Skip to main content

Watch Cam McCaul Mountain Bike a Double Black Diamond in Winter


Picture yourself launching 30 feet down a 40-degree, snow-covered double black diamond slope on a bike with no brakes …

This daredevil stunt is one of many that extreme sports media company Teton Gravity Research (TGR) captured in its new film, Rogue Elements, presented by REI, and, yes, there was a major wipe-out in the process as professional mountain bikers Cam McCaul and Casey Brown sought to conquer the obstacle.

The location: Jackson Hole’s infamous Corbet’s Couloir ski run, which is a killer track even in snow-free conditions. Add ice to the mix, and you’ve got to be borderline suicidal to ride it — right, Cam?

McCaul actually started the stunt by saying no … a dozen and a half times. “Then I just figured, ‘what the heck, might as well give it a whirl!’ Mountain biking on snow isn’t something that works very well so it can be quite challenging. You’re at the mercy of the snow conditions and that variable is kind of unknown until you drop in and just see what happens.”

teton gravity research rogue elements
Casey Brown (right) | Teton Gravity Research/Facebook Teton Gravity Research/Facebook

This preparation may sound nonchalant, but there was plenty of training, right? I mean, there had to have been!

Haha, there was zero training … For a little while, I thought about doing some modifications to my bike to make it more suited for a 50-degree snowy pitch, but honestly I had no clue where to start.. Do you stud the tires? Do you bring a fat bike? Do you want firm snow? Soft snow? A lot of questions, but no answers until you drop in.

Yep, you’re insane (and we dig it). But behind your do-or-die attitude, is there decades of bike experience?

I don’t really remember riding a bike for the first time. but I discovered mountain biking when I was probably around 13 years old … It represented freedom and endless challenges. (Note from The Manual: Here’s the best way to choose your first mountain bike, if you want to be like McCaul.)

Ahh, so this first-ever mountain bike descent of Corbet’s Couloir was really a challenge that needed to be done and freedom that needed to be experienced?

Well, honestly, it was a great bad idea by the good folks at TGR … It started with a phone call from the Jones brothers, which is always a good time. Those guys have a way of talking you into something. They represent fun at the highest level and their energy can be contagious. They were stoked about trying to get a mountain biker to ride down Corbett’s Couloir, and even though it sounded like a horrible idea to me, after a few chats with the Joneses, I somehow felt myself getting psyched. Next thing I knew, I was up there wondering what the heck I got myself into! But it was a blast, man.

When Casey crashed, what was going through your mind?”

Casey Brown is a champion. She knew that riding down Corbett’s was a mandatory big crash and she dropped in anyway — got up laughing, bloody face and all. Don’t mess with that girl.

What equipment did you use?

Trek Session Park downhill bike with Fox suspension and Shimano parts, a good helmet, and some pads … Probably not enough pads.

And now it’s checked from the list. What’s next?

I guess I just wait for the phone to ring and the caller ID to say TGR.

Interested in how they pulled off this stunt? Here’s a behind-the-scenes look.

Jahla Seppanen
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Born and raised off-the-grid in New Mexico, Jahla Seppanen is currently a sports, fitness, spirits, and culture writer in…
Ski tips for beginners: 13 essential things to know
Learning how to ski involves more preparation, equipment, and a greater sense of adventure than many other sports
Person skiing down the slope in a blue jacket and a ski helmet

So you’ve decided to learn how to ski. Welcome to the party, pal! Prepping for your first day on the slopes can seem daunting. Unlike simpler outdoor pursuits like hiking or biking that require minimal gear, skiing is an entirely different animal. It’s more like scuba diving in that it involves more preparation and equipment, and you could argue, a greater sense of adventure, especially if you're gunning to ultimately take on backcountry skiing. Skiing for beginners involves figuring out what clothes to pack, which gear to buy, and how to transport it all to the mountain.

And all of that is before you even get to the mountain. Then there’s the matter of actually learning how to ski. Should you book a proper lesson or go it alone and hope for the best? There's no right answer, really. Here, we tackle these questions and more with the best pro tips for beginner skiers (and a few for intermediate and expert skiers too).

Read more
Mips ski helmet and snowboard helmet protection is now being developed virtually to reduce environmental impact
Mips is mapping safety digitally, and that's awesome
mips helmet protection developed virtually bradley dunn 9sggun3iiig unsplash

Virtually every top-end ski helmet on the market nowadays boasts one thing: Mips. This multi-directional impact system also found in mountain bike and snowboard helmets, is perhaps the major advancement in safety to hit the snow since wearing helmets first became mainstream — a concept that early snowboarders seemed unlikely ever to adopt, given their carefree attitudes toward safety.

But creating new technology and manufacturing new gear throws up a whole host of ethical and environmental dilemmas. While plenty of outdoor companies and movements are calling for better use of our old outdoor equipment, it doesn't always appear that so many are advancing in the design stages. Sure, we're always excited to see new, more eco-friendly gear released, but what wastage has gone into getting to that design stage, and what can be done to reduce that impact? Well, Mips may have an answer.

Read more
Add these East Coast ski resorts to your winter plans
Skiing and snowboarding at these East Coast resorts is fantastic
Sugarloaf ski resort

There are two things the East Coast doesn't lack, mountain ranges and formidable winters. East of the Mississippi River, incredible ski resorts let you challenge some of the East's best mountains — like those in northern New York’s Adirondacks, Vermont’s Green Mountains, New Hampshire's White Mountains, and the Alleghenies in Pennsylvania and West Virginia — have been drawing skiers for nearly a century, since the days when slopes were serviced only with rope tows and solely reliant on the natural powder provided by Mother Nature.

While the East Coast may not have the acreage or the altitude of the West’s most iconic ski resorts, the region’s resorts still have plenty to offer, from vertiginous steeps and spellbinding glades to meticulously groomed cruisers perfect for novices. As this season ramps up and the snow starts to settle on the mountaintops, we're getting to that time of year when you should really have something booked for skiing. But isn't it time you tried somewhere new, or perhaps a little closer to home by hitting the slopes at some of the best East Coast ski resorts?

Read more