Gnar Couch Podcast 174: DJ Brandt, Authenticity in MTB, Why We Ride

This could easily be the most over-caffeinated, under-medicated mountain bike podshow you’ll ever subject your earholes to. Not a podcast—a “podshow”—because adding “show” makes everything about 17% more questionable. Welcome to Gnar Couch, where the only thing more inflated than our egos is our caffeine intake, and the only thing more shredded than our bikes are our self-images. Tonight, we brought in DJ Brandt—your favorite rider’s favorite wildcard—just to see if we could make the art of the mountain bike interview as awkwardly sweaty and weird as possible. This week’s podshow spiral dives helmet-first into three core themes: the existential crisis of being a professional freerider in an industry run by desk jockeys who think a “manual” is something you create in Word to guide marketing efforts, the painful evolution of mountain bike culture from “gnarly misfit circus” to “influencer hellscape,” and why the only thing more unstable than the bike industry is JP's and the Jerk Hand's digestive systems after six glizzies chased with six cups of gas station coffee. Sprinkle in debates about corporate buyouts, a discussion about how Pinkbike really was cool at one time, and our relentless need to grill and mother everyone within a 40-foot radius, and you’ve got yourself an audio experience that makes you wonder where the adult supervision went. So buckle up—preferably in your daily driver Corvette or whatever heap you wrench on to avoid facing your feelings. Whether you’re here for the tales of bike park glory, the communal hate for TikTok “riders,” or just to hear DJ Brandt contemplate welding versus wildcarding, this podshow is the least productive thing you’ll do with your day—and probably the best. Guest profile: DJ Brandt Check out our store for sick shirts. Got to our Patreon and give us money. Get 30% off BLIZ sunglasses and more with the code "sponchesmom". 00:00 Spotlight on Rising Freedar Star 19:53 Corporate Exploitation of Action Sports Talent 25:49 Transition from Hobby to Profession 37:57 Epic Southern Drop Stunts 49:28 Innovative Photographer's Whistler Legacy 01:03:53 "Rampage Week Step-Down Memory" 01:06:32 "Surprising Flight Radio Skill" 01:23:32 Deer Valley Women's Clinic Finale 01:30:18 "Wild Rampage Camping Memories" 01:47:43 Process Visualization Technique 01:54:49 Obsessive Productivity Tendency 02:02:38 Misunderstanding Over Car Incident