22-year-old Sam Hodgson has bagged one of the top prizes for the best jumps and tricks at the world-renowned mountain bike free rider Darkfest event in Stellenbosch, South Africa.
Sam, from Shorwell, has been crowned ‘King of Darkness’ following his first-ever appearance at the event, which saw him go against 14 top riders from around the world.
Previously, the Islander competed at the prestigious Audi Nines event in Germany, back in October 2020, where he also won an award for the best jump in the Nine Knights competition.
Sam was bought up on the Island on his parent’s farm and developed his skills by building bigger and bigger jumps in the woods. Since the age of 13, he has been honing his skills so that he was soon able to do double backwards, forwards and even sideways ‘corkscrew’ somersaults in the air. To this day he builds the enormous jumps himself with the help of a mini digger, a spade and a lot of hard graft.
The 22-year-old has been working very hard over the last 4 years to develop the very popular Isle of Wight Mountainbike Centre at Cheverton Farm with business partner Matt Townsend. This has recently been described as the hidden gem of attractions for biking enthusiasts and one of the best downhill courses in the country. Dozens of keen riders flock to the farm at weekends to ride the trails that have been built all over the 730-acre farm.
WATCH: Learn more about Sam and the work he is doing at Cheverton Farm
