In March 2002, we found the king of the big drop crazies, Josh Bender, at the Manitou tent on the California race circuit in Monterey. Bender (who's horrific attempt at a 40 foot drop near Deer Park, UT is chronicled in the video Double Down), was getting help from the company wrenches with his custom Manitou fork. Other custom features on Bender's custom Karpiel include the long banana seat (which essentially spans the entire top tube), and a remote resevoir for the rear shock immediately below the duct taped section of seat (with a line feeding into the shielded area above the shock mount). Click for an enlarged picture of Bender's bike.

Future downhill world champion John Tomac, getting big air on a cyclocross bike with drop bars(!) and an early Manitou suspension fork in September 1990 at the first Mountain Bike World Championship at Durango, CO...