Aaron Gwin Pins Laguna Beach's Top of the World Trail - Video

Aug 8, 2017 at 12:00
by GoPro  

Fresh off of an outstanding win at this years Mont-Sainte-Anne UCI Downhill race, Aaron Gwin takes full advantage of the chance to come home and train on California’s technical coastal trails.



MENTIONS: @GoPro



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GoPro avatar

Member since Aug 9, 2009
67 articles

94 Comments
  • 93 19
 "Fresh off of an outstanding win at this years Mont-Sainte-Anne UCI Downhill race, Aaron Gwin takes full advantage of the chance to come home and train on California’s technical coastal trails."

More fake news on PB. There is no way he shot that after coming home from MSA. The trails are WAY too green in that edit. Definitely shot earlier in the year.
  • 97 13
 OMG THE WORLD IS GOING TO END!!!!
  • 24 0
 Haha yep can confirm, I ride that trail every weekend
  • 20 15
 Go Pro graduated from Trump U?
  • 5 1
 My thoughts exactly. This was clearly shot in the Spring. But did he huck VW rock??!!!
  • 1 0
 @tcmtnbikr: he has in different video/day
  • 5 1
 Me and my boys just rode Telonics on Sunday and it is definitely not as green as it is in this video. I have a drone video going down Telonics in April and wasn't even as green as it is in this video so it was probably shot several months ago. It was super dry and way too dusty this weekend but still one of my favorite trails. I just uploaded my run from Sunday on Pinkbike today. We had a train of 8 going down Telonics ....just a lot slower than Aaron Gwin
  • 1 0
 Just was thinking the same thing while looking at all the brown tumbleweeds out here
  • 2 1
 @nvranka: In Santa Barbara we have a lot of issues with hikers. Do hikers not use that trail?
  • 44 0
 The vegetation turns green as he rides the trail. When he leaves it gets brown again.
  • 4 0
 @mrgonzo: Haha, that ^
  • 5 0
 @Toryt7: not so much on that trail. Too steep and too many bikers.
  • 3 0
 @Toryt7: Well...I wouldn't say it's a huge problem, but it is definitely a fear of anyone who rides the trail at pace. I typically try to shuttle early-ish morning (730/8a) on the weekends to avoid the crowds.

Most hikers wander around the top half of telonics and top of the world, which is fairly wide open without really any blind entrances or corners...but sometimes there will be people hiking up the bottom half in some seriously sketchy blind and fast sections...that's where it gets scary.

I've shuttled this trail literally hundreds of times and have never crashed into a hiker, but i've had some really close calls. I could be a lot more careful than I am, and just typing this makes me feel like an idiot for how fast I hit those blind sections...but what can ya do...too fun

Great trail though...and close access to Silver surfer/PGs, two other great DH trails
  • 1 0
 Agreed, I just rode this trail Saturday, it's definitely a couple months old. Another thing, let's get the f'n name right of the most popular trail in Laguna, it's Telonics. Lol. They also skipped a lot of the good parts of this trail too.
  • 2 1
 @TommyHuynh562: your edits should be on the front page. seriously.
  • 2 0
 Hikers try and hike up but it's too steep. I almost hit a big dog one time. @Toryt7:
  • 3 0
 @esstinkay: thanks bro, I post more stuff on YouTube than Pinkbike. Here is a pretty cool video I edited down Telonics in April, we had 11 riders, 2 drones, 1 camera man and 3 GoPros. I think action cams cant capture how steep and gnarly trails really are, I think the drone footage helped capture the terrain a little better.

www.pinkbike.com/video/470059
  • 1 0
 @Toryt7: Not so much. It's steep AF and dumps into a weird spot. In my experience you don't see too many.
  • 2 1
 @tcmtnbikr: Not so much hucked it as basically ignored it at nearly 40 mph - it looked like he was going off a curb.
FWIW - That's the spot where a local dude went off the 150 ft. cliff on the right side of the trail. He should have died, but is fully recovered.
  • 1 2
 @herzalot: he didn't hit VW rock, and was clearly cruising as he didn't even double the rhythm section.

Still not clear how someone could even go off trail on the right side...the "local dude" you're referring to has me baffled. Then again, he was a 55-60+yr old barney.
  • 1 0
 @nvranka: Is VW Rock the same thing as Rads rock? I assumed it was.
  • 1 0
 @ceecee: I think you missed the point... you meant to criticize CNN or any other media outlet that fails to portray things as they really are.
  • 1 0
 @herzalot: yes, but even rads call it vw... Def located in Radlands tho haha
  • 51 14
 while the video was sick, that face-on camera angle shows very little about the riding; kinda annoying.
  • 57 3
 Au contraire mon frère you can see body position, knee position, when/how he brakes, and how he is absorbing/pushing the bumps/jumps.
  • 14 5
 @Thustlewhumber: Je suis d'accord, mon petit chérie, but without the context of the local topology of the trail, I don't find that information super helpful.
  • 17 2
 I found that to be the best camera angle I've ever watched of a downhiller. Watching his knees, his pivot point, his hips... so good!
  • 3 1
 Look at the breaks...
  • 16 0
 @greglikesspecialized: I wish there was a brake light on the screen to see when he's actually hitting the brakes.
  • 37 0
 I like how the only french guy to chime in reply's only in english.
  • 4 0
 @konarider112: Je suie desolé! Wink
  • 4 0
 There is a brake light, you can see it everytime he brakes. Or at least, you would be able to..
  • 1 0
 yeah I agree 100%, I think follow cams are the best angles but I am sure there aren't too many people who can follow Aaron Gwinn down Telonics that fast. I just uploaded our ride down Telonics from Sunday, we had a train of 8 riders, it gives you a little better perspective of the trail and how much faster Gwinn is compared to Privateers.

www.pinkbike.com/video/476316
  • 2 0
 Je suis un chou
  • 1 0
 @TommyHuynh562: oh that's awesome! sweet video. thanks for the link; it's very helpful for getting a sense of what gwin's riding!
  • 8 0
 This reminded me of this....

youtu.be/1wCyZ4X17DQ

Long Live Chainsaw
  • 4 0
 damn, I had to mute it!!
  • 1 0
 @ismasan:
Ditto! While the riding is legend, the music is more than mismatched, is that even music?
Shotgun straight back noise
  • 1 0
 @jdsusmc: "That rock and roll isn't music!" You guys are that guy right now.
  • 2 0
 @gdnorm:
Haha! You're right.
I'll probably be jammin to that this time next year headed to a trailhead.
  • 6 0
 is that the trail from the Shaun Palmer segment at the very beginning of Chainsmoke?
  • 2 0
 yup. ridden this trail. parts of it are straight down. he makes it look easy
  • 5 0
 It's crazy it's been 21 years since Chainsmoke! Most people here on PB weren't even born.
Hey kids,take a look (and a listen) to this: youtu.be/LI4e7REs-5Y
  • 3 0
 No that was viper. Over by the 14
  • 2 0
 @nozes: kids dont know...get it thats a song in that movie
  • 1 0
 @Nostrangertodanger: yeah, I looked it up after this and was ashamed. I'm not even a kid and I still don't know (@nozes)

To be fair, I'm from WA so I don't know one SoCal trail from another
  • 6 0
 Yup That was FAST!
  • 1 0
 None of the 133 drop downs including PGs are a well kept secret man...even lopes posts videos of I don't understand your question about whether I do a yearly week long trail session...lol...but I do ride all of these trails weekly
  • 4 0
 Every day i like more the YT Industries Bikes!!!
  • 3 2
 False, ,Telonics is no we're nearly as grassy as that this time of the year. That was like shot in March. That video is pretty old so u can't just repost it and say it was from just this week. Bullshit!
  • 4 1
 You don't need a dual crown for that!
  • 4 0
 Doesn't seem to slow him down much.
  • 3 0
 909'er taking all the KOM's ???? Long live the I.E. ????
  • 3 0
 LEFT foot forward the whole time.
  • 1 0
 Thanks for pointing that out..
  • 3 0
 Sounds like this joker Gwin needs a couple clinics with BikeJames if he ever wants to reach his potential.
  • 2 0
 I'd like to see Gwin do a 'Shaun Palmer' tribute and remake the helicopter run as seen on ChainSmoke....
  • 1 0
 You know Gwin is taking it easy when you see he isn't doubling the rhythm section @ 1:03ish...not easy to do, but all of the pros do it

great to see him on a local
  • 1 0
 Wow...what an amazing trail...it looks like it doesn't need the full DH rig too...but videos sometimes make the trails look easier than they are. Gwin for president...
  • 2 0
 Not sure if I'd be bummed or more excited to get a Strava e-mail: "Uh oh, your KOM was just stolen by Aaron Gwin."
  • 1 0
 I think the G meter may be off. Just standing on earth is 1G. Maybe that's his secret he's really light on his bike.
  • 1 0
 Great job man your a living legend. I say it every time you win a UCI race. Ya one more gold for California!
  • 2 1
 Everytime I ride that trail there are huge rain ruts! They must of done alot of work to it!
  • 1 0
 This is why he's one of the best. Look at how calm his body is the whole time
  • 2 1
 Wonder why is he's running coil rear shock vs his normal air shock.
  • 2 1
 Depends on the day/mood. Maybe testing
  • 1 0
 Expected something amazing.......got something meh.
  • 1 0
 so fast, definitely trying to get up to Laguna and ride these trails.
  • 1 0
 What's with paperboy anarchy at the end? Total rebellion!
  • 2 3
 Cool video but seriously? This was likely filmed last winter or Spring. Laguna is no way that green right now. Come on GoPro...
  • 1 1
 huh, shady of GoPro to try to associate it with the MSA run. But that paperboy clip at the end is pretty hilarious.
  • 1 0
 GoPro didn't, PB did.
  • 1 0
 back to the future part 5
  • 1 0
 Could've hit 40 though... :p
  • 1 0
 what camera are they using for the data acquisition?
  • 1 0
 Fastest paperboy in the world!
  • 1 0
 TELONICS
  • 6 5
 Looks like Telonics.
  • 2 1
 It is.
  • 1 0
 Why did they call it 'top of the world trail? Telonics is not an off the radar trail...coming from someone who has done a ton of work on it(winter time).
  • 2 0
 Now imagine him at that speed on PG's...
  • 1 0
 @jrocksdh: I've had the ranger tell me it is off the radar...many times...
  • 3 0
 @Orangesicle: Id love to see a video of Aaron on PG!
  • 1 0
 @mapex99: technically it is illegal but it gets a pass...the leaders of the conservancy do appreciate the towns history and fact that the longest running dh race is on held on it. It crosses school grounds so no way to become legal really...but it does have a bridge...
  • 1 2
 @vsong: fewer public vids of illegal trails the better.
  • 2 0
 @jrocksdh: give it a rest, telonics isn't a traditional "illegal" trail...I ride past park rangers all the time at the entrance and all they do is nod or smile. It happens to end in LCAD's parking lot, that's all
  • 1 0
 @nvranka: isnt that what I said?..it gets a pass. Thats said, the fewer public vids of illegal trails(someone wanted pg video) better off trails will be..eg. last longer. Do u do a yearly week long trail session on any trail(s) or build new ones?
  • 1 0
 @jrocksdh:
None of the 133 drop downs including PGs are a well kept secret man...even lopes posts videos of

I don't understand your question about whether I do a yearly week long trail session...lol...but I do ride all of these trails weekly
  • 2 0
 @Orangesicle: He'd probably own that trail too. The pros are scary fast.
  • 4 4
 Telonics my favorite trail i've been to in America so far, so good...
  • 4 3
 KOM or your last.
  • 1 0
 Waawaaweewow!
  • 1 0
 Gwin is a machine!!!







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