How To: Build an MX Jump
W
with Doug Parsons
HEN BUILDING JUMPS
IN the hills, I have a
basic formula I’ve used
since I was eight years
old, growing up riding in
Reche Canyon, CA. Here
is my step-by-step guide to help you in your
quest of building the ultimate natural terrain
freeride jump. Building your own jumps can
be a lot of work, but it always pays off in the
end! Nothing beats seeing that epic shot of you
crushing your own jump. A jump you scouted,
envisioned, built, hit first, and stomped your
trick on, creating what we as dirt bike riders call
MX Art.
To help illustrate my formula, we’ve
documented DBK rider Vinnie Carbone (with
help from the No Namers crew) building a brand
new hit from start to finish.
Step 1. Scout a location. As you go
about your scouting either by foot, on
a bike, or in a truck, you always want
to be looking for something that can
easily be made into a take-off lip or
cleaned-up to form a landing. You
then need to check the run-in and
run-out areas; are there any rocks,
ditches, holes or anything else that
could impede your flow? If both
seem to be useable, the next step is
to check and see if the trajectories
of the take-off and the landing
match. The rule of thumb is to have
both the take-off and landing on
a similar plane. This will ensure
the smoothest landing, letting you
throw all your flip and right-side up
tricks. The final thing to consider
in the scouting phase, is what
your photographer/filmer will see;
like background, trees, hills, etc.
It’s always good to see things
through your own personal
fisheye lens, as you walk or ride
around scouting your new jump.
36 | FreestyleXtreme