on a berm like that for an aspiring pro level rider. That's advice to give a beginner so they aren't scared of the corner. A big bermed corner like that at high speed warrants flat feet.

 @McMeta666: yeah I took that as a way to make the photo look better. Maybe exacerbating your outside foot being dropped makes photos look better. Not a MTB photographer but that was how I interpreted that tip.

 and still, Angie was the fastest of the girls on the timed lap...I think a lot of the scenes are put out of context so it is hard to interpret the tips they're given!

 You do realise that was photo advice and not riding technique advice, right? And that she was the fastest woman in last episode's race?

 I wonder if that footage just wasn't very flattering - she was actually the fastest woman on the timed run and that photo at the end of her blowing out a turn shows a pretty decent level of riding IMO

 she got 2nd in trans bc last year.. aka the hardest enduro race around I think she might know how to ride....

 @TreeBeak: Huh? I'm just tired of all the negativity, I feel like it brings down the community so much. If this was a big time issue I would totally get it, but it's a f*ckin reality TV show, I don't get why its the end of the world

 @oragy: Yeah, I get your bewilderment and yeah, I kind of agree. I dont like negative stuff messing with my day so apologies, no offence meant. But this shit is just wrong. Its not mountain biking. Its dragging something very special to me and a lot of other people into the mainstream and thats not good.

 @oragy: If you are tired of PB user comments then you shouldn't read the comment section. Same logic as your above statement - If you think its bad, simply don't scroll down, or comment back. Also your comment is just as negative as everyone else's, you are just complaining about PB users instead of the show.

 People would get just as pissed if their favorite black metal band recorded a cover of Mariah Carey's Christmas song. No one wants something they like to sell out(even if the sell out thing is not very popular at all).

 @Rubberelli: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ogc4xlozaE I can't believe that actually exists, and it's amazing.

 @twhart20: Sheeeesh, I've become the very thing I swore to destroy

 thanks dawg for standing up for the community, It's solid entertainment. Even though it makes me cringe watching them try to build up a bike. don't hate on free stuff. if you don't like it don't watch it.

 @TreeBeak: MTB is stupid mainstream nowadays... Part of it sucks but that's just the reality of the sport, especially since COVID. Get used to it or find a new hobby.

 Agree!

 @cgreaseman: No. I wont do either.

 I think a lot of the negativity comes from being disappointed in this series. I, for one, was expecting much better. The premise seemed good: a competition to find the most sponsor-able rider. But instead of making it about riding and the natural unscripted drama that arises from races and competitions, they employed the same tired old reality show elimination formula w/ all the cliches like cheesy dramatic music and tearful interviews. All the interviews feel so scripted and fake. Maybe I'm being a bit too negative.

I would be able to tolerate it, even enjoy it, if they sorta separated the cliche reality show stuff from the rest. Like edit it so they annoying reality show stuff like the interviews (and when jason hands out the derailleurs that allows them the stay on the island) was all at the end, with a cheese warning before hand. Just my two cents.

 Curtis Keene’s rebull On Track series shits on this all day long. That was a series that was also free and gave a lot of valuable insight on nearly all aspects of prep, training and racing. Somethings don’t get better with age and I liked IFHT’s old stuff

youtu.be/JUeI8cekvA4

Really don’t need everything delivered as a reality show.

 @brianpark: ndeed it is and Awesome find Brian! and all I can say is that it's good thing that wasn't my favorite black metal band, Emperor, or would be really pissed!Ihowever, nowIknow what I am posting this yuletide season!

 @kcy4130: back in the day in the skate world, peopleflipped when Gator released s video that was essentially one long love letter to his girlfirend,but skaters stuck to thier guns and cursed it in all of its mainstream putridity. And, as it turned out, Gator brutally murdered that girlfriend and the mainstream vomited out the skate worlduntil it dared to taste it again. The ship was righted and everyone lived happily ever after.

 Good for you for saying what you did. To add to it...The world is starved for content because of Covid restrictions on racing and travelling to film. PB met the challenge and took a chance. All of these negative people commenting about wanting more hardcore expert content probably can't even ride to that level anyways. Everyone should sit back and enjoy it instead of being a bunch of self centered freaks. Who cares about whether it's reality TV or not. It's entertainment after all.

 @TreeBeak: the only thing wrong with mtb going mainstream is that you don’t get to be a special little unique snowflake anymore. Meanwhile with a bigger industry everyone has more options bike, part, and trail, wise available to them; more money is put into building and maintaining trail systems, and maybe Pinkbike can effort to make another tv show for people like you.

 @bike-lair: Did you get someone to spell snow for you. Dont waste my time by replying.

 Thanks for your perspective, that was actually pretty insightful to read.

 agreed, thought this was a much more interesting episode than building bikes (duh, I guess), and showcases a skillset that you don't have to be a super sender to take advantage of

 Yes, i quite enjoyed this one. I was amazed at how poor some of the photo contributions were, the group selfie taking the cake, but also some of the riding shots. I always look forward to our local race photographers pics after a race and simply based on how he frames them and positions the camera, I'm pretty sure I could have done way better with the features and time they had.

 Don’t do that. Don’t give me hope.

 It was so sick to have films like Not Bad, Where The Trail Ends and UnReal. Then full length mtb/dirt jump films just died, why though?

 @ridealltheb1kes: because we don't pay for them.

 Surprised how many girls were at the bike park last week and no not as tagalongs with the boys but because they wanted to. If this helps that then keep it coming.

 @shotouthoods: my 11 year old had her first day at Whistler this summer and loved it. She and her sisters are getting up early to watch the World Cup with me in the morning.

 this is exactly it, i am watching it with my wife, she doesnt even know how to ride a bike, and she is enjoying it, my 2 year old loves watching girls on bikes too, i can tell how she gets motivated to ride her balance bike.

 Yeah, beaten by chicky who cased a wee drop and didn't do up her stem

 What do you mean everested the north shore?

 @lew-77: he completed a ride that included the elevation gain equivalent to summiting Everest (almost 9,000 metres).

 @lew-77: m.pinkbike.com/news/everesting-the-north-shore-no-chamois-no-gloves-no-worries2.html

 @ODubhslaine: f*ckin hell ha. Cheers for link fair play to the guy

 @usedbikestuff: sorry your priorities are whack.

-an everything adult

 Damnit. Stupid autocorrect. -an everesting adult

 @sspiff: Like Pinocchio, someday you’ll be a real boy.

 @spaceofades: Did you miss the part where this episode was a photo contest and not a riding contest?

He led his group to lose the first stage with his shitty lifestyle selfie ideas so it's not like he was all about shredding either.

So yeah, then he got edged out by a "chicky" (really?) who got a banger shot when she did her own thing. She also happened to win the women's race last time so it would be a shame if she dropped out so early.

As impressive as everesting anything is, it's totally irrelevant here. Orbea is looking for their next brand ambassador, not the guy with the most time on his hands and good cardio.

 Wait, is that for real? So, the whole premise of this garbage show was to give some aspiring enduro racers an opportunity... if so, that irony is thick

 @thegoodflow: Yes Becky Cook a top ten EWS rider, who formerly rode for Orbea, called them out on it on Pinkbike's instagram post as did Martha Gill and other EWS women. It's absolutely dreadful.

 @Danfsims: And i thought this show couldn't be any lamer.... apparently the feelgood premise of giving a leg up to an aspiring racer is completely fabricated deceptive horseshit. f*ck this. All these resources poured into what could have actually been cool and this is what they ended up with. Wow.

 This needs to be posted as a comment on every episode of this trash show

 @mtshakira: I will if you do too ha ha!

 @Danfsims: deal!

 Why? He looks great. I'd 100% flaunt it if I worked hard enough to get ripped like that. It's also his job, so...

The amount of insecurity about Vlad from the PB peanut gallery is so funny

 I head up sponsorship at such a company (Schwalbe North America), and happened to notice your comment. I also wish the bicycle industry worked a bit more this way so consider yourself 'noticed'. Shoot me a message (seriously).

 @nzandyb: To quote the accomplished and respected navy admiral Gial Ackbar, “IT’S A TRAP”

 You should go check his results from the Downhill Southeast #1, he is insanely good.

 @Marilou: so are a lot of other riders.

 Ya, I'd rather see roadies and eMopeds than more academy.

 She was my favorite! I was super bummed to see her go

 Yup. I only follow real athletes will real talent and commitment. I see mtb youtubers will zero talent with more followers than Olympic athletes. I hope these influencers aren't stealing industry marketing budgets from the real pro's.

 at 3 episodes deep, I wouldnt count on it

 next season its a graveldowndurocrosspackingfixieshitposting competition. rooting for ya

 This video was comprised of about 6% mtb riding and 94% complete bullshit

 that's quite the review - I'd say a cold, but then it is pretty bad!

 Well don't sugar coat it. Tell us how you really feel!

 I remember the AIDS era. Watch the next episode - trust me.

 man you don't understand. When the winner will have a day in bike park, they will have to post likable instagram post/story, look at me I have awesome time in my awesome kit 24/7/365, even tho I liked other clothes better, and I also have shitty days, to influence people into buying it. It is just new commercial every day. That is why they must post it so fast so the story seems geniue.

 @dumr666: I must be too old...

 On one hand, yeah, inclusivity in the sport is super important. But on the other hand, this is a skill-based sport. NBA teams aren't signing players who can't make baskets, NHL teams don't sign players who can't skate, and no one will ever go to the olympics because they live the marathon-running lifestyle—if they can't also win a marathon.

I understand why brands want to support people like Seth's Bike Hacks and Paul the Punter: they reach an audience that traditional mountain bike marketing does not. Someone watching Paul the Punter probably doesn't know who Vanderham is, and doesn't care. And brands need to market to that person too... but Seth and Paul are not professional mountain bikers, they are professional youtubers. Hear me out: Paul is starting a youtube channel about playing golf. He's going to succeed, following the same formula he did for his Punter channel. He could probably start a cooking youtube channel, or a trail running youtube channel, and also be successful.

But he couldn't lateral into any competitive arena of mountain biking and expect success—the guy isn't going to win an EWS, a DH race, or enter into rampage. But if you look at the best XC racer, that person could be competitive in DH or EWS with some training. And the top guys at Rampage could probably do pretty well at a DH race. Those guys are professional athletes. But they might not be any good at youtube or portraying the "lifestyle" of mountain biking, because they're busy actually perfecting their craft of mountain biking.

So it's 1000% appropriate in this context that the person who wins the $ and the pro contract to be competitive on the global scale as a mountain biker, and also show some inclination to become good at the social media thing... because I bet it's easier and less risky to learn how to make a good youtube channel and engage with followers on instagram, than it is to learn how to be a top-level mountain biker.

 I think he was put off that 2 out of 3 shots were lifestyle, not that there were lifestyle shots at all. Two sick riding shots to one lifestyle shot feels about right.

 That's worth...

 Where did you get the idea from that this was going to be a racing show?

 Makes no sense.

 Or, his pics weren't that great? Could be that, idk...

 Trailforks subscription fees have nothing to do with Pinkbike. Trailforks is a stand alone company now. Pretty sure it's Big White, Fox et al. that are putting up the $ for this series.

 @kwl1: Not sure what yer talking about, as Trailforks was created and is fully supported by PinkBike. They're both in bed with one another, its just a question of who's jerking each other off more.

 @cherry21jeff: I'm talking about Trailforks subscription fees go towards running Trailforks, not towards Pinkbike content.