Getting to Know Young Utah Hucker, Ethan Nell

ETHAN NELL

This Utah native loves to go big. Hucking a flatspin or throwing a moto whip over the massive Fest Series kickers seems like just another day at the office. When not traveling, Ethan hits the big mountain lines in his home state and rides moto whenever he can. With some incredible composure and a presence on and off the bike, this young rider is one to pay attention to.

Who is Ethan Nell?

I'm just a kid having as much fun as possible going big on two wheels.

Where are you from and where do you live?

I am from Southern Utah, living in St. George.

Who do you ride for?

As of now, I ride for YT Industries, Spank, Ryders Eyewear, Sensus, and Fist handwear, with some cool stuff in the works.

What are your strengths?

I really like riding huge jumps which I think comes from having a background in moto. I also feel super comfortable riding steep, exposed lines. That comes from living where Red Bull Rampage goes down and riding there from the start.

What are your weaknesses?

My weaknesses are definitely more on the slopestyle side of things like trick combos with lots of tailwhips and barspins. I don't do those too often.

How did you get involved with the Fest Series?

I helped Kyle Jameson dig last year preCruzFest and he let me ride. CruzFest went well and the boys were stoked. I then got invited to Aggy's and so on and so forth. I think I was the only one that was able to make it to every single event last year!

What's been your worst crash over the years

I think one of my worst crashes ever was at Loosefest last year when I didn't get the right pump and cased one of the big dawgs. I went OTB and slid a good 30–40 feet tearing most of the skin off of my body. That one was a long few weeks of painful showers.

Where's your favorite place to ride?

I really enjoy riding in Kamloops BC. The bike park and the Farm will forever be one of my favorite places to ride. On a side note, though, nothing is better than riding at home. Kong laps with the boys and big exposed lines are the best.

What bikes are you riding right now?

I am riding my small 26" YT Tues, and my YT Play slope bike.

Do you have any big projects or trips planned for 2017?

2017 will be a big year for sure! I'Il be hitting all of the Fest series events around the world as well as some filming trips in some wild places, Crankworx Whistler, Redbull Skygate in China, and a ton of filming in between! I am also really hoping to get to ride my home event Red Bull Rampage. We'll see how the year pans out. It should be super fun!

Who or what inspires you?

Going big with lots of style really inspires me. I watch a lot of moto freeriding videos and that's exactly what those videos are all about. Every rider on the Fest inspires me as well. Watching and riding with those guys blows my mind every time.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Wake up and build a 120+ foot jump for my moto in the hills, ride it, have some tacos at the taco shop, go for some Kong laps or ride some jumps in Virgin with Reed Boggs if we're both home, dinner, ride some street or hang with homies and girls. This is usually the daily routine when I'm home. It doesn't get better than that daily routine! I'm super blessed.

If you weren't a pro mountain biker, what would you be doing?

I'd still be riding every day, trying to do cool things.

Where do you think the future of freeride is headed?

I really hope it moves in the direction of the Fest series style events. Going big and riding unique features/lines is what I really enjoy seeing and riding.

How do you want to be remembered?

As a kid that loved having a good time and hopefully had a bit of style once in a while.

What does the future hold for Ethan Nell?

Ideally, I really would like to push riding big jumps on a moto as well as mountain bikes. I've got some big projects involving both sports coming up that I'm really stoked to be doing. I really enjoy riding both, so hopefully, my future holds a lot of doing just that!

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MENTIONS: @YTIndustries / @spank-bikes / @RydersEyewear / @Sensus

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Interviews Getting To Know Ethan Nell