Bike
MTB
Jackson vs Asa: The next big MTB Rivalry.
Downhill has a new rivalry. Jackson Goldstone and Asa Vermette go head-to-head after trading Red Bull Hardline wins, with Tasmania '26 hosting the opening chapter of a battle fans won’t want to miss.
Part of this story
Red Bull Hardline
Gee Atherton vs Stevie Smith. Rachel Atherton vs Tahnée Seagrave. Loic Bruni vs Amaury Pierron. Downhill mountain biking has had rivalries over the decades, but Jackson Goldstone vs Asa Vermette looks set to be the latest (and potentially greatest) head-to-head that will light up the sport for years to come.
The young guns are both still at the formative stages of their careers, but have already shown that they’re firmly up to speed, picking up a win each at 2025’s Red Bull Hardlines (Goldstone in Tasmania, Vermette in Wales) and standing on numerous UCI World Cup podium top spots last year.
This season is the first time that the duo will going toe-to-toe in downhill mountain biking’s elite class for a whole year though, and if their other head-to-heads are anything to go by, fans can expect a tight contest for the hot seat – the pair currently getting the better of each other two times a piece, although Goldstone had the edge in their last meeting at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania 2025.
Their first battle of 2026 takes place at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania (February 6-8), and if last year’s race was anything to go by – Goldstone edging Vermette by 0.13 seconds to clinch the crown – you won’t want to miss it.
But who are the two stand-out favourites for the third edition of the Aussie Red Bull Hardline? And will Goldstone make it back-to-back wins, or will Vermette get revenge and become only the third rider (alongside Goldstone and Ronan Dunne) to win both Red Bull Hardline events?
01
Jackson Goldstone: the Canadian king
31 min
The Search for Milliseconds: Jackson Goldstone
On the final day of the World Cup season, downhill MTB rider Jackson Goldstone prepares to risk it all to win.
The 22-year-old from Squamish, British Columbia, Canada has shown his bike handling skills from a young age, and has already won everything there is to in just three seasons in the elite class – one of which he was ruled out of through injury.
While renowned locally in the Canadian mountain biking mecca, Goldstone made a name for himself on the world stage in 2021 during a breakthrough season where he clinched the Junior UCI World Cup overall and Junior UCI World Championships at the first time of asking, picking up three Junior UCI World Cup wins along the way. The then-17-year-old’s performance didn’t go unnoticed, earning him his Red Bull helmet, which was presented by fellow Canadian pinner Finn Iles.
After a move to Santa Cruz Syndicate, the following season saw him repeat his Junior UCI World Cup overall title, picking up another five Junior UCI World Cup wins, but it was his performance at Red Bull Hardline Wales that showed he was already at another level. The rookie tamed Dan Atherton’s Dyfi valley creation on his debut, becoming the event’s youngest ever winner against a stacked field that included previous champions Gee Atheron, Bernard Kerr and Craig Evans.
His first Elite season took a bit of adjustment, but he soon picked up his first UCI World Cup win at Val di Sole, Italy – widely regarded as the toughest track on the circuit – while a second followed at the season finalé in Mont-Sainte-Anne, where he won in front of a partisan home crowd to finish fourth in the overall series.
Great things were predicted during his second Elite season, but his racing year was over before it had even begun – a crash during his finals run at the inaugural Red Bull Hardline Australia ruling him out for the rest of 2024 with a torn ACL and MCL.
Not deterred by the risks of racing one of the world’s hardest downhill courses, Goldstone returned to Tasmania in 2025, completing the redemption story by winning on the Maydena Bike Park track. It was the start of a stunning season for the Canadian, who went on the win five UCI World Cups (including a record-equalling run of four-in-a-row), the UCI World Championships and UCI World Cup overall – leapfrogging Loïc Bruni at the last round in Mont-Sainte-Anne to win in dramatic fashion.
Now 22, he’s laid down a marker for the rest of the field, although an exciting crop of Juniors led by Vermette mean he won’t be able to rest on his laurels during his title defence…
02
Asa Vermette: America’s next top pinner
The 19-year-old from Durango, Colorado, USA might not have a viral balance bike video in his locker, but has been a competitive force on two wheels since he picked up a mountain bike aged seven and started racing it aged 14. That year, he raced his first national championships on an enduro bike, beating the rest of the downhill bike-riding field despite snapping his chain midway through the run.
Although he was competing in the pro/open classes in the US from the age of 14, Vermette held off until he was 17 to make his debut in the Junior class of the 2024 UCI World Cup series after signing for Frameworks Racing. It was worth the wait too – Vermette winning three Junior UCI World Cups and becoming Junior UCI World Champion, finishing third in the overall series after a crash ruled him out of the final round. He showed he could mix it with the Elites too, becoming the US national champion, and his performances earned him his Red Bull helmet, which he was presented by Jaxson Riddle at 2024’s Red Bull Rampage.
Becoming a Red Bull athlete also earned him an invite to the 2025 season opener at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania, where he set the fastest qualifying time and narrowly missed out to a rampaging Goldstone in his finals run, settling for second ahead of big hitters like Troy Brosnan, Bernard Kerr, Gee Atherton and Sam Hill. Vermette showed that his performance on one of the world’s hardest downhill tracks wasn’t a fluke later that year, winning the Welsh edition on his debut to steal Goldstone’s record as its youngest-ever champion. He continued to show his talents on the UCI World Cup circuit too, picking up another two Junior UCI World Cup wins and finishing second in the overall to Max Alran by just 12 points, as the pair often laid down faster times on the hill than the Elites who followed. Vermette also showed that he has got skills to go with his speed, throwing in a backflip during his fastest qualifying run in Lenzerheide.
03
All eyes on Tasmania
The head-to-heads between Goldstone and Vermette has so far been limited to three smaller races in the USA in 2022 and 2023 and Red Bull Hardline Tasmania 2025, but as the American steps up to the Elites in 2026, it’s a duel that downhill fans can look forward to watching for a whole season.
Red Bull Hardline Tasmania will be the first meeting of the year for the duo and will show who has the edge before the first UCI World Cup in May. But there’s also plenty at stake for each rider too. For Goldstone, he has the chance to become the first two-time winner at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania, and will confirm his status as the world’s best rider. While for Vermette, it’s an opportunity to get revenge for narrowly missing out on top spot last year, becoming only the third rider to win both editions and stealing another of Goldstone’s record by becoming Red Bull Hardline Tasmania’s youngest winner.
One thing’s for sure – it’s a contest between two of Downhill’s most exciting athletes that you won't want to miss.
Get yourself in the mood with the 'Best of Red Bull Hardline 2025' from both the Tasmanian and Wales stop.
55 min
Red Bull Hardline: Best of 2025
Watch the best of the action from the world’s most progressive MTB riders at Red Bull Hardline 2025 events.
Part of this story
