Riding highfor 10years
Stunt cyclist Danny celebrates anniversary of death-defying YouTube video that made him a superstar all over the world
WHEN he was a boy, all Danny MacAskil l wanted to do was ride his bike for the rest of his life.
Ten years ago today, he became an overnight superstar for doing just that after launching a YouTube video showing off his cycle stunts.
His Inspired Bicycles video was watched more than 38milion times and Danny became one of the most in-demand bike names in the world.
He was flown all over the world to perform at events and signed up by sponsors including Red Bull.
Skye-born Danny, 33, is now looking forward to taking to centre stage this summer when he and his pals bring their internationally renowned Drop and Roll tour to Edinburgh for a Fringe show at the Underbelly Circus Hub.
It’s a special homecoming for Danny, who lived in the city when he shot his iconic debut film during the winter and spring of 2008-2009 before unleashing it on the world on April 19, 2009.
It exploded in a way the softly spoken islander couldn’t have imagined. He certainly couldn’t have imagined having the career he now has.
Growing up on Skye, Danny used to ride his mountain bike in every spare moment he had. He fantasised about working in Bothy Bikes in Aviemore, the nearest twowheeled Mecca to him at the time. He got to the Cairngorms and the next step was Edinburgh, where he got another bike
shop job. Danny started
touring the country doing bike stunt shows in schools and with the Forestry Commission.
Danny’s life changed when he decided to try to bring his best tricks and moves into the digital world. He said: “I get kids or young adults tel l ing how they f irst watched my video in primary school and the reality of that makes me feel my age.
“The cool thing about it was that it was the early days of viral videos when people remember where they were when they first saw it.
“I was in Edinburgh working in the bike shop and was semi-pro with stunt teams doing shows around Scotland. But I never dreamed at that point I’d turn my bike-riding into a full-time career.”
The video changed everything for him. Danny added: “I remember the first day it was online, there was a lot of chat in the bike scene. On the second day, I was phoned by BBC News and the papers got in touch.
“It was when the mainstream media started talking about
it that it became something completely unexpected.”
Of all the death-defying stunts in the film, there’s one that sticks in his memory.
He said: “It was riding along the top of a spikey fence in Marchmont, Edinburgh.
“It took me four days. I’d given up after I crashed three or four times but my mate Dave Sowerby pushed me to give it one more day and eventually I made it.
“That’s been the ethos since – take a challenge much bigger than you think you can achieve and work hard enough to make it happen.” Af ter Inspired, Danny was snapped up by Red Bul l. He returned with Way Back Home,
which he felt was his difficult second econd album, and then Imaginate, which saw a Toy Story-style adventure nture set built in Glasgow’s Kelvin Hall.
Apar t f rom his hugely ge l y successful debut film, the video ideo Danny is perhaps best known own for is The Ridge, an emotional nal mountain climbing love letter ter to Skye.
He said: “I should big it up like it was the hardest thing ng ever but it’s actually one the e easiest films I’ve made.
“And apart from burning g calories with all the walking, , it was very low risk. It looks hard when you’re not in control yourself.
“Being up on that pinnacle, doing that film with my friends, was just one ne of the coolest moments.”
Over the last decade, Danny has performed at a circusi in South Korea, shot a video with Playmates at the Playboy Mansion and even had a Lost in Translation-style dram with Bill Murray in China.
But to mark the big anniversary of the video that made him a star, Glasgow-based Danny is bringing it back to where it started.
He added: “We’ve been lucky to do Drop ’n’ Roll shows all over the world and we’re going to take what we have learned from these shows and make it bigger and better for the festival, over 23 days.
“It will be full of energy and will be family friendly.” ● Danny MacAskill Drop and Roll show, the Lafayette at Underbelly’s Circus Hub, August 3–24. For tickets, visit underbellyedinburgh. co.uk