Brandon Semenuk rarely struggles at anything he puts his mind to when he gets on his mountain bike. He's one of the most natural freeriders out there and he makes riding down the mountains at Rampage look so easy and effortless.
Semenuk has always quietly gone about his business at Rampage and performed. As a 17-year-old he won Rampage on his first attempt in 2008, and won again in 2016.
Last year at the new Rampage venue nothing seemed different for Semenuk. Outwardly, he's never been so happy. He rarely takes part in contests and is instead pushing his riding progression through the creativity filming affords him.
During practice last year he was on fire, doing tricks that other riders would have second thoughts about doing before like a flat drop flip to lily-pad to drop.
However come the finals at the new venue in Virgin, Utah, Semenuk appeared out of sorts. He fell on both runs attempting a cork 720 on a hip he built. This wasn't the Semenuk we know. If we’ve learned anything about Semenuk through his career, it's that he’s a perfectionist.
The events of 2018 won't sit well with him. Semenuk has shown in the eight Rampage editions that he's at competed at that he's at his most dangerous when he’s got unfinished business. In 2019, don't be to surprised to see him return to the line he worked on and nail a perfect run.