Sam Brown in Rolling Stone

[cam@nsmb.com]

If you missed the sad tale of Sam Brown the first time around have a look at this link.

If you are familiar with what happened to Sam but would like to know more have a read of Jesse Hyde's detailed account of Sam and the circumstances that lead up to his untimely demise.

The only part I have the ability to judge is his mentions of his trails - and it seems to me that was botched some. The rest sounds like a reasonable account but others would be better able to judge what kind of job Jesse did with the facts.

Have a look and let us know what you think.

Rolling Stone Sam Brown article.

[Banshee Brown]

Thank you for posting this Cam. RIP Sam Brown

[DarylMac]

Tremendous use of hyperbole.

[DarylMac]

"The town had also become a hub for Freeriders, an Outlaw group of extreme mountainbikers, and the two cultures often intersected".

Fantastic.

[Zedbra]

not a bad article.

[Dude]

Increadible writting. The author painted a great portrait there.

Cam- thanks so much for posting that.

Mr Hyde should have checked his facts a bit better, regarding where/when certain stunts and trails were built, wouldnt have been that hard to hit the nail on the head... And it seems much of the article was very dramatized. It makes me wonder how much of it is actually true?
Bottom line: RIP Sam, you will always be remembered in the freeriding community. And f*ck the american government

[King of Fasia]

Tragic story, sounds like a really interesting guy. RIP.

[lukkk]

man that was a good read

[Dan Austin]

Tragic story of a guy who was basically lost. However, the story that RS put together certainly was a little over the top. Hyperbole indeed.

[Mark-R]

Awesome read. I can appreciate better what made Sam tick. Pretty unique character.

[bikemech23]

Just finished the read, thanks for posting Cam.

I was intrigued by this story from the first time I heard about it. Just solo flying a helicopter seems like an adventure in itself, but coupled with the risk of what he was doing it really sounds like the ultimate adventure.

Sam's background is very interesting, and makes me feel like he really lived his life to the fullest, capturing every passionate moment for what it was.

The article briefly mentions the film making industry and the role of professional athletes. I have watched for several years now as riders rapidly progress to the upper level and then gradually lose their edge as new guys are constantly emerging. What used to seem like the best job in the world is starting to seem pretty silly to me. We all commit a certain amount of time to learning to do a thing in hopes that we can carry it forward into the future, but when the thing is so risky and physically age dependant I've started to question where do these people go once their ability has expired? What comes next? What do you do when your life's work is done? This story atleast offers one avenue for that question, from the perspective of someone who lived for new experiences but was in search of a greater reward than being famous.

Cheers for a life lived in the moment, taking chances, being yourself. Rest easy.

[XXX_er]

I went to a NWD premiere a few years ago ,before the show the organizers wanted to award money to 5 riders who had won or placed in a recent event the name of which escapes me

but the funny thing WAS that alcohol was being served and all prize winners were SO young they had been carded at the door and couldnt get in to recieve their check

the thing is that this is a story of a drug deal gone wrong, it really has nothing to do with the mtb scene. this is a drug scene story, and the mainstream media always tries to cash in on some relation to the EXXXTREME sports scene.

let it, and sam rest.

[patrolskid]

interesting read , but do remember guys this article was written for rolling stone so if some of the hard facts like trail locations are off that can be easy for the editors to overlook . it doesn't really change the thrust of the story .

i agree with your comments bikemech but i sure as hell hope that any ( aspiring ) pro freerider is not going to consider the things they once did on a bicycle their " lifes' work " . it may be an important aspect of their life , and it may have a significant influence on how they live their lives , but as an example i don't wanna see josh bender doing hollywood squares at age 60 based on the fact that he jumped his bicycle off a cliff way back in the day .

know what i mean ?