Video: Samantha Soriano's Road to Formation

Professional freerider Samantha Soriano is on a Road to Red Bull Formation—the women's freeride mountain bike event taking place May 24 to June 1 on the 2015 Red Bull Rampage venue outside Virgin, Utah.

Join the 2018 U.S. Downhill National Champ as she travels to Southern Utah in preparation to ride among eight of the world’s best female freeride athletes aiming to conquer the most demanding mountain bike terrain on the planet.

In episode #1 (above) of this 3-episode series, the 20-year-old Colorado native heads to the desert intent to knock the dust off her bag of tricks—with help, and comedic relief, from her lifelong riding partner and older brother, Ross Soriano.


On having a career outside racing:

Samantha Soriano: I used to think "if you want a career in mountain bikes, you have to race—I have no other career unless I want to be a cross-country or enduro racer."


I thought, ”There’s no future in freeride.” But now that Vero [Sadler] and Casey [Brown] have pushed women’s freeride a bunch, now, it’s a door that’s swung wide open—and so many opportunities have opened up.


On family influence:

My older brother, Ross [Soriano], is genuinely the most talented rider I have ever seen—and I’m lucky enough to have grown up with [him].


He has a very important influence on my riding style. [He] will make me do stuff I don’t want to do, but am able to do—I just need that push sometimes. But if it were somebody else, a non-family member, I probably wouldn’t listen to them…



On the pressure to achieve a goal:

If you’re doing the same thing over and over, it takes the fun out of everything.


But if you’re aiming for [a goal], and you’re in a [rush to achieve it], it will come faster.

Produced by: Taylor Sage
Photos by: Peter Jamison, Taylor Sage, Tory Powers
With support from: Canyon USA
Featuring: Samantha Soriano, Ross Soriano

@Canyon-PureCycling

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Videos Riding Videos Canyon Samantha Soriano Formation PBWMN Freeride