Beiran Martlew
Beiran at Broxburn Shale Bing - Photo By Kris Welsh
Beiran dislikes fog but has a self confessed love for fogs younger cousin, mist.
From: Bristol
Favourite Tricks: is going stupidly fast down a mountain a trick?
Likes: His car-tent
Dislikes: Anyone within 3 meters of him while he is packing the car
Special Ability: Packing the car and mind control.
Quoteable: “This lines easily do-able!” (its blatantly not Beiran!)
Extra Information: Was dunked in a bucket of bleach as a child
Setup: MBS Pro 16
Sponsers: MBS, ATBshop, Lush Longboards
Riding lines, with Beiran Martlew
So you want to find some new lines?
First open your eyes to the terrain that’s rideable! – Nearly everything with a decent slope is fair game, even really steep stuff can be great fun as long as there is a suitable run out. Don’t stick to packed dirt, and short grass, get onto the streets for some stair sets and jibbing (tic tac-ing is your friend) or break out into the woodland to dodge some trees (nothing will teach you to focus on your line more), loose leaves for drifting corners (often smoother and softer than grass), gravel and shale slopes, or perhaps try your luck on some open rocky mountain pistes for fast runs.
There are lines everywhere, you need to look at how you can maintain your speed and the run-out, the sections in the middle are free, you can go wherever you like. Many surfaces are rideable, if your bored of the usual line, take a detour around or over part of another feature, go straighter through some tight gaps to get a bit of extra pace for that sharp corner or big jump/drop.
When you look down a woodland run, just look at the layout of the trees (powersliding/stand-up speed checks will help keep a comfortable speed), you should visualise the corners and turns that you can make between trees, stumps and rocks as you weave through the woods.
The best way to find a new line is to pick a couple of turns and then make the rest up, the more you freeride the better your reactions get, the faster you ride, and you’ll start spotting lines you’ve never seen in places you’ve been to a million times.
The key to finding a great line is that it must push you. Take care to stay within your own limits though! When you look for a new line think about how you wish to push yourself, be it bigger, faster or more stylish/technical, this will allow you to find a line for progressing in your own way.
As you walk up that steep gulley, feel safe and know that you can ride it, know that by riding this you will open up new horizons, remember to be comfortable/accept that it could go wrong. Now you must think solely about where and what you are going to do/go, when you drop in concentrate on the next feature or look to the exit, always know the features and concentrate on a point around a second ahead. If you know that it is possible and don’t make it, don’t let it phase you just let the warm tingling buzz go down and session it again.
The sweet adrenaline rush of trying a new line for the first time is indescribable, from the start focus 100% on where your going until you ride out clean.
Get out there, find some lines and shred some of that original gnar!
Peace out
Beiran
