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MTB Is At War With Pickleball

MTB Is At War With Pickleball

PLUS: Dark Fest Preview and The Story Of Vali Höll

Marc Brodesser, Michael Sikand & Justin Rausch
March 21, 2025

Welcome to another Friday newsletter from ReconMTB.com, the MTB store delivering your weekly mountain biking news in < 5 mins.

This week was surreal for us!

From launching our website to taking over the PinkBike homepage, big thanks to all of you who checked out what we’ve built.

Now back to bringing you the best MTB newsletter in the world.

On Today’s Ride:

🇿🇦 Dark Fest Is Coming
🤺 MTB vs. Pickleball
👸 Vali Höll: Downhill’s Queen

EVENTS

🇿🇦 Dark Fest Is On The Way

When it comes to one of the wildest, most mind-blowing MTB events on the planet, Dark Fest in Stellenbosch, South Africa, is on the list.

Every year, the world's best freeriders gather to send it over some of the biggest jumps ever built. And at the heart of all this madness? Two OG’s: Sam Reynolds and Clemens Kaudela.

Adolf Silva loves Dark Fest! Photo: Tom Bowell

The Founders

Sam Reynolds, the British freeride allrounder, has been shaping the event since day one, pushing boundaries and setting new standards for what's possible on a bike. Alongside him, Austrian trail-building wizard Clemens Kaudela has been responsible for crafting those monster jumps and sculpting the perfect lines. Together, they’ve turned Dark Fest into a freeride paradise that feels more like a scene from a video game than real life.

Originally part of the Fest Series, Dark Fest decided to split off and go independent a few years ago. While it shares the same freeride spirit, the break allowed Sam and Clemens to take creative and commercial control and build even crazier lines without limits.

Vinny Armstrong stylish as ever! Photo: Tom Bowell

Why Is Dark Fest Important?

Over the years, we’ve seen world records and world’s firsts go down like it’s nothing at Dark Fest.

Remember when Tom Isted stomped the biggest backflip on an MTB ever seen? Some of the most legendary moments include Nicholi Rogatkin throwing down an absolutely massive cash roll on one of the nicest jumps on the course, and Robin Goomes landing a huge backflip, making her one of the first women to hit such gigantic freeride features.

The 2025 edition of Dark Fest is locked in for April 07-12, and the hype is real. Riders already announced include Sam Reynolds, of course, Clemens Kaudela, Kaidan Ingersoll, Robin Goomes, Adolf Silva, and more absolute shredders ready to send it.

RECON BIKE GIVEAWAY #1

Want To Win A $10,000 MTB?

reconmtb.com

This month we’re giving away a custom built 2025 Transition Sentinel V3 in the winner’s preferred size!

To get entered to win this bike, all you have to do is buy any product on ReconMTB.com and every $1 you spend is equal to 1 entry.

If you live in the United States, you can shop for thousands of top quality MTB products from suspension to bike wash to handlebars and even just straight up giveaway entries.

Make sure to secure your entries before the giveaway closes on April 18 at 11:59 PM PST!

reconmtb.com

BIKE PARKS

⚔️ The MTB vs. Pickleball War Heats Up

Courtesy of ChatGPT

The action sports community just took another L as yet another beloved bike park gets bulldozed in favor of—you guessed it—pickleball courts.

The latest casualty: Gleneagles Adventure Park in coastal British Columbia, a longtime haven for skaters and dirt jumpers, is officially on the chopping block. The West Vancouver council has greenlit $28,000 to start designing a “multi-use” redevelopment plan that, in reality, sounds like a pickleball expansion with a side of pump track. If all goes according to plan, the project could break ground by spring 2026.

Photo: Ernesto Berreto

This isn’t an isolated incident. The pickleball takeover is in full swing:

North Shore Bike Park (North Vancouver): Shuttered in favor of an indoor pickleball facility.
Bline Bike Park (Calgary): Out with the jumps, in with the pickleball courts.
SendAir (Vancouver Island): A specialized airbag training facility just lost its lease to pickleball investors.

Photo Credit: Send Air

For those unfamiliar, SendAir was an elite training spot for riders looking to perfect their aerial skills in a safe, padded environment. It was one of the only facilities of its kind in Canada, but an incoming pickleball company outbid them on rent, forcing them to close by May 1.

This isn’t just happening in Canada too.

Depot Bike Park in Santa Cruz narrowly avoided getting razed in favor of courts after BMXers rallied against the city’s recreation officials.

Pickleball’s growth is undeniable, but it feels unfair that bikers have to lose out because some cities were late to build courts.

TECH UPDATES

Some Fresh Enduro Rubber

Continental.Com

Continental just dropped some grippy news. They’ve added a SuperSoft compound with burly Enduro casings to their popular Kryptotal and Argotal tires. Translation? Even gnarlier traction and control for enduro shredders who love pushing limits on the rough stuff. Whether you’re bombing rock gardens or railing loamers, these tires are now stickier and tougher than ever. Better yet, we’ve got them in stock and U.S. riders can now get them for 15% off on RECONMTB.com using code WELCOME15.

Droppin’ It: OnlyMotion Conversion Kit

Tired of fumbling for your dropper post remote? The OnlyMotion Electronic Conversion Kit ditches cables and goes full wireless, turning your manual dropper into a slick, button-operated system. Fast install, clean cockpit, and all the futuristic vibes for your trail weapon. Ready to level up your ride and look cool doing it?

ATHLETE FEATURE

🥇 Who Is Vali Höll And Why Is She Unstoppable?

On YT Bikes since the age of 13 - Vali rides for the mob! Photo: YT Mob

Vali Höll is only 23 years old but she’s already one of the best mountain bikers ever, having racked up 10 elite World Cup wins.

For this week’s athlete feature we dove into Vali’s history to trace the story of MTB’s biggest female star.

The Early Days

When you grow up in a place like Saalbach, Austria, it’s almost destiny that you’ll end up on two wheels.

Raised in this alpine paradise, Vali’s childhood wasn’t just shaped by the mountains – it was shaped by a family that lived and breathed the biking lifestyle. Her parents run the famous Spielberghaus, a mountain hut and guesthouse tailored to bikers, hikers, and outdoor lovers.

Photo Credit: Tina Rettenwander

The Hype Starts

The big turning point came when YT Industries, one of the edgiest bike brands out there, signed her at just the age of 13. It was rare to see a rider that young landing a major bike sponsorship, and it immediately put her on the industry radar.

Photo Credit: MBUK

Between 2018 and 2019, she was unstoppable:

2018: UCI Junior Downhill World Cup Overall Champion
2019: UCI Junior Downhill World Cup Overall Champion
2019: Junior World Champion in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Canada

She wasn’t just winning – she was crushing the field with huge margins with her times stacking up close to the elite women. Vali made winning look easy, and for a while, it really was.

Vali Höll has such good jumping skills! Photo: YT Mob

The Tough Transition to Elite Racing

But as Vali moved into the Elite Women’s category in 2020, the story took a twist. The sky high expectations on her remained the same while the competition intensified.

During these early elite years, Vali went through her share of injuries and mental battles. At times, she admitted to hating the pressure: feeling like the weight of the media and fans was holding her back instead of pushing her forward.

Slowly but surely though, Vali figured out how to manage the noise and stress, realizing that she could actually channel that pressure into performance.

Representing a german brand is great for Vali! Photo: YT Mob

The Breakthrough

Her breakthrough moment came in 2021, when she became World Champion in Val di Sole. It was a gnarly race on one of the roughest tracks in the world, and Vali finally proved to herself – and everyone else – that she could win at the very top.

From there, things clicked:

2021: UCI Elite Downhill World Champion
2022: UCI Downhill World Cup Overall Winner
2023: UCI Downhill World Cup Overall Winner (back-to-back)
2023: Silver medal at the World Champs in Fort William, Scotland

Raising the Bar – A New Standard in Women’s DH

With nothing to prove but a lot to experience her future is bride! Photo: YT Mob

After Rachel Atherton’s era of dominance, the women’s field became way more competitive, and Vali has been at the heart of that progression. When Vali is on a good day, she’s nearly unbeatable. Her combination of raw speed, technical skills, and sheer grit makes her a nightmare for the competition. But what’s just as impressive is how she’s evolved mentally – from a young star crushed by expectations to a confident champion who knows how to perform when it matters most.

Her new documentary HEART OF GOLD on her youtube channel is worth a watch.