Video: Absolutely Fearless Hucks & Roosts from this 17 Year Old

When riding in my local woods a few years back, near Warrington in Cheshire, there was a little long haired scouse lad (meaning from Liverpool for you folk over the pond) knocking about on a Cube 29er hardtail.. and was quite frankly a notch or two above everybody else. You know how young lads are: made of rubber, not a care in the world and just wanting to send it off every lip in sight. His skills were getting there and I noted the potential.

Fast forward a few years and the local woods is booming more than ever before, a solid spot for the small community of riders.. and a playground for Owen Robinson. His skills have quietly and quickly developed, however they haven't gone unnoticed. Namely the self confidence and belief in his own ability to push beyond the limits and somehow keep it under control.

And, whilst not many people many know his name and you won't see him at many races, he has the hunger to send it for the camera. After riding with 4X World Champs Medalist, Luke Cryer, the intent to see where riding his bike could potentially take him has gone through the roof... and at only 17 years old the lad has plenty of time to emerge as one of the UK's new school pinners. I've got my fingers crossed anyway.


Shooting this gap was an interesting evening. After scouting the woods for the best location, we dug this half rotten bench in as a kicker (no it wasn't stolen, it's being lying around the woods for years) with 30ft of bushes and brambles to clear into a slight downslope of loam and an alley of trees. This was a gap that you had to hit at 100% the first attempt. And I don't know too many people who are capable of committing everything on the first go. You were in a thorny, prickly mess if you came up short. And you were becoming best friends with a tree if you went too far. Robbo got it done a good 6 or 7 times.


Pull, tuck, and hold on.


The loam is these woods is phenomenal. Paired with the warm, dry spell of weather here in the UK, I'm not sure the conditions have ever been better. We've probably inhaled half of the woods.. the loam sits in the air for minutes after you've barrelled through the fern lined tunnels. We have to enjoy this in the UK whilst it lasts.. as you all know we're not renowned for sunshine.


And boom goes the dynamite.


Most of the tracks and features for this project were built/made/kicked in 20 minutes before they were filmed on, so the ground would be as fresh as possible. Get the boys to do a few runs down to get it bedded in and ready to film, and then she's ready to ride!


We nurture and grow only the highest quality loam, and then package and export it worldwide. Here we see the precise harvesting process in action.


Behind every loose cannon on a bicycle, is a set of shredders who lay on the peer pressure and provide that competitive edge. Step up Connor Moore and Matty McCready, local riders who effectively bully Robbo into doing daft stuff. That's what friends are for, right?


I know it looks sketchy, but that take off is a feat of engineering. The bench dug into the ground, a plank on one side and a rock on the other to wedge it level, and a stump for aesthetic purposes but also as a failsafe. From the lip of this take off to where he landed was 49ft. This is the rad kind of stuff that happens on the down low in local woods everywhere, and I feel it shouldn't go unnoticed.


Robbo ain't a racer. He's one that enjoys the act of riding his bike and pushing the limits, and that's it. I don't know if you can see the scope, but I can. I think his bike might end up taking him to some serious places, and at 17 the MTB world is his oyster.

Video / Photos / Words – Caldwell Visuals
Soundtrack – Time Bomb Ticking Away – Billy Talent
With thanks to – Matty McCready, Connor Moore, Rob Kennerley