Photo story for Bike Magazine on freeride legend Josh Bender
This 2017 assignment for Beta Mountain Bike Magazine was about revisiting a legend — Josh Bender, the original freeride icon from the New World Disorder era. In the early 2000s, he was known for pushing the limits of what mountain bikes could survive, earning both awe and controversy.
Then he vanished from the spotlight.
We traveled to a quiet valley near Sacramento to document his new life: humble, grounded, and still deeply connected to bikes. The photos explore the contrast between past and present — from the chaos of early freeride to the quiet focus of someone who’s carved out a life far from the headlines, but still fully in love with the ride.