Today sees the launch of rising freeriding star Matt Jones’ first production entitled Frames of Mind. The film, which uses gripping rotoscoping techniques, shows how Jones visualises tricks and pushes MTB freestyle skills to the very limit, providing a fresh view into how elite athletes use sports psychology to compete at the highest level. Filmed on his own purpose-built trail at Rushmere Country Park, the latest film sees Red Bull’s young gun demonstrate unique tricks including world-firsts in freestyle mountain biking: Bum Slide, 270 Rim Bonk, Hitching Post Flip to Feet, Decade Tsunami, Superman Backflip to tuck no-hander.
Within the film, an advanced editing technique ‘rotoscoping’ was used by Cut Media to enable the audience to see what going through Matt’s head as he prepared for seemingly impossible tricks. This required an intricate process, cutting out countless sequential frames, in order to create the floating ‘traces’ seen in the final production.
As an athlete in a high-risk sport, Matt Jones works closely with top Performance Mentor Gary Grinham to help him maintain a winning mentality in the run-up to competitions and in his comeback after injury. Grinham commented: “The most important thing that you must do is accept the worst possible outcome. You will never perform your best if, while you are competing, you are thinking about getting hurt. Once this is done, it will allow you to perform free and without worry.” Their partnership was the inspiration behind the film. Matt Jones was forced to visualise his tricks with very little physical practice when he broke his wrist following a crash at Crankworx Rotorua, weeks before filming started.
Matt Jones, now 23, has been mountain biking since the age of ten, spending as many hours building jumps as he has riding them. He first emerged onto the British dirt jump scene while still at school, before winning his first international competition in 2016.
Jones commented: “Landing a trick you’ve been building up to is the best feeling. It’s all about visualisation. Once it feels familiar it comes down to getting on my bike and trying it for real. From take-off to landing, you can run through it all in your head before you get in the saddle. I already know the jump work, height limitations, airtime; the entire trick from start to finish. I can figure out so much about a trick just by visualising it; working through the physics in my head and imagining how it feels.”
To find out more about Matt Jones and to watch his film ‘Frames of Mind’ go
here.
MENTIONS: @redbullbike
Hooooow maaaany DJ's???
Awesome, awesome video
Massive thumbs up to Stu and of course to Matt.
Cheers
The issue is that you're thinking in a very specific time frame. There have been a lot of other riders who have been insanely impressive in terms of race results, freeride and slope progression, and even some who still kill it in those areas that extend well beyond his career as a well-known rider so longevity as well. Kyle Strait, Gee Atherton, Cedric Gracia, Cam Zink, John Tomac who destroyed BMX racing, road racing, XC and DH all within a short period of time (before freeride but with a record like that... you can only imagine)... the list goes on.
Semenuk is just the new catchy name and for good reason but if you want to better understand the most talented overall riders, you need to expand your scope a bit outside of who just has the coolest edits and best results in certain events of the past 3 years.
I'm certain you missed my point at the end of my last post that he probably doesn't care to prove himself so its impossible to determine this but at the end of day based on what's available, he's not the best all around rider.
Whatever event he turns up at he is a forced to be reckoned with, honestly I wish he wasn't such an emo sook and would do more events like speed and style, pumptrack etc to unleash his full potential. In no way am I a Semenuk fanboy, I much prefer riders who progress the sport of slopestyle and send it big like Rogatkin and Messere, or even this new Matt Jones kid lol, but I think Semenuk stands at the moment as one of, if not arguably the best all round bike handler on the planet. This comes from the standpoint of someone who has otherwise no interest in Semenuk other than mutual respect.
Halo have been very supportive of the scene in the east of the UK an UK 4X over the years an have supported Matt, among others. For a long time. Matt an Halo is like Tippie an Rocky
obviously, it makes national news in the UK that he is sponsored by halo, but it is still good advertising time for halo when the bare rim holds up to that abuse.
These twins were unstoppable and never tired to shovel sand !
@ColquhounerHooner : I've a friend who's your age and is an absolute missile on a snowboard. Inspiration right there. No retreat, no surrender.
Also lol at 4.52. Totally styled it out
Great job Matt.
The laws...Gawd maybe...luck would have it.
You won't BELIEVE how little sense that makes!!