Skip to main content

Red Bull’s Stevie Smith traveled to Japan to bike down an active volcano

red bull mountain biker takes on mount oyama in japan steve smith
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For pro mountain biker Stevie Smith, adrenaline-fueled thrills and edge-of-your-seat excitement comes at no more than a dime a dozen. It’s what he lives for. So what else would you expect him to tell Red Bull — other than a resounding yes — when it asked if he’d travel to Japan and fling his mountain bike down an active volcano at breakneck speeds? To no surprise, that’s exactly the answer Stevie gave. So just this past October, Smith and a film crew set out for Japan to conquer the active Mount Oyama volcano for an exclusive movie titled, Ring of Fire.

Related: State Bicycle Company debuts its Four Peaks Brewing bicycle collaboration

“I was told I was going to ride down a volcano, I had no idea what to expect,” says Smith in a short video published to Red Bull’s YouTube channel. “Showing up to Miyake Island and seeing the volcano was just, mindblowing.”

Hiroyuki Nakagawa/Red Bull Content Pool
Hiroyuki Nakagawa/Red Bull Content Pool Image used with permission by copyright holder

Originally from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Smith makes his living dominating downhill mountain bike races but had never faced anything as imposing as Mount Oyama. Sitting roughly 4,108-feet tall, the active Japanese volcano is lined with decrepit old trees and a sea of light lava rock. Smith and the film crew spent much of their time in Japan assessing the area and waiting for clearer weather (they mostly encountered thick fog). After extending his stay a few more days to wait out the fog, Smith finally got a patch of clear weather.

“Starting right off the cliff I could literally just look over and, my guts dropped every time I looked off, it was pretty ridiculous,” Smith says. “There’s no way to describe it, like I didn’t think it would be like that at all. It was [a] straight up volcano and I was standing on the edge of it.”

Hiroyuki Nakagawa/Red Bull Content Pool
Hiroyuki Nakagawa/Red Bull Content Pool Image used with permission by copyright holder

As he began his descent, Smith told Red Bull the lava rock initially felt a bit slippery but as he quickly began learning the terrain, it became easier to handle. The entire way down Mount Oyama, Smith had barely a trail to work with and routinely had to navigate an incredibly tight track. As told by Haruki Nakagawa in a blog post on Red Bull’s website, Stevie felt utterly content by the time his wheels stopped churning.

“In the end I was totally immersed, my only concern was how far I could go,” Smith adds. “There’s no way anything can compare to this, it’s the most unique place I’ve ridden.”

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Rick Stella
Rick is a staff writer for The Manual, covering everything from men's fashion and accessories, to the best new brands and…
3 ways your mountain bike can open your next post-ride beer
You know you're drinking after your ride
Men With The Pot Creators with bottle of beer in the woods.

Staying hydrated is essential while on a mountain bike ride. But the post-ride hydration can be equally as important--and enjoyable. There’s nothing better than rolling up to your buddy’s truck on your mountain bike and being handed an ice-cold IPA. 

But if that mountain biking buddy didn’t bring a bottle opener, here are three ways your bike can open your beer.

Read more
How SRAM fooled us all and changed the mountain bike industry…in a good way
SRAM tricks us but changes mountain biking in the process
A SRAM brand crank arm on a mountain bike

Change and innovation are needed for any industry to grow, and the mountain bike industry has seen a lot of change over the years.

Mountain bike wheel size has steadily grown, starting at 26 inches, then 27.5 inches, and now settling at 29 inches. There has been and continues to be mixing wheel sizes on mountain bikes.

Read more
Mountain bike helmet showdown: full face vs. half shell helmet
There are pros and cons to each
A full-face and a half-shell mountain bike helmet

 

Typically, the mountain bike helmets are the section of the bike shop we venture into after buying a mountain bike. A quality helmet is paramount for all the mountain bike gear you can buy. 

Read more