James Kerns spent a dusty afternoon dancing his downhill rig across the booter line. No timers, no tape — just a shovel crew, a camera and a queue of laps that did not shrink until the light did.

Third lap in, first proper hangtime of the afternoon.

The booter line

The line is four jumps deep, shaped out of hardpack by the local crew over two winter weekends. The takeoffs are steep enough to reward commitment and forgiving enough to survive a sketchy pause. By lap ten the landings had glazed over, which is exactly when Kerns started actually sending it.

You do not really jump these things — you just stop fighting the takeoff and let the hill decide how long you stay up there.

The session setup

• Bike: downhill rig, 200 mm front and rear, heavy springs on purpose.
• Tires: soft compound, casing reinforced, pumped a touch firm for the landings.
• Protection: full lid, goggles, knee pads — the booter line collects elbow grease.

Watch the full session

Ride it yourself

The line rides best in the morning, before the takeoffs dry out and turn glassy. Bring a shovel, fix your braking bumps, and the local crew will happily show you the fast way in. Sessions like this are what the whole sport runs on — dig, ride, repeat.