Behind the Edit: Tom van Steenbergen Talks X Games Real MTB

The X Games Real MTB competition has returned for the first time since 2021, and this year's edits dropped June 10th on the X Games website. Five riders and five filmmakers have each submitted their “most electrifying” ninety second parts for a chance to win X Games medals and prize money.

Real MTB is part of the larger Real Series hosted by X Games that includes Real Ski, Real Street, Real Snow and Real MTB. The 2021 Real MTB competition featured Brage Vestvik , Cam Zink , Brandon Semenuk , Danny Macaskill , DJ Brandt , and Veronique Sandler , the competition's only female rider so far.

Today, we’re catching up with competitor Tom van Steenbergen, from Vernon, BC, whose submission was filmed by Calvin Huth .

Coming into the contest, what was your goal, what sort of video did you want to make, and where did you draw your inspiration from?

My goal was to showcase our sport in the best light possible for the X Games audience. I thought it was important to include both DH bikes and hardtails. I’ve had these ideas for years, but injuries held me back. It felt amazing to prove to myself that I still had it in me to bring these crazy ideas to life.

How did you choose your shoot locations?

I chose to build as much as I could on my property, investing every dollar I’ve earned from mountain biking back into it. With an excavator, a wood mill, and ten acres to work with, I had the freedom to create whatever I wanted. But when winter hit, we had to migrate to Vancouver Island, WA, and Virgin, UT, to finish the video on time

What trick, or clip was the hardest to get?

The hardest trick to land was the Superman off the drop. It was terrifying to commit, knowing I had to hop as hard as possible and go slower than usual off that drop. It took me a few days to get… Wind and snow also didn’t help.

Which clip are you the most proud of?

I’m definitely most proud of the ender, the Cork 720 flat drop, especially given the circumstances: it was December in BC, I was getting sick, and we had just a four-hour window to shoot between rainstorms and Calvin leaving for a trip. Not to mention we just finished building the drop that same day, so it hadn’t been tested yet.

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Any stories from production that you want to share?

Aside from just two clips in Utah, Calvin shot everything by himself, pressing record on each camera, individually. Super impressive!

Anyone you’d like to thank?

This was a true team effort in every way. On the production side, I’d like to thank Peter Jamison and Jasper Wesselman for shooting extra clips, and Tyler McCaul and Dakoda Osusky for their support. Thanks to Parker Garner for reshaping the drops we filmed in Utah, and to Bradan Draper , Scribbles , and Dylan Sheffer for crushing the builds at my place. A big thanks to my neighbor Chris for letting me use his 245 excavator, and to Brett Rheeder for letting me use his airbags. The Dragonfly Farm crew kept me healthy throughout. Most importantly, thank you to my wife Kianna, who took care of everything outside of shooting and building, and pushed me in the right direction when I was ready to give up.

The full X Games Real MTB show will air on ESPN on July 23, though there will be an athlete watch-along on the X Games Twitch channel on June 27, where the winner will be announced. Viewers can also vote for their personal pick; a fan-favorite will be announced June 30 during the X Games Ventura broadcast.