BUZZ

The "Buzz" photo department in the magazine is among the most hallowed in Bike's history. Along with the cover and Mike Ferrentino's "Grimy Handshake" column, it's been around since the first issue of Bike printed 25 years ago. "Buzz" sets the photographic tone for the issue, welcoming readers with eight pages of imagery shot by the finest photographers in the sport—photos that so perfectly capture the allure of putting rubber to dirt that it practically yanks readers out of the house and onto the trails. Besides the cover, "Buzz" is the most coveted place in the magazine for a photographer's work to be showcased, but the department has never before been shared online, as we truly believe that it is best digested slowly, on the couch, with a beverage, after a long day. That hasn't changed, but the way people consume media has. So, in this 25th year of Bike, we present our first-ever "Buzz" in pixel form. Savor the shred, and be sure to subscribe to print for the full experience. —Nicole Formosa

Opening Image: Anthony Smith

This jump was only supposed to be a connector linking two other features together, so I wasn’t expecting anything special out of it. Evan ‘Intern’ Young and I were putting the final touches on it well past sundown the night before the scheduled shoot and I was bouncing ideas off of him, but I still couldn’t nail down the trick I wanted to do. It wasn’t until the morning of the shoot that I decided this is what I wanted to capture: a 270 inward table. What had been an afterthought ended up being one of my favorite parts of the whole “Inertia” project.—Brandon Semenuk

Photo: Ale Di Lullo

The District Ride course in Nuremberg, Germany, basically hasn’t changed since 2007, so when I went back last year, I couldn’t bring myself to shoot the same old angles. Instead, I invested an entire training session to finding windows in which to shoot the athletes’ reflections—rather than positioning myself toward the jumps, I only pointed my lens at glass. I’m sure this odd approach caused the spectators to be skeptical of my talents, but this image of Canadian slopestyle standout Anthony Messereperfectly captures what I set out to accomplish that day.

Photo: Ian Hylands

Kirt Voreis’storied career started in Southern California more than two decades ago, so finding this zone near Calico, California, where he grew up, was all the more meaningful. While we were there, Voreis’ uncle came out and told us about how he and Voreis used to ride their motos all over back in the day. We stumbled upon this hip, and it was almost natural. It took a little bit of shaping and we had to fill in a few runnels at the bottom, but it was basically just sitting there, unused and undiscovered. The dirt started out dry and dusty, but after two days of hard rain, the conditions were primed for Voreis to showcase his timeless style.

Photo: Robb Thompson

Casey Brownis clearly at home in her backyard environment, and it shows in her confidence and style on the bike. The interaction between an athlete and an environment like this defines everything I love about mountain bikes. Exploring the Blanket Glacier near Revelstoke, British Columbia, with Brown last fall was one of the more rewarding experiences I’ve had as a photographer.

Photo: Paris Gore

A last-minute decision to bring my camera along on a scouting mission on the misty, slick trails in Santa Cruz, California, proved to be a fortuitous move. The mysterious light was the perfect backdrop for one of mountain biking’s most stylish riders,Mitch Ropelato. The following day was nowhere near as dramatic, and had it not been for that spontaneous decision, we wouldn’t have gotten this shot.

Photo: Mattias Fredriksson

I’ve been going to Zermatt, Switzerland, for more than 15 years and it never gets old. It’s among my favorite places in the world to ride and shoot because everything is framed by spectacular views and amazing backdrops. In this shot, we had descended from the summit of Rothorn just as the most insane light illuminated the late-afternoon horizon. Right then, the trail turned abruptly on the ridge so whenJulia Hofmanndropped in, I was able to combine technical alpine riding with powerfully dramatic mountain lighting, resulting in one of my favorite moments in Valais last summer.