If you’ve ever stared up at a sheer slab of desert rock and thought, “Yeah, I could probably ride a dirt bike up that,” congratulations — you’re either a hard enduro rider, or you’ve watched enough Hard Enduro Burros videos to be dangerously optimistic.
Our latest shoot dropped us into a chunk of desert terrain that looks like Mars. The boys showed up ready to hit the biggest, riskiest, most brilliant lines we’ve filmed this season — and I showed up ready to capture every moment of chaos, triumph, and questionable decision-making.
This blog is the part you didn’t see in the final cut: the in-between moments, the banter, the wipeouts, the little filmmaking details that tell the real story of this desert mission.
“Someone’s gotta egg everyone on…” — The Missing Hype Man
The first weird vibe of the day hit before any cameras even rolled: Trystan Hart wasn’t there. With his finger busted, the usual chaos conductor — the guy who screams encouragement, throws out risky ideas, and gets everyone else sending lines they didn’t intend to send — was suddenly gone.
As one rider put it early on,
“Yeah, someone else is going to have to egg everyone on this time. Someone’s gotta take that place.”
That set the tone. No hype man. No chaos ringleader. More pressure spread out amongst the guys to see who steps up.
As a filmmaker, that changes the energy. Usually, I can point a camera at Trystan and know something ridiculous is about to happen. This time, the vibe had to build more slowly — and that meant catching the small moments of tension before the boys loosened up.
Braxton, the New Kid, & The Art of Stepping Up
One of the core purposes of Hard Enduro Burros is to gather the best U.S. riders and let them show what’s possible off the racetrack. But more than that, the series captures the dynamic between them — a mixture of respect, competition, and pure mischief. Every group has a hierarchy. Ours is simple:
- – Cody Webb — when he sends a line, you know it’s going to be technical, precise, and probably insane. Watching him attack a desert rock face on a 250 is like watching a ninja do parkour on an scooter.
- – Ryder Leblond — brings calculated aggression. He’s the kind of rider who has the technical trials ability many wish they had, and also can employ speed and hillclimbing skills too.
- – Braxton Hintze – The new guy, the underdog, the Peewee Burro that graduated, you can sense the pressure facing him.
His own words while we were mic’ing up:
“With me being the underdog, I have been picked on just a bit.” Braxton said.
The guys never mean it maliciously — if anything, the teasing is a sign of acceptance and an attempt to motivate him. But watching it from behind the lens is always hilarious. At one point, Cody lined up this spicy, technical rock-to-rock move, landed it perfectly, (because of course he did), and before we knew it Braxton was right there lined up to give it a go. He rallied hard and quickly stood out as a go-getter not afraid to ride big lines. His confidence after training extensively with Rich Larsen was apparent!
In hard enduro, being last to send means nothing but silent hazing. Being first means you set the bar, and establish your name. In between takes, that pressure hangs in the air like desert dust.
As the director, I love that tension. I love how every attempt — success or failure — builds on the last. And I love catching those raw moments: hesitation, commitment, victory, and sometimes, spectacular failure.
Cameras Out, Do the Lines Get Bigger?
One of the truest quotes from the entire shoot came early from Ryder when he said:
“As soon as the camera comes out, you have to do something cool… or you’re just lame.”
Truer words have never been spoken on a Hard Enduro Burros shoot. Although the funniest part is the guys go just as big with or without the cameras on. I have witnessed that time and time again when I’m changing batteries and the camera isn’t even pointed in their direction yet I see them hit a massive line!
Cody Webb & The Trials Sorcery
Nothing creates silence on a Burros set like Cody wandering off, staring at rocks like he’s reading ancient runes, and then muttering:
“It’ll go.”
The line that followed — a ridiculous rock-to-rock-to-ledge deal — was so gnarly that after he stuck it, Ryder just shook his head between laughs and said:
“That’s a Cody line. I don’t want to do that one.”
Neither did anyone else.
Behind the camera, I’m holding my breath through these moves. Cody’s technique is so precise that it almost is surprising when he does mess something up. The beauty of filming him is that he’s dialed — consistent, calculated, and terrifying in the best way.
But the best part? He’ll finish one of these insane maneuvers and then turn to the younger guys with the chillest advice:
“I think you can do it if you land a little more left.”
Like… sure, Cody. I’ll just land a little more left on the ledge of death. No problem.
The Crash That Silenced the Desert
We usually get one mega crash per shoot that instantly sobers the mood.
This time, it was a drop gone wrong where a skid plate caught instead of the rear tire. From behind the lens, I saw nothing but a dust explosion followed by a very unintentional scorpion.
Braxton rolled out of it and, before anyone could even get a question out, he groaned:
“My pride hurt. And a little bit of my body. But mostly pride.” And then laughed it off because he came out basically completely unscathed.
From a director’s standpoint, crashes are a delicate balance. You document them honestly, but never glorify the pain. What matters is the story, the recovery, the camaraderie — and the riders supporting each other more than they roast each other (usually). Today Braxton really stepped up and everyone saw that very clearly!
Desert Sends, Brotherhood, and Why This Series Matters
Every Hard Enduro Burros shoot teaches me something new — about the riders, about the terrain, about filmmaking under pressure, and about why this community is so damn special. From Braxton fighting for respect… to Cody sending lines no human should…to Ryder quietly stacking clips like a menace… It all adds up to the Burros experience.
This isn’t just run-of-the-mill content. It’s an exclusive snapshot into what hard enduro really is when stripped down to its bones: friendship, grit, endurance, and ambition to succeed on two wheels in formidable terrain.
You see riders from different backgrounds — trials-inspired guys, GNCC young bucks, up-and-comer senders, old pros — all sharing the same goal: push the limits, send the line, laugh, crash, get up, rinse, repeat.
That’s what the sponsors believe in — not just big jumps, but big stories. Big human stories. Big heart, big crashes, big redemption. Big everything.
So if this blog made you feel like you were standing there with us it’s because we’ve all been in these situations with our own riding buddies just pushing the limits of what we can accomplish on two-wheel riding hard enduro. Your part of the Burros herd.
Cheers,
Burro Blake
