When sportswriters refer to Robbie Bourdon as an extreme athlete, they’re usually raving about his incredible skills on a mountain bike. But when folks in his home town of Nelson, British Columbia, use the term “extreme” in reference to Robbie, they’re probably just agreeing on how extremely nice he is. We’re talking about a guy who tackles the gnarliest freeride lines against the toughest riders in the world. A guy whose amazing feats are chronicled in the hottest videos. But he still hangs in the same small town where he grew up. He still ambles over to the local lunch spot – where everybody knows him – for a snack. And he still likes just messing around on the trails with his buddies. He even leads birthday party bike rides for local kids. It’s no wonder that when Bourdon was critically injured in a 2003 auto accident, Nelson – and the worldwide mountain bike community – rallied around him.
Hardly a Pushover
Bourdon is one hometown boy who’s made good. Very good. Still in his early 20s, he’s already established a formidable reputation as a competitor who can leap just about anything in his way. “Air” Bourdon, as the fans call him, has a deceptively smooth style: you can almost forget that the line he’s descending is brain-rattling, obstacle laden, and insanely steep – until he soars over a gap. Then, he takes so much air that the bike’s thud to earth is practically a surprise, jolting you into a realization of how audacious his runs really are.
Like a lot of Canadian kids, Bourdon grew up riding bikes, snowboarding, and skiing with his friends. It was only at the age of 17 that he realized his potential for making an impact on the mountain bike scene and started competing seriously. Quick success meant leaving Nelson to travel the world for headline events. He’s always one of the favorites in international meets, and he’s appeared on the podium at major competitions. But videos are responsible for making him a household name.
Bourdon is one of the regulars in the New World Disorder videos – annual releases featuring the world’s most skilled riders in awesome locations. One New World Disorder destination was Costa Rica, where riders and crew spent literally days setting up cables in the trees so that a cameraman could follow descents via a pulley system. Bourdon was inspired, and his runs were nothing short of brilliant. “There are such cool trails there,” he smiles. “One day, we went an hour nonstop through the rain forest on a single downhill track. It’s one of the best places I’ve ever ridden.” Being the nice guy that he is, he doesn’t even complain about the thirty pounds of camera he sometimes had strapped to his head.
Robbie Bourdon Update!
Mountain bike fans will be glad to know that pro rider Robbie Bourdon is well on the road to recovery. Bourdon, a crowd favorite at extreme events like Red Bull Ride and Red Bull Rampage, has launched over some gnarly gaps in his time, but it took a freak auto accident to put him out of action.Success on Two Wheels, Disaster on Four
Bourdon started 2003 with a bang, showing well at Red Bull Ride in Australia and Red Bull Freezride in Montana. He was planning ahead for the World Cup freeride and Red Bull Rampage, when suddenly, everything changed.In June, Bourdon was a passenger in a parked vehicle that plummeted down an unstable embankment, and he suffered life-threatening internal injuries, as well as broken collarbones and ribs. An extended period in intensive care was followed by months of physical therapy at home in Nelson. Through it all, Bourdon kept focused on getting back on his bike, and he credits a flood of support, both from hometown friends and from strangers around the globe, with making a huge difference.
“I really want to thank everyone who sent me emails,” Bourdon says. “The good words and encouragement from so many people I’d never even met meant a lot. I’ll be thanking fans in person at events soon – I think it’s going to be a good season.”
