10 years on from bursting on to the scene with his fluid, technical and progressive Inspired Cycles edit, Danny MacAskill is still pumping out incredibly creative and entertaining videos.
To celebrate the anniversary of his arrival, we've ranked his best edits from the past ten years of riding. The edits that made this list are the ones that feature MacAskill alone and aren't explicitly advertising a product. Do you disagree with our rankings? There's a poll at the bottom to vote for your favourite.
10. At the Playboy Mansion
5.7 million views
A visit to the Playboy Mansion may sound like an odd edit for the clean-cut MacAskill and it plays out like one too. It's an edit that Danny says he regrets and describes as an "honest mistake" in his autobiography and with good reason. He apparently popped in after filming Epecuen but the riding isn't really on a par with that edit. A few hops and drops then a nose manual down the Weezer lawn is about all that's on offer here. It was heavily criticized on release and hasn't aged well since then.
9. Epecuen
15.5 million views
Shot in an Argentinian town that was submerged for 30 years, Epecuen had the greatest scope and most impressive concept of any of Danny's edits. The riding and location take an equal share of the limelight in this edit and as such it doesn't quite have the excitement of some of Danny's other videos. There's no such thing as a bad Danny MacAskill edit but this one can feel a bit slow at points.
8. Industrial Revolutions
10.5 million views
Shot for the UK's Channel 4 as part of a documentary looking at extreme sports in the UK, Industrial Revolutions sees Danny exploring an abandoned factory. It feels like a snappier version of Epecuen and the cable ride and rooftop drop remain some of the most impressive MacAskill stunts to date.
7. Danny Day Care
5.5 million views
Danny's most recent edit was one of the most fun mountain bike videos ever. It was only intended to be a side project between other commitments for Stu Thompson and Danny but it turned into one of his best-ever edits. The flip with the trailer in tow is something to behold.
6. Cascadia
51.1 million views
Taking to the colourful rooftops of Gran Canaria, there's no Danny MacAskill edit that gives you a sense of danger quite like Cascadia. Precariously balanced way above the streets, Danny rattles off a series of death-defying tricks and ends it off with a huge front flip into the Atlantic.
5. Way Back Home
41.7 million views
The much anticipated follow up to Danny's breakthrough Inspired edit, Way Back Home saw Danny take a trip across Scotland to return to his home on the Isle of Skye. Along the way, he visited a number of spots from seafront promenades to abandoned bunkers. Danny proved he could expand his scope beyond a single location and produce something more expansive than any trials edit before, setting himself on a path to even more amazing edits.
4. The Ridge
66.1 million views
The Ridge was the first time many people saw Danny MacAskill on a 'proper' mountain bike and he proved that the trials skills he had perfected transferred over perfectly. Danny set his sights on summiting Cuillin Ridge and then riding back down again afterward. This is an edit that combines Skye's stunning scenery with MacAskill's incredible skills in a breathtaking 7 minutes.
3. Imaginate
89.8 million views
Danny took almost twp years to make this edit but the results are definitely worth it. He was no longer constricted by architecture or geography and could create a playground of his childhood dreams to perform some tricks he had never been able to do before. It all paid off and Imaginate became the second most-watched mountain bike video ever behind Kelly McGarry's Rampage backflip. It even features a cameo from Danny's mum.
2. Wee Day Out
32.1 million views
Getting our on our bikes and exploring is something we all do but nobody does it quite like Danny MacAskill. This is the most inventive of Danny's edits with hay bale rides, underwater double track and log slides stuck in between some incredibly tech trials riding. Wee Day Out is an edit that will bring a smile to your face every time you watch it.
1. Inspired
39 million views
The original and, for our money, still the best. Danny's Inspired edit doesn't have the polished veneer of his later edits and without the pressure of big sponsors or narratives, he was able to do what he does best. This is simply one of the best ever bike handlers shredding in the city he called home. With raw abandon, Danny MacAskill produced one of the greatest ever mountain bike edits and rose to stardom overnight. Even 10 years on, this is still an unbeatable display of riding.
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81 Comments
But I could be mistaken......
1. Industrial Revolutions
...
Inspired is just a dude riding street. Makes it more relatable (as much as it's possible to relate to DM)
My favourite is wee day out, but my 3 year old son’s is Imaginate.
I had all my friends sharing it and talking about it, and I was like, "Yeah... favorite current band... and bikes."
first time I saw him front manual backwards (better name?) I just thought it was magical
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bV0zxgDZUhI
But Wee Day Out wins it for me. I like the mood.
[Although fair doos to Danny, he has to pay the bills somehow].
(just kidding a bit)