Recap: Monster Energy Backyard Battle France 2024

The Monster Energy Backyard Battle series, aimed at paying homage to "the classic backyard jams in the early days of freeride," continued this week in France. Paul Couderc’s edition hosted four days of "explosive riding and after-hours antics that felt like a mini festival for biking enthusiasts and purveyors of chaos," according to organizers and attendees.

The event took place in Bannes, at a farm owned by "the infamous Maurice" who has allowed Couderc to build a jump line on the property over the past few years. Dozens of riders, including Louis Reboul, Sam Hodgson, Edgar Briole, Talus Turk, Sergio Layos, Jeremy Berthier, Erik Fedko, Lucas Huppert, and Vero Sandler, came to check out the features - which included a pool built especially for the event.

"I think the best part of Backyard Battle is having the freedom to do what we like, outside of the regular contest and events we attend, by removing the pressure and competitive nature of riding competitions," says Couderc. "There is no format or preconceived structure to the sessions; people ride whenever they want to and I think that's what makes it stand out from other events."

Couderc says he, with help from Jeremy Berthier and Louis Reboul, made a few adjustments to the build in the weeks leading up to the event. "We were pretty happy with the line but we wanted to make some improvements to the general flow throughout. We beefed up the left hip and rebuilt the jump after it - several times, I admit, due to some speed issues. I really want to thank Jeremy and Louis for all their hard work and the long days to make it all run perfectly!"

When asked if there were any highlights, Couderc says it was simply seeing so many folks enjoy a line he's usually sessioning solo. "It was so cool to experience the energy of everyone just being so stoked to ride. We had some pretty heavy rain on the first day, but I think that made everyone even more excited to ride once things had dried up a bit, so I wouldn't change a thing. Seeing people smiling ear-to-ear, enjoying what we created, makes this week super special for me."

And while Couderc is taking a moment to enjoy the positive outcome, he's already thinking ahead to next year. "This was the second time we've hosted a Backyard Battle at my place, and I really think events like this are the future of core mountain biking and I really hope I can do it again next year - I have even more ideas I can't wait to build on." Couderc expressed gratitude for Monster, Commencal, Michelin for their support in making it all happen, "and all my friends for supporting my vision."

The first Backyard Battle 2024 was hosted by Vero Sandler and Sam Hodgson June 3-7, in Wales, followed by the Austria edition. The remaining events are Lukas Schafer’s Black Mass Edition August 20-24 in Germany, and the Adolf Silva Edition November 4-7 in Spain. We'll be following up with more recaps and athlete interviews after each event.