A New Era? Jackson Goldstone Wins MTB Downhill Series Overall

When Jackson Goldstone tore through the finish line at Mont-Sainte-Anne on Sunday, the mountain biking world watched a young phenom seal something few have ever achieved. The 21-year-old had secured the overall UCI Downhill World Cup title in his first full season as an elite racer. It's becoming harder and harder to argue he's not a once-in-a-generation rider, so the the question begs asking. Have we entered a new golden age of downhill?

To gauge that, and to understand just how remarkable Goldstone's rise to prominence is, we should rewind a bit. Jackson's reputation in the mountain biking world caught fire long before he ever stepped foot in a start hut. Growing up in Squamish, B.C., Goldstone drew global attention with a viral home video. In it, he chucks 360s and sends drops twice his height. The catch? He was just on his way to kindergarten.

Only a few years later, he returned to the spotlight at age ten with an edit on Whistler's infamous A-line. And these were only the beginning. Reflecting on the progression in Goldstone's early days, it's almost frightening to think what might be in store for us in the decade(s) to come.

As a junior racer, he backed up the online hype with results, securing the Junior Downhill World Championship in 2021 and the Junior Overall Cup title in 2022. He made headlines at eighteen by winning Red Bull Hardline, one of the most significant and brutal races in the sport, on his first go around.

In 2023, Goldstone started poking around in the elite ranks. In his rookie elite season, he notched two World Cup wins (including one on home soil at Mont-Sainte-Anne) and finished second overall behind Loïc Bruni.

This season, Jackson has been near-relentless. He returned with another Hardline win in Tasmania. On the World Cup circuit, he claimed victories in Loudenvielle, Leogang, Val di Sole, La Thuile, and over the weekend, the final at Mont-Sainte-Anne. Combined with remarkable consistency across all rounds, and Goldstone now walks away with the overall World Cup title.

The next few years will be especially exciting as Goldstone and Bruni battle it out for bragging rights as top dog in DH. Impressively, their styles could not be more different, either. Bruni is powerful. He plows through tracks, whereas Goldstone is more catlike, picking his way through technical rockgardens just as quickly. Incredibly, the stylistic differences still usually leave them within two seconds of one another at the finish line.

So, the stage is set for a new golden age of downhill racing. The riders of the old guard, namely Aaron Gwin, and Greg Minnaar, are retired. Amaury Pierron has shown streaks of dominance in recent seasons. Now, with Goldstone showing no signs of slowing, the stage is set for an exciting decade ahead for downhill racing.

We might just be witnessing the beginning of something special. A new golden era of downhill, where audacity matters as much as experience, and where the wildest run of your life can also be your championship run.