Video: Remy Metailler & Matt Beer Ride Double Black Trail in Pemberton

 F yeah agree! The same goes for sponsorship imo. So many YouTube punters getting free shit meanwhile the actual pro mtbers need Wyn Masters to get them some money for food. What a stupid time we live in.

 @Tmackstab: Yeah, it's almost like producing engaging, interesting content is a different job compared to trying to go the fastest on an enduro/DH course.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy these videos, and in particular the Yoann Barelli series. But racing and content production are two fundamentally different things, even if there are some overlaps in skillset.

 I don't understand the hate for mountain bike Youtubers... they are producing content showing them riding in a bunch of different and interesting locations. Whether or not they are going at WCDH speed doesn't really bother me. Half the time I just like seeing the trails & terrain. Those guys are spending time and effort to go out and create the content, and no one is forcing you to watch it. Yeah, some of the video titles are a little tacky but I can get over that.

 @bull-dozer: I have no problem with a Youtuber trying their hand at a channel and getting revenue through Toyota ads. It's just lame that bike companies support Youtubers with moderate skill over athletes trying to race which is where the products should be showcased in the first place.

 @Tmackstab: Are you suggesting a company like Diamondback should be supporting an enduro race team? Maybe for some companies it makes more financial sense to gain exposure via YouTubers instead of on the pro circuit. Or maybe not - I don't know - I don't run a bike company.

 I really don't care who the rider is, how fast the rider is, or how the video looks, as long as they don't say "yewww" or "frick" it's worth a watch.

 @GorgeousBeauGaston: lol!

 @Tmackstab: The YouTubers get eyeballs/engagement because they are putting out constant content (1+ video a week) and are constantly engaged with their audience, even if they are mediocre riders.

Mid-pack/privateer EWS/UCI DH guys are basically invisible outside of their small Instagram followings, how do they add any value to a brands marketing?

I say this as a huge fan of downhill racing (and I also follow EWS pretty closely) and I fully agree some of the YouTube guys are cringey and painful with the clickbait titles and painfully slow riding. But it makes sense for brands to invest in them. Personally I like watching and supporting BCPov's stuff because it's well edited/colour corrected and gives an idea of riding areas in BC/PNW that I want to visit.

 @gramboh: Yeah I understand how it all works, which is why I said 'what a stupid time we live in'

 @GorgeousBeauGaston: Hahaha +1 on the"yewww". Wonder why that caught on?

 Thanks for the feedback. Just trying to get people stoked on riding bikes and discovering new places. Regarding Youtube, everyone is free to film what they want, and to name it the way they want. That's how it is.

 @remymetailler: Yeah dude keep doing what you're doing! Great video!

 @Tmackstab: Thanks, as mentioned above the amount of work that goes on any video is pretty crazy. It's not just shooting it and editing. All the planing, emailing, following up. As an athlete it's a lot more work than most people see between: training off the bike, on the bike, doing testing, photos, scoping, competing, emailing, fixing bikes, replying to questions, and being a good overall ambassador. The social part is key but it takes a lot of times. For most of us though it's something we enjoy a lot.

 @remymetailler: Yes thanks for your effort it is very informative to watch and that trail looks like so much fun, alot like the trails we used to ride in Banff back in the late 90's.

 @scott-townes

Amen brother

Great content.

 @Tmackstab: not picking on you but I am procrastinating from doing balance sheet accounting.

Why the love-in for racers over Youtubers? Surely one can admit that's just a personal preference? And if so, there's nothing wrong with that. I raced bikes back when it was just mountain-biking so can appreciate the work ethic; I work in technology so can appreciate the effort to be a successful monetizing youtuber but having said that, the idea of spending 15+ minutes watching someone else ride a trail or following another person's race frankly bores me to tears (again there's the personal preference thing)

Now if you're talking about who deserves the support. Well my opinion (someone please prove me wrong) is that it should be trailbuilders. No trails - no sport. Can you imagine a Pinkbike-featured youtube trailbuilding channel? The idea is laughable; (almost) nobody would watch it except for me and some other trail dorks who like building stuff. It would be incredibly tedious and boring because most trailwork is like that. Now that is who should get "free shit" or gofundme's.

Anyhow tl;dr. I would submit to you that your preference for racers over so-called mediocre Youtubers is entirely your preference. Neither are more deserving.

Oh and last but not least a shoutout to youtubers like PaulthePunter who quietly donated a whackload of money to local trail organization SORCA thus benefiting trail fairies who can now afford new shovels. I'll spam his channel here as a way of subtly social-media influencing a friend - www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_xQRiSE1Y7DUU03FpQMHQ

Mentions @paulhaysom

 @leelau: well said.....nuff said.....poachers be poachers and get sponsors.....its always been that way and forever will......now with strava, trail forks and social as they call it it's all blown up into a trail terrorist environment.......progress as the suburbinites call it.....

CM!

 @Tmackstab: "how is that fair?" - it's maybe simpler than it looks. "Fairness" comes from the fact that whoever is paying the money will give the money to whoever they think gives them the biggest return on their investment. It's not about being "fair" in the sense that the person who is the best rider doesn't NECESSARILY get the most money, it's about making money for your sponsors so that they pay you. The more you make them, the more they will be willing to pay you. Remy, for example, works exceptionally hard to represent his sponsors. By his own admission, there are quite a few riders on the same level as he is in terms of bike handling skill, but he understands marketing and how to make himself valuable to them by simply outworking a lot of the other guys to put himself and his sponsors' products in the limelight as much as possible. That's what it comes down to in the end, and a lot of the YouTubers - even ones who aren't the greatest riders - understand that very well.

 @leelau: Saw your comment.

I agree with some of it but would like to underline something and add a feedback: Trail Builders play a huge roll in our sport. They build where we play.

Now, and like in any sport, any business, the system does not function only because of one group of people: the trail builders. Even though they do a lot, you forget all the other actors: Brands and their employees, shops, media, users, event organizers, clubs, photographers, athletes...

It's amazing to build trail. We all love riding sweet trails, but we also need all the other ingredients to make our sport what it is.

A lot of trail builders make trails for the community, their friends or/and themselves. Some love to see a lot of traffic and videos on their creation, some don't. Everyone is different. (The personal preference thing).

 @remymetailler: If you don't include a giant arrow pointing at something in the title card, did it really happen?

 @remymetailler: Regarding all the work that goes into these edits, a quote from Muhammad Ali: “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses—behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.”

 @leelau: I agree. It seems like most of these MTB youtubers are monetizing off the backs of rogue and legit trail builders and not giving back in any way to the trail systems that they film on. At the very least they should buy trail memberships to the local associations.

 @ebwitwicki: building trails is not the only way to give back to the community. There is plenty of other ways to contribute to the sport.

 @remymetailler: Without trails you would not have a sport or a career in MTBing. Here is the www.pembertontrails.com and www.porcabikes.com websites to buy a membership and or make a monetary trail donation so that these awesome trails can stay awesome and you so can make more edits on amazing trails!!

 @remymetailler: Remy I don't know you but should point out that I'm not singling you out for anything whether good or bad. It was just a point and counterpoint discussion that's hopefully taken as neutral.

I do applaud you for trying something new. Imo social media is a good way for any action athlete to business develop their own way of reaching a fanbase without having to be overly dependent on an outside portal and the vagaries of editors( whether PB, MTBR, Vital etc). It's not an easy path to pursue and I wish you the best of luck in that.

Also wanted to clarify that I don't think trails and trailbuilders are the only thing that matters to mountainbiking. Just that imo they are the most important

 @ebwitwicki: Every actors of a sport or an industry need each others. We need trail builders, we need shops, we need riders (beginners, intermediates, pros), we need associations, we need volunteers.

I do have my membership at WORCA and SORCA, and I promote the associations to get people to get their membership. Also I help clean up the trails, move the branches and do my diligence of being a mountain biker.

 @leelau: Fair enough. No trail, no ride, I agree with that and fully respect your point of view. One of the reason I moved here was for the quality of the trail network so I do respect and value the work a lot.

 Much thanks to everyone who is against the hate. Builders, racers, youtubers and pinkbikers are all good for the sport. Cheers to everyone! I visited Pemberton because I saw some cool trails on youtube. While there I bought some stuff at pemberton bike co, ate at a cafe I can't remember the name of, bought some liquor, bought gas and watched some little shredders at the skate park. We made some friends and swapped trail stories with a couple locals. It was an awesome day even if I had to walk some of Gravitron and swallow my pride. Yep, no hate here.

 @ebwitwicki: it's always backwards.....without trails none of these guys would have jobs in the "industry".....we all know that.....they will understand one day when they build their first trail from scratch and continue to build more after that.....

 @Cro-Mag: who said we don't build trail or participate to the trail maintenance?!

 @remymetailler: Perfect....then keep going and do some reporting on your work there......so far all I've seen is riding.....

 @remymetailler: nice video, always watching them, keep it up.

 @remymetailler: What would be a great edit would be if you would build your own trail top to bottom and then do a sick edit on so called trail. #futuregoals #buildfirstrideafter #dontbethatguy

 @ebwitwicki: Yes, and that's in the works.

 @remymetailler: awesome less time in gym more time on the shovel!

 I see what you did there

 Paul Hluska Downhill. Not sure where Paul is these days. Ripped a seat off the rails with my nuts on one of the many rock faces. Thx Paul!

 The Armchair Glacier to Weart descent is by far the #raddest trail with so much #solitude #views and #techgnar with the most #likeforlikes potential for the bestest #influencers. Please subscribe to my fax list for more information and turn by turn directions #community #sharing

 90 mins to walk up it. If it takes you much longer than that you're literally not moving.

 It's changed quite a bit since that --- yup I know it's a Captain Obvious statement.