Jeff Lenosky - 12 Years With Fox
Words by Jeff Lenosky and photos by Ian Hylands except as noted.
I've had the honor of being a Fox Head athlete for the past 12 years, so it is with some sadness that I'm announcing my departure from the team at the end of the year. Change is never easy but in order to continue evolving both on and off the bike I felt this is the right time. Having the opportunity to work with such an iconic brand has been a pleasure and I hope to remain part of the Fox Head family in spirit for years to come.
When you have spent as much time with a brand as I have with Fox Head, they become more than just a sponsor. Since we've had such a great relationship I figured a "thank you" was in order. I collaborated with some of the photographers I've worked with during my time as a Fox Head athlete and put together a little walk down memory lane. I hope you enjoy checking out these pictures as much as I did reflecting on some great times.
Jeff and I shot this 180 hop over a rail and gap for Fox Head back in 2008. It's a pretty big hop, and it took a couple of tries to get. We shot a sequence of it first, just to get it nailed and in the can, and then we shot a few single images with lights. The single image can be a little confusing, but the sequence shows the whole thing. - Ian
![This photo was taken by Chris Vanderyact for a mini interview I did last year for Decline. This was the first street riding shot I had published after breaking my tibia and fibula in February of 2010. On my first ride back I was cruising around Newton NJ with Aaron Chase and George Ryan and I spotted this line. It took me a several months to get my pop back so I could jump high enough for this ledge ride but when I knew I was getting the story this was the first line that came to mind. It ended up taking me a few tries but I m stoked with how the picture came out.]()
This photo was taken by Chris VanderYacht for a mini interview I did last year for Decline. This was the first street riding shot I had published after breaking my tibia and fibula in February of 2010. On my first ride back I was cruising around Newton, NJ with Aaron Chase and George Ryan and I spotted this line. It took me a several months to get my "pop" back so I could jump high enough for this ledge ride, but when I knew I was getting the story this was the first line that came to mind. It ended up taking me a few tries but I'm stoked with how the picture came out.
I'll be posting some more photos and making some announcements about my 2013 program on my Facebook fan page soon, be sure to "like" it and stay up to date.
www.facebook.com/ridewithjeff
 | Jeff and I have been shooting together for about 12 years, the same time that he's been with Fox Head. So when he talked to me on the morning of 12-12-12 about doing a photo story about 12 years with Fox Head I was pretty stoked. And also perhaps a little amused by the irony... - Ian Hylands |
I've had the honor of being a Fox Head athlete for the past 12 years, so it is with some sadness that I'm announcing my departure from the team at the end of the year. Change is never easy but in order to continue evolving both on and off the bike I felt this is the right time. Having the opportunity to work with such an iconic brand has been a pleasure and I hope to remain part of the Fox Head family in spirit for years to come.
When you have spent as much time with a brand as I have with Fox Head, they become more than just a sponsor. Since we've had such a great relationship I figured a "thank you" was in order. I collaborated with some of the photographers I've worked with during my time as a Fox Head athlete and put together a little walk down memory lane. I hope you enjoy checking out these pictures as much as I did reflecting on some great times.
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 I've shot with Jeff for most of the 12 years he's been with Fox, starting with the early Fox RV trips we did with Kirt Vories and Aaron Chase. This curved wall ride in Santa Barbara dates back to 2001- Ian Hylands |
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| This photo was from the Back to the Forest Skatepark Contest in Toronto more than 10 years ago. It ran as a full page picture in Decline sometime around 2002. It's pretty significant for a few reasons, it was the first freeride contest I ever won, and I was riding a prototype Giant STP. As usual I was making a funny face while riding... |
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| This was the first print ad I ever had with Fox and we shot it while filming for Chain Reaction 5. This spot was about 2 miles from where I grew up and we used to ride around this industrial complex all the time. One day I spotted it and called it out as a joke but a few months later I saw the landscaping on the take off side was ripped up and figured "why not get it done." I'm glad I did! |
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| Wow, imagine that, another bar spin shot! This picture was also taken during the filming of Chain Reaction 5. I would pass this school all the time on the way to my good friend's bike shop and knew it could make for a really cool shot. Luckily the authorities never got involved and this image ended up being on the box cover. |
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| This Maxxis ad was shot on the side of a pretty busy road and really didn't need much work to make it possible. It's been torn down for years, but I still drive by the spot on occasion and think about how lucky I am to have filmed and photographed this before it was gone. |
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| Fox catalog from 2004, Jeff gapped from the stairs to this tiny ledge in Barcelona while filming for NWD. This was one of my first trips to Barcelona, and this was probably the craziest most tech thing I'd seen on a mountain bike at the time. The gap was only about 8 feet, but the ledge Jeff landed on was only about 6 inches wide, and it was on an angle. - Ian Hylands |
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| Ian Hylands and I shot this at the Madrid stop of the Qashqi Tour about 6 years ago. I helped design the course and as soon as we built this obstacle I immediately started thinking about a fufanu to bar spinout on it. I didn't pull it in my contest run but later that afternoon I was able to make it happen. |
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| This rail gap was at Rutgers University and it was for New World Disorder 8. I pretty much got tired of only riding lines the way they existed naturally so if you watch that segment you'll notice I use some more kickers and ride some more man manipulated lines to try to expand my riding. I had known about this gap for a long time, but the run up was only about 30 feet. I decided to build a kicker and jump up and over the first handrail so I had speed to make the jump. |
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Jeff and I shot this 180 hop over a rail and gap for Fox Head back in 2008. It's a pretty big hop, and it took a couple of tries to get. We shot a sequence of it first, just to get it nailed and in the can, and then we shot a few single images with lights. The single image can be a little confusing, but the sequence shows the whole thing. - Ian |
| Jeff Lenosky with a huge abubuca filming for NWD a few years back. This photo has never run anywhere but definitely shows the size of what Jeff is capable of. The same day that we shot this we went to Squamish and shot the two photos below, which ended up being used by Decline and Maxxis- Ian Hylands. |
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| This is still one of my favorite pictures to date. I used to go to a trials event at the Squamish Test of Metal in the 90's when I still rode for Schwinn. We used to try to bunny hop up the back side of it using a kicker but the thought of wall riding off it never crossed our minds. Several years later while filming for New World Disorder we rolled back through town and found this line. This image ended up getting used for a Maxxis poster and the cover of the Interbike issue of Decline. The following summer I stopped to reminisce on my way up to Whistler and the log and saw blade were gone and it was just a grass field. Without this photo there's no proof this place ever existed. |
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| This sunset shot was taken in Ventura and it came out super rad. I was having a hard time nose picking the rock the way it was because the top sloped away and my tire kept slipping. I put an extra rock on top to make a mini sub box and it did the trick. |
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| Nighttime trials session. This shot is from my trials playground that's about a mile from my house in Sparta. It ran in the Fox Head catalog and I love the natural/industrial juxtaposition of the photo. |
This photo was taken by Chris VanderYacht for a mini interview I did last year for Decline. This was the first street riding shot I had published after breaking my tibia and fibula in February of 2010. On my first ride back I was cruising around Newton, NJ with Aaron Chase and George Ryan and I spotted this line. It took me a several months to get my "pop" back so I could jump high enough for this ledge ride, but when I knew I was getting the story this was the first line that came to mind. It ended up taking me a few tries but I'm stoked with how the picture came out. |
| This wall ride on the tank is one of my favorite recent pictures. It's a good size bunnyhop, but it has a real casual feel to it and it's nice and colorful. We originally shot it with Fox Head in mind, but it ended up getting used for a Teva poster |
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| Another tank, this time in the Fox 2012 MTB Catalog |
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| This picture was shot by Matt DeLorme at the Mountain Creek King of the Mountain Enduro this past September. This was the final stage and I knew if I had a solid run I had a good shot of finishing in first place. I'm not sure if I'm gasping for breath or letting out a sigh of relief because when I got to this point I knew the most difficult parts of the track were behind me. I ended up finishing first and I plan to do some more racing in the future. |
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| Another shot by Matt DeLorme. I don't think I'll ever get bored of showing off! This picture was from the Windham World Cup this past summer. I had a great weekend watching the world's best racers out on the mountain and having the opportunity to ride for such and enthusiastic crowd. I still love doing my trials demos because I get to meet riders from all around the world and introduce our sport to lots of new people. |
I'll be posting some more photos and making some announcements about my 2013 program on my Facebook fan page soon, be sure to "like" it and stay up to date.
www.facebook.com/ridewithjeff
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As a employee of a Giant shop, It's something that has always bugged me. The Giant factory off-road team is full of athletes on Glory's, Anthem's and XTC 29'rs that all get media attention/coverage. But I've never watched a Joyride or any competition and seem someone repping a STP.
Just strange to me, I'd love to know the answer to this.
The injuries aren't worth that little bit of weight savings, plus steel gives legendary ride quality and the smaller diameter tubes better for jumping-less interference with body in tricks. Also steel frames look simpler, more pure.
Steel is mythical, legendary, even spiritual. Aluminum is cheap, cold, lonely. Steel has lasting quality, you can even repair it. Aluminum gets melted and recycled. Souless, temporary, just like the cans. Just like the empty, wasteful American approach to everything. If you are riding a hardtail, it should be steel. Do the right thing.
I do prefer the 'feel' of the ride of steel - it is less harsh for sure.
When they make a carbon STP - I'll buy that.
That said, the newer 2012 models have more current geometry with shorter stays and aren't quite as massive feeling. They feel a bit more comparable to other street bikes with more aggressive geo that feel more like a BMX.
The article needs a photo from when he was with his FIRST sponsor... Eastern Woods Research.
www.pinkbike.com/news/Vision-of-a-pioneer-with-Jeff-Lenosky-2011.html
Was out at Ray's Cleveland and ran into Jeff and his family. We spoke briefly as I was on an EWR. He is a genuinely a nice guy and a true ambassador for our sport. Others in higher paid, sponsored sports should take note and model themselves after Jeff.
Also, that weekend at Rays... Jeff's son was there and riding a 16" BMX and was quite the little ripper! He was hitting the skinnies and the highest drop in the Expert Section!
a question: i like so much the sequences "gif like", Ian, how do you do that?
First, I thought, did Fox made forks 12 years ago? Then I read "Fox Head", and I thought "ok, now I undestrand". Now I´m looking picture number five, wich it´s his first print ad, and he have a huge Bell stick on his helmet! WTF!!!
It takes incredible skills, and confidence to be able to bunnyhop a high rail to the street (like in Ian Highlands slide near the middle of this article), but is it really worth it? It doesn't really look that cool to spectators, and personally, I'd rather do a big whip off a dirt jump, then see how far I could bunnyhop..
next announcement "I'm changing toilet paper brands after 13 years".
who gives a... they paid you... and now its over.