- A Utah man is using his downhill bike to show the world how creative and fearless he can be.

Jaxson Riddle may be young, but many say he rides like a veteran in the world of professional mountain biking.

- [Announcer] Jaxson Riddle.

Three, two, one.

- [Jaxson] When I'm like rolling in to my run, I'm kind of just focusing on staying in control.

(mellow orchestral music) And then, when it comes to like the first big jump, focusing on my braking, trying to remember speed from practice.

(mellow orchestral music) And then, as soon as I go into that I start trying to remember the tricks that I'm gonna do on each feature.

And then, if those all go well, I just do that all the way to the bottom.

- [Announcer] Great.

- [Jaxson] Adrenaline's going, nerves are going.

It's cool to be in the biggest event in free riding and it happens to be where I'm from.

People know I'm there to just have a good time, put on a show, have fun, know that I'm happy to make it to the bottom and yeah, it's an amazing experience.

My name is Jaxson Riddle and I'm a professional mountain bike rider.

(upbeat band music) Yeah, so when I was growing up in St. George, it obviously wasn't as big as it is now.

I'd always be riding to the skate park, just always riding my bike.

It's an amazing place to grow up in and that's why I love it so much.

I think St. George has shaped me for who I am today and yeah, is kind of the reason why I am in the position that I am in.

- [Lindsay] So he'd just be riding around town and nonstop, they'd come to my shop where I worked at and he would just be, mom, I'm so thirsty.

Their face were faces were just beet red, you know but they were like.

I'm like, Jaxson, you should really rest for a little bit.

And he just, nope, getting back out there, mom.

Yep, can't get that bike away from him.

- [Peter] Adjectives to describe Jaxson as an athlete.

The confidence, style and creativity.

Jaxson rides like Jaxson.

You see a clip of Jaxson, I don't think you necessarily even need to check who it is.

His riding is unique enough that that is the story.

- [Jaxson] So, I try to implement freestyle motocross into my mountain bike riding just 'cause it's what I grew up watching as a kid and it's cool that no one else is doing it.

My dad grew up racing dirt bikes so he just got me into it and yeah, immediately loved two wheels and haven't stopped since.

- [Lindsay] Look at him, go.

Hi buddy.

- [Jaxson] Growing up I would always just be like, Dad, like let's go ride like after school every day.

That's all I ever wanted to do and thankfully, I put myself in a position where I can do that now.

It's been amazing to get to where I am today and I owe all that to my dad.

Watch me ride (unintelligible), daddy?

- [Lindsay] We let Jaxson pretty much do, like what he wanted for the most part because he really didn't give us a reason to worry.

With me and dad not having, you know, a lot of money to keep him, you know, doing what he was doing and staying focused, he just found a way to get out there and make it happen.

I think dad kind of looked at that and was like, wow, Jaxson, like you're not gonna let what we have going on in our own lives as a family and it's not gonna stop you from pursuing what you love.

- [Lindsay] How do you feel?

- Great.

When they were building this place, they reached out to me.

And, when they were building it, I was just kind of testing everything before they opened it publicly and then yeah, as soon as it was built, I saw a job opportunity here.

Worked here for probably two years.

Yeah, I'd bring my bike to work, ride.

This place would always be packed with kids, families and everyone to just come enjoy it and ride bikes.

Was working here for two years and I was like, I could work here another five years and not chase my dream.

Doing what I want to do, riding bikes professionally.

So, decided to leave this place and go fully in on trying to become a professional bike rider.

Ended up pretty good, I'd say.

- [Peter] I like distinctly remember over a six-month period like holy heck, like this is happening.

Like we're just riding one day and he's like, hey, should I quit my job?

And I'm like, dude, you should do it.

And like a couple weeks later, he's on Red Bull.

(upbeat band music) - [Jaxson] So, I would probably equate Red Bull Rampage to like a Super Bowl of mountain biking.

Like it's the biggest and best event in free ride mountain biking and 18 of the best riders in the world get together, get two diggers.

And, we get two weeks to build the craziest line anyone's ever ridden.

Yeah, we have big show happen.

We each get two runs and hopefully make it to the bottom.

- You have to build your own run from scratch.

Rider kind of chooses where they want to go and what features they want.

For Rampage, we try to be a little more unique than others.

Most people are riding big shoots and drops but we try to make like a fun line down the mountain.

More or less, you know, so he's just having a good time.

- Yeah, in Jaxson's case you know there's the moto, then how does moto apply to the bike?

Okay, I need to jump big enough to be able to do a motocross trick.

What motocross tricks am I gonna do?

What is he gonna wear that shows the moto?

One influence affects every part of his personality on the bike.

- [Jaxson] It's my favorite time of year 'cause it is mentally tough, physically tough, just like the craziest week of your life.

Super hectic but the memories that you get from it are priceless and yeah, I'll do it for as long as I can.

- He's always so calm and collected and confident.

So, it makes me feel a lot better, that's for sure but the nerves are still there.

I'm nervous for everyone but it should be good.

I'm stoked for him.

He's good at what he does and I'm confident that he'll crush it.

- I'm doing actually really good.

I feel awesome today.

I'm just super pumped and excited to see Jaxson out there.

- Like I'm shaking.

- I know, seriously.

- So, for me this year, when I was sitting at the top about to drop in for finals day at Rampage, like I was just kind of observing where I was looking around and I was like, I'm just at home.

Feels like a normal day other than you just have like two helicopters in the sky and a thousand people at the bottom.

We do know the risk.

It's all calculated.

It's years of hard work, years of practice.

So, there's a lot that goes into it.

It's not just a bunch of crazy guys just picking a line and going for it.

- [Announcer] Watching that with his dad, Scott Riddle, he taught him how to ride dirt bikes.

- [Jaxson] So, my dad passed away December of 2020.

It's been a long road.

You know, no one writes a book on how to handle it.

It's different for everybody.

But yeah, I've just tried to persevere through and take that tough experience that I went through and see the light at the end of the tunnel and just keep pushing on for him and everyone else.

I was lucky enough to have an outlet riding bikes so I'll just put my energy into that.

Focus on that.

You know, focus on everything that I still had didn't focus on.

Yeah, I lost my dad but I still have great family, great friends still here.

Like, just try to focus on the positives.

- [Lindsay] I think he's super impressed with Jaxson and I know that he's up there smiling right now and proud of him for just not letting anything get in the way and stop him from pursuing what he loves.

- [Jaxson] The 84 comes from my dad.

That was his number racing dirt bikes growing up.

Yeah, that's my way of kind of remembering him and taking him on through my riding.

- [Lindsay] I would definitely say he matured a lot over the last little, like in this short amount of time that it has been but I can tell Jaxson seems to be doing really well and he keeps me positive and he's like, it's okay mom, we got this.

- [Lindsay] I love you.

- I love you.

- All right, I gotta turn this thing off.

The battery is gonna die.

- [Announcer] So, know your roots kids.

This is a kid who knows his roots.

His bike's a tribute to TPS, RM 125 from 2001, the year that Jaxson was born.

As this kid was raised right.

And man, he's one of the most exciting mountain bike riders on the planet right now.

Here in a second Rampage.

Stylish over that long gap hip.

No way, he gets a saran wrap sticking his feet through the handlebars.

- What?

- Whoa.

Straight up tribute to the early 2000s' moto movies.

Yes, going for that nine o'clock knack influence, getting that bike sideways, those feet hanging off the opposite side.

He's chilling with that.

(spectators cheer) And, the eject button.

- [Announcer 2] You think he's fired up?

- [Announcer] What a run.

(spectators cheer) People don't do stuff like that.

- [Announcer 2] Absolutely not.

I love this kid.

I got to spend some real quality time with him this summer.

- [Announcer] Oh buddy.

- You know, he's been working through some.

- [Lindsay] It's nerve wracking but you know what, I'd rather be there than not be there and 100%, supporting my son.

I know that the skill that he has, it's just amazing.

Like with all the practice that he does out there, I just know that he's fine.

Like you just, yeah.

- [Announcer] Is there no doubt, your Michelin style award going to Jaxson.

(spectators cheer) Going back to back.

Did it last year, so stylish.

Let's hear it one more time, Jaxson Riddle.

- [Jaxson] Having fun, making memories.

You know, not putting pressure on myself to perform and get first place is way better than having a lifelong of just being stressed or angry or whatever it is because I didn't win.

- [Peter] You see his name on the leaderboard and he's in ninth.

He has the biggest smile on his face of anyone in the finished crowd.

He's holding the style award and I think that just speaks to Jaxson.

And the coolest part is, is this has happened two years in a row.

- Thank you.

Yeah, I just had that determination, that drive.

I loved it so much.

It's all I wanted to do and I wanted to make it my job, you could say 'cause I just grew up idolizing all these guys and I still do, but yeah, now I'm on the same stage as them which is crazy to even say.

I made it.

I made it in there.

(chuckles) (mellow piano music)