Video: Comparing EWS Pros with Average Joes at EWS Whistler

 @ADGproductions: Don't forget how it looks so easy and flat on camera...So many times I watched a trail on video saying to myself : "Looks easy" then when I got there I was not so sure about doing it !

 If they're "average" then I don't want to think about what I am.

 @ADGproductions: Average for Whistler or maybe even B.C. But above average on a more expanded view of mountain biking.

 Very relevant point. Not to mention how much time the upper tier of pros spend on suspension tuning and set up.

 Yeah but even the difference in line choice is very obvious, sometimes the pros even take the easier smoother line.

 @Tmackstab: most pros are smother than the average riders, even going triple the speed
as you said they take smother lines, and they also know how to absorve hits better. having that said if they were ridding slower the bikes would last more.
if you have a good resistant set up, you only need service, when you try to cheap out on something, or save White is when you star to have problems

 Also how much time they devote to training

 @thejake: that's what I was gonna say. So not only are they not paying for that frame or wheel they just smashed, but they literally get paid to ride as much as they can. But you can never discount natural talent or ability. I could get the best coach, bike setup, and fitness possible and never ride like Sam Hill.

 Nah. I am worried about my bones and soft tisue, not my bike.

 Exactly that, natural talent got them into the position where they now get paid to ride every day and not have to pay for/worry about breaking parts! @gooutsidetoday:

 I hope I didn't make it sound like I was discounting the natural talent that is inherent in the pro ranks. That goes without saying.

 BS. I get most of my gear for free or at industry cost and trust me top pros will blow your mind. You will only go as fast as your brain lets you go. Muscle memory and brain response is your biggest thing on going faster

 To watch the pro's come through that hole at the end should be quite an eye-opener to everyone. Most of the pro's made it look like it wasn't even a hole. That wasn't suspension...Most of the regular mountain bikers almost came off their bike or worse lost their front teeth. The Privateer could ride in the first episode. He didn't learn to ride fast just this year. Comments about free gear are irrelevant. If you could buy TALENT and HARDWORK every novice or Intermediate BMXers Dad would be at the bike shop today looking for the LARGE! It takes years or sacrifice, good times and bad. This is a great series and it's been an inspiration to watch. No wonder it's so popular- we all see ourselves out there. Well done!

 DarrenT1982, I always thought I was the only one to think that, you could not believe how happy I've felt reading your comment.

 Remember that they have to make that gear last for an entire race, so they are not just smashing everything in sight. If they break something their result goes down the toilet.

 @trails801: bang on comment. Hilarious to read people on here actually thinking they'd be significantly faster if they got free gear. Too funny.

 @gramboh: how can you say that a local kid (with talent) wouldn’t be faster if he had a couple of frames, new drivetrain, a box full of tires and fresh suspension with spares wouldn’t be faster Then if he had to work while fitting in training and riding a clapped out bike? ? ?

 @MX298: life

 @abgs87: Natural talent doesnt get you very far these days to be honest. I've seen plenty of kids on shitted out old bikes with more talent than your average sponsored rider. The truth is like most extreme sports, its expensive and the kids who come from richer families have a massive advantage.

 @Hardtailkook: Do you understand how money works? It's literally from being successful. I'm not a good hockey player, good hockey players have tons of money.

 I'd need my 6' travel trail bike to get down a XCO track

 @brodoyouevenbike:
Tried Vallnord XC track with a Spectral, didn't feel like too big bike on the downs haha
Uphill was a bit painful obviously (just getting up the hill I mean. Getting there fast is another thing)

 I like that thought, possibly a roadie who was once a bmxer as a kid could pull it off. Those guys are lean fit and I just don't see anyone pulling it off.

 The toughest part is getting your shit together on the technical sections after scraping all the fitness you have trying to get past the uphills. And then realizing later on that you actually need to do 6 laps of this.

 There is no question. Yes.

 Agree! Very useful

 subscribe to BCPov on YouTube, he posts some cool enduro race diaries as well as generally awesome POV footage of riding around BC.

 So if none of the privateers (at least the filmed ones) did it the way you described with getting the front-end over the hole, could that suggest, that the pros are also much more careful when pre-riding those lines on practice day and remember those lines better AND are not letting adrenaline take over?

 This, and I wonder about suspension setup too. A lot of fast guys I know tend to ride much stiffer suspension than I do.

 @pioterski: Watching their pre-ride footage over and over the night before is supposedly normal, but I wonder how much more time the pros spend on this?

 After watching the big hole theme again and again, for me the Joes are "simply" not prepared to take the hit. The pros seem to know it is there nad know how to handle it.

 @showmethemountains: I can spend quite a bit of any free thinking time I have running over sections and lines in my mind, so as these pros have nothing else to think about I would suggest it's alot. But could also depend on the person, I feel visualisation helps me alot, but others might not feel the same. Also you should be able to ride faster on the 10th time down a trail than on the first time down, if watching your first time down ten times on video is the closest you can get to riding it ten times then it must help?

 But fast is fun!

 @smokingtires: Yeah, I used to be faster when I was younger. More interested in skillful riding. On flat ground my maximum speed was 40km/h as a kid. I don't know, obviously everybody wants to be the best at everything, I'm just not all that fast, it's not like I don't want to be.

 Years of hard work by parents a,d most of all riders. It all comes down to the individual in the end

 Haha, props to our crew @silverthorne for getting the cover shot and the ender????

 Lol, poor guy happened to take a digger in front of me

 @BCpov: he is my brother, just making sure everyone knows who it was!

 @BCpov: Looked like a nice soft landing though

 I recognized that was @Silverthorne as I was just scrolling though. I bet our "Joe" is faster than yours!

 I thought you were very handsome.

 The difference in mid to bottom end "good" suspension and something custom tuned to you and your bike is night and day.
I've had both Push Industries and Avalanche tune suspension on my bikes and it really transforms them.
I'm still not much faster though!

 So cool! ????

 I messed that up! I'm sorry!

 Did anyone else notice Lew blast the triple in the second to last privateer episode while they were standing around debating whether to go for it?

 its all good man, we have harder Scottish names and places than that anyways

 No, there is generally one category. basically 'open'. Some of them have a split for the 40+ in age, but nothing else.

 Totally agree with mblar! This was a great perspective piece - the back to back comparison is mind blowing! Thanks for putting this together BCpov!

 Yes it will.