Bikers fly through air at 'one of toughest courses in world'

RIDERS have been soaring over 60-foot gaps, navigating slick rock gardens, and dropping into steep forest terrain over the weekend in Wales as Red Bull Hardline returned to the Dyfi Valley, bringing some of the most technical and extreme mountain biking on the planet.

- BETHANY GAVAGHAN

Now in its 11th year, the course is known for pushing riders to their absolute limits. Designed by former World Cup racer Dan Atherton, it's considered one of the hardest downhill tracks in the world, with massive freeride-style jumps to steep terrain.

This year marked a milestone for the event as for the first time a female rider officially completed a full seeding run and qualified for the finals - Louise Ferguson, a 29-year-old from Fort William, Scotland, who now lives in Queenstown, New Zealand.