Brandon Semenuk (original) (raw)

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Canadian freeride mountain biker

Brandon Semenuk

Personal information
Born (1991-02-02) 2 February 1991 (age 33)Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight 176 lb (80 kg)
Team information
Current team Red BullTrekSubaru Motorsports
Discipline Freestyle Mountain Bikes, Rally Motor Racing
Role Stunt performer
Rider type Slopestyle, Freeride, Freestyle BMX
Medal record Competition Gold medal – first place X Games Real MTB 2021 MTB Gold medal – first place Red Bull Joyride 2017 Slopestyle Gold medal – first place Red Bull Joyride 2015 Slopestyle Gold medal – first place Red Bull Joyride 2014 Slopestyle Gold medal – first place Red Bull Joyride 2013 Slopestyle Gold medal – first place Red Bull Joyride 2011 Slopestyle Gold medal – first place Red Bull Rampage 2024 Freeride Gold medal – first place Red Bull Rampage 2021 Freeride Gold medal – first place Red Bull Rampage 2019 Freeride Gold medal – first place Red Bull Rampage 2016 Freeride Gold medal – first place Red Bull Rampage 2008 Freeride Silver medal – second place X Games Munich 2013 Slopestyle Silver medal – second place Red Bull Joyride 2009 Slopestyle Bronze medal – third place Red Bull Joyride 2008 Slopestyle Bronze medal – third place Red Bull Joyride 2007 Slopestyle Bronze medal – third place Red Bull Rampage 2014 Freeride

Brandon Semenuk (born 2 February 1991) is a Canadian freestyle mountain biker and rally racer from Whistler, British Columbia. Semenuk is a five-time Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour Champion.[1] He is a five-time Red Bull Joyride winner, X-Games Real MTB Gold Medalist (2021), and X-Games Silver medalist (2013) in the Mountain Bike Slopestyle event. He won the Red Bull Rampage in 2008, 2016, 2019, 2021, and 2024 – the first person to win Rampage five times. He is known to be "always emulated, never imitated" and is known as one of the best slopestyle/freeride mountain bikers in history. Semenuk won the 2022 and 2023 American Rally Association National championship.[2]

Early life and early career

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Semenuk grew up in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada,[3] where he started out in cross-country cycling, competing in the BC Cup for the first time at the age of 9. He also competed in Four-Cross early in his career. At the age of 15, while riding his local jumps, Semenuk's talent was spotted by Andrew Shandro. Shortly thereafter, Shandro offered Semenuk a professional contract with Trek[4]

In Slopestyle MTB, he took home gold and silver medals from X-Games (2013) and (2021). He won Red Bull Joyride in 2011,[5] and also in 2013,[6] 2014,[7] 2015[8][3] and 2017,[9] and is a five-time Red Bull Rampage winner, being the only athlete to accomplish this feat. For the 2015 mountain bike movie unReal, he was filmed in a one shot segment that went viral on the internet.[10][11]

Semenuk has also been interested in rally driving since a young age, and as of April 2020, was welcomed to the Subaru Motorsports rally team alongside Travis Pastrana.[12] He earned his first professional rally win on 5 October 2020, at the Missouri Show-Me Rally.[13] On 15 October 2022, Semenuk became the 2022 American Rally Association presented by Dirtfish National Champion.[14]

  1. ^ Stanton, Chris (2 August 2016). "Brandon Semenuk was confirmed as the FMB World Tour Champion..." Redbull. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  2. ^ Evans, David (20 July 2023). "Is there more to come from ARA's new double champion?". DirtFish. Retrieved 5 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b Kingston, Gary (16 August 2015). "Brandon Semenuk digs up winning Joyride in Whistler's Bone Yard". The Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 9 September 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  4. ^ Kemp, Seb (February 2012). "Brandon Semenuk: Where did the robot from the future come from?". Dirt. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  5. ^ "Kokanee Crankworx 2011 Red Bull Joyride - Replay". Extreme.com. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
  6. ^ Minnigh, Brice (18 August 2013). "Gallery: 2013 Crankworx Red Bull Joyride Recap: Brandon Semenuk triumphs in dramatic do-or-die dual for the title". Bike.
  7. ^ Minnigh, Brice (16 August 2014). "Video and Photos: 2014 Red Bull Joyride highlights: Brandon Semenuk throws down the first-ever Joyride hat trick". Bike.
  8. ^ Lang, Seetoh (17 August 2015). "Watch Semenuk's Winning Run at Red Bull Joyride: Brandon Semenuk conquers the pressure in style at Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler". Redbull.com.
  9. ^ "Watch: The Winning Run at Red Bull Joyride - Crankworx Whistler 2017". pinkbike.com. Pinkbike. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  10. ^ O'Connor, Brion (13 August 2015). "Mountain biker Brandon Semenuk's unReal video: Long shot pays off". Sports Illustrated.
  11. ^ "Mountain biker Brandon Semenuk's unreal ride captured in one shot". Stuff.co.nz. 27 July 2015.
  12. ^ "Brandon Semenuk Signs With Subaru Motorsports USA To Race Rally Cars Alongside Travis Pastrana". pinkbike.com. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  13. ^ "Subaru scores 1-2 victory at show-me rally; Brandon Semenuk takes first U.S. win". boxscorenews.com. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  14. ^ "Semenuk wins his first ARA title". dirtfish.com.com. Retrieved 15 October 2022.