When you get a group of elite hard enduro riders in the same place, away from the race format and free to try new and wild lines on the bike, something unique happens. That was the essence behind these Hard Enduro Burros shoots. As the director and filmmaker, I had the unique perspective of watching the story unfold through the lens — not just the story of big sends and sketchy lines, but of personalities, friendly rivalries, and a raw passion for progression of the sport of hard enduro.
This wasn’t a scripted shoot. We didn’t need to coach energy or hype lines. From the moment we got the boys together, the vibe was pure: a mix of fun chaos, unfiltered competition, and deep mutual respect. Everyone wants to see each other succeed, but a little friendly rivalry of who can make the line first, is plenty ok and it make for good film too!!
Behind the Lens: The Wild World of the Hard Enduro Burros
The beauty of the Burros crew is how quickly a relaxed ride turns into a full-on progression session. All it takes is one person to go big and try a new, previously unridden line, and the rest follow — or try to.
“It just takes one person to hit a big line, and then everyone hits it… or tries to hit it… or ends up in the rocks,” a Burro joked between breaths and laughter.
Cody Webb set the tone early. His trials background gives him a supernatural ability to read terrain, and find ridiculous lines that no one else will touch, and it was obvious from the start that the others were watching him closely — sometimes to try to copy the line, other times just to learn from his wealth of riding knowledge.
“It’s turning into the Cody show,” Ryder exclaimed after Cody floated a near-impossible splatter line on a giant free-standing boulder. And they weren’t wrong.
But it wasn’t just Cody that ran the show this shoot. Young gun and new Burro, Braxton showed up hungry — sending massive downhills, crashing hard, getting back up, and sending again and again. He brought an intensity and willingness to attempt big lines that was enviable but also borderline sketchy! He immediately launched off a massive ledge that made everyone go silent. That pretty much sums up his week.
During our interviews Danny Lewis commented on his previous need to do risky lines, like Braxton was doing, and joked:
“Yeah, I’d say Braxton definitely backed up his self-invitation to the Burros because he had some gnarly downhill sends, some crashes, and yeah, honestly, if he didn’t crash, I don’t know if it would have been worth it for him. I definitely used to do some stupid sh$t like that whenever I was 17…. Now that I’m 17 and a half, I can really get my head on my shoulders and make the right decisions.”
We all had a laugh after that, thinking about how Danny claimed to have learned so much in his (now) much wiser years at the ripe old age of 17 and a half. (Joking but these guys are all super young!)
A Range of Styles
The best part about getting the Burros together for these shoots is that each rider brings something different. Cody was technical, calculated, sometimes a little bit “trail dad” and also impossibly precise. Braxton was raw chaos — fearless and loose in a way that somehow worked. Danny Lewis? Style for days. If there was a steezy way to hit something, he’d find it. Ryder Leblond was a hill climb specialist with a super techy style.
“If there’s a steez style jump and Danny, does it, what’s the point of me even trying?” Cody joked, half-serious while referring to a big jump we found and Danny whipped off of. Ryder’s mission was to see Cody try to whip, which made for some laughs as it became obvious freestyle moves are not so much in Webb’s repertoire.
We watched Brandon Petrie clean some near-vertical splats, using his long legs as a get out of jail free card if something went sour. And Ryder? An energetic wild man. Not known as the quiet one in the group, but when the camera was on, he delivers a loud result.
The Environment: Big Terrain, Bigger Energy
We shot in a desert zone that looked like a mashup of Mars and the moon — red rocks, endless ledges, techy ravines, and soft sand that swallowed front tires for fun. Every backdrop was cinematic without trying, which made it easy to get dynamic shots. I love to incorporate sweeping drone aerials to really show off the scale of the landscape and pair them with tight slow motion shots from the Red cams.
“You do it or you don’t. There’s no half-a$$ing this,” Branden Petrie said while standing over a drop that even made me nervous to film. We all were trying to talk him off the idea once we sensed that even Cody Webb thought this line wasn’t worth the risk. Sometimes someone with a lot of experience needs to speak up when a young Burro dreams up a too-sketchy line.
Filming Hard Enduro Freeride Chaos
We shot this like a hybrid between a feature and a doc-style freestyle session. I kept the camera light so I could chase them on foot (or scramble up rocks) when needed. Handheld Red Gemini with a wide lens, and a 70-200 Canon telephoto lens. There usually aren’t second takes and it’s not always clear how far they are going to go up a line. Just real reactions, real crashes, and the kind of authenticity you can’t fake.
What stood out most wasn’t just the riding — it was the camaraderie. The way these guys heckled each other, hyped each other, pulled back when it was getting too risky, then flipped right back into “go mode” if someone committed.
“I was just gonna say I don’t wanna be dad, but someone might want to chime in.” said Cody, at a particularly dangerous line that Petrie was sizing up.
“Actually, never mind.” Petrie called off the line.
What makes Hard Enduro Burros work is that it’s not scripted. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s laughter after crashes and high-fives after near-misses. It’s the riders getting hyped about the process — not just the result. When you see that playback of Cody doing a techy trials line that no one visualized but him or Braxton landing rear-wheel-first off a 15-foot drop into soft sand, it’s not just about the shot. It’s about sharing the moment that would normally never been seen.
Closing Thoughts: Why This Matters
As a cinematographer, this is the dream and I don’t take it for granted. I get to chase the best hard enduro riders in the country, capture the action, and tell unseen stories that can’t be faked. But more than anything, I get to document a crew that’s building something bigger than themselves.
Hard Enduro Burros is more than content. It’s a platform to grow the sport from the inside. To showcase talent, show what’s possible on a dirtbike, and create space for riders who may not have factory backing but ride with factory-level commitment.
“A Burro is someone that is an amazing rider, but still humble enough to help other people.” – Braxton said.
That quote stuck with me. It’s the spirit of this project. These guys aren’t just out here throwing whips for clout — they’re building a cool movement. And if you ask me, it’s working.
Until next shoot — stay sendy.
Cheers,
Burro Blake
