Must Watch: Brandon Semenuk Turns an Abandoned Mine into the Ultimate Line - Raw 100 V6

Oct 13, 2020 at 15:58
by Sarah Moore  


bigquotesWhen it gets to taking on a blank canvas and turning it into something grand, Brandon Semenuk is never one to shy away from the challenge. His unapologetic riding style & devotion towards perfection have risen the aesthetic benchmarks of raw mountain biking cinematography time and time again.

In his sixth contribution to the Raw 100 series Brandon shakes up an abandoned mine in Merritt, British Columbia. As always Rupert Walker and Revel Co. were there to catch everything on tape.—Red Bull

Photos by Ian Collins / Red Bull Content Pool



Credit Ian Collins Red Bull Content Pool


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258 Comments

  • 450 2
 Mine blowing.
  • 174 2
 PG-13. Not safe for miners!
  • 66 3
 Trick ore Treat?
  • 23 1
 when joyride is canceled.. but you still feel the joy
  • 5 0
 Wow. Lotta new features in the backyard!
  • 31 0
 I've watched it 4 times now and am still pulling out crazy details.

Anyone notice he swapped hubs at 44 seconds?
  • 15 2
 @dirtworks911: he put a free coaster on for the fakie
  • 81 0
 @dirtworks911: miner detail
  • 11 0
 I'm out of my Mine right now
  • 17 0
 This vid rocks
  • 25 0
 And they call it a mine! a MINE!
  • 29 78
flag dover1 (Oct 14, 2020 at 9:56) (Below Threshold)
 @dirtworks911: anyone notice how much better it sounded for those 3 seconds?.... this video would be so much better if his hub would shut up. That has to be the most annoying thing ever.
  • 68 2
 @dover1: not as annoying as your comment
  • 5 0
 I really believe Brandon is from another galaxy
  • 2 0
 @dirtworks911: a whole wheel it has black spokes. Good catch.
  • 2 0
 @mattg95: YES!
  • 2 0
 I now believe in aliens.

Brandon (Real name 7xq2t571k) tell me when your species will arrive and take over mountain biking.
  • 1 0
 @dirtworks911: YES! black spokes on the free coaster wheel
  • 216 7
 Pack it up boys, we've got our VOY
  • 185 2
 Hold on... are you saying that video is better than my helmet mounted POV run down Barry Knows Best at mid-table Strava pace? Unbelievable.
  • 31 0
 Link?
  • 10 29
flag fraserw (Oct 14, 2020 at 15:30) (Below Threshold)
 VOY but only on mute
  • 3 0
 Just the creativity on some of the features. Mind blown.
  • 192 0
 That manual to backflip...
  • 10 0
 Wow just wow
  • 13 1
 what was up with the flip whip he did? it looked strange compared to other flip whips but i get disoriented just watching some of those tricks.
  • 8 0
 @adrennan: it look like a flairwhip off a hip to me. It has me definitely scratching my head...
  • 2 0
 @adrennan: maybe because it was a hip jump and not straight on?
  • 33 1
 @adrennan: Was it not a barrel roll whip?

360 to manual, to rollers to manual to backflip, insane!

What control!
  • 8 0
 @adrennan: the whip was downside, meaning the bike was spinning the opposite way of the hips orientation
  • 7 0
 @AWDxTY: I can buy that answer. I guess i never think of a flip whip being able to be a downside whip, but you also never see them on hips. whole freaking thing is wild.
  • 2 13
flag YellowFlowers (Oct 14, 2020 at 7:20) (Below Threshold)
 no spoilers pls
  • 11 0
 @adrennan: It's not a semenuk edit without me needing to watch it ten times just to know what he is actually doing!
  • 6 0
 Worst part is you see him manual and just think oh yeah he’s about to backflip that drop
  • 6 0
 Inconceivable...
  • 2 0
 Yup. This.
  • 7 0
 He is not human.
  • 20 0
 Mad bonus points for being able to manual without looking like he's humping his invisible friend too!
  • 1 0
 @kcy4130: 110%; been through it 3 times and I'm still trying to unmelt my mind.
  • 146 1
 That was insane. I'm not sure how he keeps doing it but my mind hurts.
  • 17 1
 Jesse we need a youtube video of you and Brandon riding sometime
  • 2 0
 you ever been riding with him (or any of the FMB world tour guys)? I've always wondered how fast they really are...
  • 14 1
 Don’t forget he is a full time World class rally racer now too, this was a weekend project for him.
  • 23 0
 @JesseMelamed thats great - now you know how us mortals feel watching YOU ride Smile
  • 1 0
 @GumptionZA: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLI0rTuT0AU&t=148s
  • 94 1
 Those tricks are harder than Danny Hart's Dad.
  • 39 4
 If Danny Hart's dad couldn't get hard, we wouldn't have Danny Hart.

Be thankful. #Blessed #life


This might be the best Raw 100 yet. Unreal build and that uhh flip whip? I guess is what you'd call it? Insane.
  • 1 1
 @scott-townes: Pretty much a flair downside whip, but over a hip
  • 3 2
 @brappuccino: Was it a flair though? It looked more like a barrel roll on the second shot.
  • 3 0
 @scott-townes @brappuccino it was a flip downwhip. Flairs are technically a "flip air" and can only be done on a quarter. A flip 180 would result in landing fakie.
  • 2 1
 Almost looks like he sneaked in a foot plant
  • 2 0
 @brappuccino: looks more like a barrel roll?
  • 73 0
 Boss “what have you just been watching for the last 30 minutes?”
Me “this 2 minute video”
Boss “let’s see that again”
  • 70 0
 much better than the crazy overly chopped videos he has been doing. good to actually see his amazing riding.
  • 6 0
 This should be the top comment. It's like every negative thing I thought about his last three or four videos has been responded to. Regardless of the insane riding, I was just so happy to see him in an edit like the first few Raw 100s.
  • 6 0
 @iamamodel: I appreciate their desire to be artsy but his riding is art to those that get it.
  • 1 1
 @adrennan: come on now, if you are like me that sound is intoxicating and the edit is different without it. Sight sound and motion...this vid hits all the marks and Brandon is the delivery vehicle, a true talent and pioneer of this format of riding and entertainment.
  • 67 0
 Those bee's were not happy
  • 6 0
 Sounds more like hornets to me Wink
  • 19 1
 sounds like the 2020 murder hornet
  • 11 0
 You might ride that well too if they were after you every time you got on a bike
  • 4 0
 RAW 'hub' 100
  • 20 0
 So happy we got to hear that instead of music.
  • 14 9
 Seriously. It was almost distracting. I'm not sure I could live with that sound.
  • 1 5
flag jzPV (Oct 14, 2020 at 10:53) (Below Threshold)
 @PHeller: yep, I don't mind loud hubs and love my Hopes but that's annoying to me...
  • 55 3
 Emil who?
All this talk about "the future is now" Emil Johansson.... With good reason.... The kid is some next level shit...

But a solid reminder from "The Don" of who is still the king of slopestyle. Now and forever.....

Are we just going to ignore both that back flip footyplants or the tailwhip up, to one foot landing, to fastplant, to bar spin three off....
  • 77 2
 He just drops an edit once awhile to remind everyone who the GOAT is.
  • 2 0
 @learningcycles: seems like he's blowing minds once every month or 2 lately!
  • 2 0
 @learningcycles: This one did exactly that. Pretty sure my jaw was dropped for the entirety of it.
  • 43 0
 JESUS! Looks like he's pissed that the last edit wasnt Semenuk's level and now he just wants to destroy everything. Well done.
  • 8 0
 that was my first thought as well...Brendan: "I'll show these f*$kers what's up". I kept thinking every banger was the end, then there was more! 360 foot plant on wall was just too smooth....
  • 32 0
 my fav part was when he did that trick
  • 22 1
 I have worked as a live sound mixer for my whole life...over 4 decades... I can say that the bike foly and sound recording is crystal clear and has zero fluctuations or drop outs. It could be a single but sounded like there are 2 bike mounted wireless lavs ...awesome 100% grade for the recording with zero distortion. His landing cut clunk was outstanding.
I need more info but I bet a million bucks it sounds like a DPA cardioid mics we use in live theatre that are installed onto a hat, on the face or in hair they are about 800 bucks.
Semenuk is the man. He pushed the possibilities like no other with his smooth lines and chilled attitude I have massive respect for him.
  • 1 2
 You mean foley?
  • 26 2
 2020 is saved.
  • 16 0
 What a scary manual, so good, so unique
  • 14 0
 Lol ppl talking like someone else has taken his #1 spot
  • 10 0
 There is not much to be said about this guy and his riding that hasnt been said. You can just watch the vid few hundred times and try to understand how the hell is that possible Big Grin
  • 12 0
 So crankworx is a contest to see whose second best.
  • 12 4
 Remember that time the PinkBike comment section said Cody Kelley's turn down was better than Brandon's? You think he read that yesterday and chuckled knowing this was coming a day later..........
  • 7 0
 Dang Brandon! Last week you won your first pro rally race in the US national series and then you drop this. Any other interests of mine that you would like to humiliate me at?! Wow!
  • 8 0
 Well that was sick, more than a couple things in there that I'll never even grasp how he does it. Must watch indeed.
  • 25 0
 Not to mention that build. Can we just appreciate that they built an entire slope course, with beautiful dirt-to-dirt features the whole way down and enormous berms, for a 1:40 long video?
  • 6 1
 I wonder how many pros quit each time one of these videos is released?
Also an incredible example of how important great cinematography is, even without music. I've seen plenty of videos lately with incredible riding but poor production skills.
  • 1 0
 Yeah I dunno about quit but it's gotta be rough to work on some tough, progressive trick yourself for a few weeks, finally nail it, and then see Semenuk just lift the bar into the clouds AGAIN.
  • 7 0
 those scrubby skiddy slidey doohickys were mindblowing
  • 6 0
 That flipwhip, 360 invert to manual and that last mamual to backflip.. my jaw dropped through the floor to the basement..
  • 7 0
 If you only watched that once, there is something wrong with you.
  • 6 0
 I'm all out of hyperbole, so I'll just say: that was pretty good.
  • 3 0
 I'm going to go out on a limb and say something controversial: this Semenuk guy is pretty decent when it comes to riding bicycles.
  • 5 0
 Will be watching that wayyyy too much today, sorry in advance boss for work I wont get done.
  • 6 0
 The Force is strong with this one
  • 7 0
 They live among us..
  • 4 1
 You know what’s nice? Ever since winning Rampage last year, there are no more comments like, “SuRE hE CaN MAke a gOOD ediT, but hE caN’T WiN CoNtEsTS, WheN theRE’s OnLy oNE take! DERP!”
  • 3 0
 But on Rampage everybody gets two runs?



/s
  • 2 0
 it's crazy that people ever said that, he's shown he is the boss when it comes to putting down a winning contest run many times!
  • 3 0
 Has anyone mentioned the backflip to complete stop at 46 seconds? How does that not snap everything in half? Bike, body and ramp? They talk about freak riders in Moto GP as "aliens". This guy is an alien.
  • 7 1
 Not bad.
  • 4 3
 you mean Not 2 Bad ? Sounds a bit Spanish to me
  • 3 0
 Coincidence that the former and current world champ of steez is riding gold parts and drops this just in time for World Champs?
  • 4 1
 I know Emil is good but this guy... just on another level it seems. Also those tires sound like they're on the verge of exploding!
  • 6 0
 I think one of the big things that Semenuk does is continue to experiment and max out his creativity. From what I can tell, he watches a lot of other action sports; like BMX, Moto-X, snowboarding, rally etc. and uses them to influence his riding and bring aspects that haven't found their way into MTB before. It takes a brilliant mind to do that, and then an absolutely brilliant rider to turn it into reality. Truly one-of-a-kind.
  • 5 0
 @thepwnstar39: I think he does a little more than watch rally lol. the dude races on the same team as travis pastrana
  • 3 1
 So did i9 create a free coaster/cassette hybrid? Notice the none pedal during the fake then a couple seconds before the hub engages again. I feel like he did have one but not sure it was i9.
  • 1 0
 could be a profile? a lot of these guys were running those zcoasters
  • 19 0
 Watch closely, different back wheel for that jump. Black spokes, then back to gold next shot.
  • 2 0
 @dudegetabike: good eye.
  • 1 0
 @dudegetabike: spot on, no i9 sound either.
  • 2 0
 differen wheel, as already mentioned
sram cassete hub with "zero" gear that is, not first time in Brandon's video this swap is showed up as "freecoaster"
  • 4 0
 @btc1: i9 makes a prototype free coaster hub for athletes. Free coasters are silent so that’s why u don’t hear the “i9” sound
  • 2 2
 Awww...kinda ruins the illusion of the "one shot" mystique.
  • 1 0
 @davidb9301 I9 made a few freecoasters but they didn't work with the system spokes so that's probably what that is
  • 3 0
 Brandon does this all the time, he goes dormant for a while then makes a video where i go "what the f*ck" multiple times throughout
  • 2 0
 He should do a course without front wheel, then without front wheel and on one foot, then with just one hand... And I won't surprise if he will...! Thanks for your riding, Brandon!
  • 3 0
 The bonk to whip. 3 in-down to manual and the manual to back are WILD. I'm actually stoked on the timeless, good ol fashioned quarter to quarter INVERT the most!!
  • 4 0
 What a video! best way to forget about this 2020 gong show. Bravo Brandon-that was phenomenal
  • 3 0
 Not a fan of that weird countdown but mind blown again like always! BRAVO Brandon
  • 5 0
 #notfromthisplanet
  • 5 0
 #birdsandbrandonarentreal
  • 2 0
 I am waiting for the day that Brandon reveals that he is God,He just played with laws of physics plainly in front of our naked eyes , there is no other explanation
  • 3 0
 The man picked a fight with physics and won. I will now pick my jaw off the floor.
  • 3 0
 That was good. It's an inane comment but just wanted to add to the comment count, because that was good.
  • 2 0
 I said "what was that??" so many times and in creasing volume/intensity my wife want's to know what's going on and if everything is alright.
  • 2 0
 Subtle flex by Semenuk esp. knowing he's retired from comps. Fair play- Certainly stamped authority in the Slopestyle discipline (claps hands)
  • 2 0
 Swam of killer bees coming at ya!! That hub!!! To make sounds like that you need at least 20-30 old baseball cars stuck into your spokes. Hehehe.
  • 2 0
 this is indeed a MUST WATCH. nevertheless, may I ask what criteria is employed to judge a video as "must watch"? :-)
  • 49 0
 its about whether you must watch it or not
  • 7 0
 The main criterium to judge a video in that category, is that it's a video that must be watched.
  • 2 0
 If you have to watch it, then it's called a "must watch."
  • 6 1
 Is Semenuk in it? if yes = must watch
  • 10 2
 If we think it’s next level, then it’s a must watch. We try to be fairly stingy with them but this one was an easy call.
  • 3 0
 wtf have I just seen . . .
  • 3 0
 Shane: "I can stick uphill ice!"

Brandon: "hmb"
  • 2 0
 A+ reference.
  • 1 0
 @adrennan: you may get the reference but I'm a waaaay better skier than you.
  • 3 0
 Wow, that totally blew my mine. I mean mind.
  • 3 0
 He makes the most ridiculous stuff look easy... Just mind-blowing!
  • 3 0
 wow! buddy manuals for 50ft then decides to flat flip out! GOAT!
  • 3 0
 wow, how did he flip that spine in such a tight space?
  • 2 0
 There should be more comments about that. Maybe the viewing angle makes it look crazier than it really was, but that looked like a scary sniper move to me.
  • 1 0
 Wow. Impressive stuff Brandon! To me, that is your best video yet. Very original tricks, and not too many high side trail tweaks. Ridiculous manual landing and flat drop!
  • 1 0
 There must have been some existing trails there and then they where improved / added to tweaked. That's a huge a amount of dirt to move for one edit.
  • 1 0
 What were the two "popping" noises at 1:01 - 1:03?

It legit sounds like a sound effect... but this is a Raw 100... so I'm, kind of stumped.

Great riding as always.
  • 2 0
 backflip to fackie to 180 whip - so insane this buzzz noise-so rad, Bravo, nice edit
  • 2 0
 just imagine if he linked the 360 un-turn-down to manual into the manual to backflip
  • 2 0
 I bet V7 will have some linkage like that. This video (and V5 with the flip whip to manny) proved that we are in for some serious Pumped BMX shit in the future.
  • 1 0
 Everyone bitching about the hub noise makes me laugh, you woundnt have a problem in real life, no f*cking way could a mere mortal follow him Smile
  • 1 0
 Interestingly he seems to be riding a hydraulic gyro setup now. Maybe the mechanical one didnt offer enough modulation for the manual to flip?
  • 2 0
 Brendan and Rupert raising the bar once again!
  • 2 0
 Speechless. SO many bangers!
  • 3 0
 What did I see?

HOLY…
  • 2 0
 always a pleasure, Rupert Walker.
  • 2 0
 Excuse me while i pick my jaw back up from the floor.
  • 2 0
 did my mind just get steeze-banged?
  • 2 0
 backflip to fakie was some Tenet shit.
  • 2 0
 Jesus. Christ.

He’s handy on that..
  • 1 0
 The stuff you have to do to get a Red Bull helmet... absolutely sick riding!!!!!
  • 3 0
 I am without words!
  • 2 0
 I'm diggin it! That was dynamite! A coal lot of steeze!
  • 1 0
 Multiple cuts of the same shot, definitely need that to confirm what I what my eyes saw was real. He did it again
  • 1 0
 Semenuk: He builds perfect jumps just to scrub them. Also, his foley guy is out of control with the hub effects.
  • 1 0
 The brap on the little flat in the final turn of the vid after the manual flip. So epic
  • 2 0
 How many times can you say WTF in1:56 ??
  • 2 0
 Manual to Backflip! Shut the front door
  • 1 0
 that s**t was of the hook...
  • 1 0
 Had to watch it 4 times to catch all the tricks, no wait 5. Wow Brandon, this video is amazing !
  • 2 0
 They build all these trails then one man rides them
  • 2 0
 360 to lanual???? And manual to backflip???? Gdamn
  • 1 0
 anyone notice they show every trick twice from two angles, and you still go back and watch it all again, and again...
  • 2 0
 Greatest bike rider ever.
  • 2 0
 I figured it out!!!! CGI!!! Man it sure is getting realistic
  • 2 0
 He got better...... how did he get better!?
  • 1 0
 Better than Minecraft! So many layers to his riding and style....blown away!
  • 1 0
 That late 3 to set up the manual landing. Styled and Dialed banger right there
  • 1 0
 the whole video is rad. But that first back flip inside the building... sheesh...
  • 1 0
 @dover1: actually, I thought it sounded bad ass. And that scrub!! This is one video to rule them all
  • 1 0
 Them Mosquitoes are persistent. The riding is, as usual, fukcing unbelievable.
  • 1 0
 Raw 900, cuz u gotta watch it at least 9 times to figure out wtf just happened.
  • 1 0
 You know you made a banger vid when everyone who watched it scratchin their heads trying to figure WTF you just did.
  • 2 0
 Hey, Red Bull - what exactly is an "unapologetic riding style"?
  • 1 0
 Amazing how well you can ride when you're apparently being chased by an swarm of angry angry bees!
  • 2 0
 Yup
  • 2 0
 Well alright!!!!
  • 2 0
 Wow! My favorite rider.
  • 1 0
 Semenuk is a war criminal. He just keeps blowing up minds!
  • 1 0
 Try not to become aroused challenge
  • 1 0
 That is amazing to watch - endless innovation... he keeps getting better!
  • 1 0
 I dont get the physics, in which universe he is living!! WUT??
  • 1 0
 Holy shit.....that was inane......
  • 2 0
 I hope that's a typo.
  • 15 14
 The bees ruined it for me. Get some onyx Vesper hubs. Silence is golden.
  • 8 9
 Awsome video - Semenuk killing it again. They overdid it with the hub sound tho.
  • 3 7
flag snowFFFFFF (Oct 14, 2020 at 8:59) (Below Threshold)
 Agreed. I want to hear the other sounds, but had to turn it down because of the incessant buzzing.
  • 9 2
 Better than generic shit music that accompanies most edits these days. Lonely banjo, or bass-filled electro crap. Geez. Just give me the sound of spinning hubs any day.
  • 3 4
 Onyx Vesper rear hub is rad.
  • 1 0
 At 0:44 the bike sounds like a Tie Fighter.
  • 1 0
 I mean, just damn. All hail King Semenuk
  • 1 0
 That manual to backflip at the end tho!
  • 2 0
 2020 finally got better
  • 2 0
 This is good
  • 3 0
 More gooder than good. Betterery then better....bestest ot the best..... Semenukiest!
  • 1 0
 WTF. I really feel this is unfair.
  • 1 0
 The absolute f*cking GOAT in style!!!!
  • 1 0
 Wait what!? Best edit in 2020
  • 1 0
 Stepping it up to another level with this one!
  • 1 0
 Best Raw100 from him so far ????
  • 1 0
 I didn't know human is able to execute manual to back frip
  • 1 0
 When did he start riding I9 ?
  • 1 0
 manual to backflip, so sick
  • 1 0
 what kind of pressure is he running? 60psi?
  • 1 0
 3 to manual over that double was unreal.
  • 1 0
 This is soooooooooooooo Radically Madness!!!!!!!!!!!
  • 1 0
 WTF did I just see?
I have zero skills.
  • 1 0
 That barrel flip downside whip is mine numbing!
  • 1 0
 Semenuk casually shows who's the boss in this game
  • 2 0
 OMFG FLIP WHIP on a hip
  • 1 0
 "I love hips"
  • 1 0
 That last hit though......so sick!!
  • 1 0
 filthy, absolutely filthy
  • 1 0
 literally gasped at the last clip
  • 1 0
 There is talent and there is Talent!
  • 1 0
 i cannot find this new bike park in Merrit on google maps!
  • 1 0
 Best one he's ever done. Perfect in every way.
  • 1 0
 My 7 year old son met God once!
m.pinkbike.com/photo/13619566
  • 2 0
 Mama there goes that man
  • 1 0
 If i attempted this course I would have died with in the first 7 seconds
  • 2 0
 dave mirra of MTB.
  • 1 0
 I can't stop watching it!
  • 2 1
 Whatever hub he's running, I hate it.
  • 1 0
 Give that boy a Huffy sponsorship already.
  • 1 0
 I missed this dude
  • 5 5
 what is this sport he is doing ? and why is it on pinkbike ?
  • 1 0
 Loves back wheel
  • 1 0
 that was pretty good
  • 1 0
 Still got it
  • 1 0
 0:48 Ouch
  • 1 0
 Banger after Banger!
  • 1 0
 That was mind blowing
  • 4 5
 love the video, such a fantastic bike handler...anyone else find the hub soundtrack annoying?
  • 4 3
 This video is next level. Unmatched riding and another bar-raising clip. With that said, I know this is not a popular response, but for some reason in this video the hub noise created an overshadowing annoyance for me. His riding is on another level, but damn those hubs... This is a great promotional video of Onyx.
  • 2 0
 IDK, if you really pay attention the sound of the hubs while watching it pulls you in at a whole other level.... like 3D voodoo one with the bike shit. It’s deep and I dig it the more closely I watch... and listen.
  • 1 0
 What the actual EFF!!
  • 2 3
 Remove the tire noise and the hub noise and it'd sound like people playing tennis.
  • 1 0
 Wtf man!
  • 1 0
 The King....
  • 1 0
 Explain me how!
  • 1 0
 Complete scrubbish
  • 1 0
 Out of this world!!
  • 1 0
 Handplant > Flip
  • 1 0
 Tony two times.
  • 1 0
 Wheel change to fakie
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