John Fernandes of Freeride Madeira on the highs and lows of building a mountain biking paradise

In this episode Olly sits down with John Fernandes, co-founder of Freeride Madeira. John takes us through the wild journey of turning a passion for trail building into a global MTB hotspot, hosting the Enduro World Series, Trans Madeira, and welcoming some of the biggest names in the sport.

The lads discuss how Jacob Gibbins’ iconic photos and Brendan Fairclough's first visit helped put Madeira on the map, the behind-the-scenes madness of shooting DEATHGRIP, and what it really takes to maintain over 200km of hand-built trails across the island.

John also shares what it was like hosting the EWS, the brutal reality of trail building, why other companies aren’t pulling their weight when it comes to maintaining the trail network, how Brandon Semenuk managed to end John’s relationship! Finally John talks about what’s next for Freeride Madeira, including new eMTB trails, jump lines, and the epic expansion of Trans Madeira to a whole new island. If you’ve ever dreamed of riding in Madeira, this one’s packed with history, insight, and plenty to get you stoked on booking a holiday! 

Learn more at freeridemadeira.com or contact [email protected]

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