Asa
Vermette
United States
·
MTB
Date of birth | January 24, 2007 |
|---|---|
Birthplace | Durango, CO |
Age | 18 |
Nationality | United States |
Career start | 2023 |
Disciplines | Mountainbike Downhill |
UCI Mountain Bike Junior World Champ, United States Elite national champion, second place at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania, four UCI MTB Junior World Cup wins and Pro Enduro national champion are just a few of Asa Vermette's long list of accolades as a mountain bike racer. Asa has quickly proved he's one of the fastest talents in racing, and the most exciting part? The teenager is just getting started.
His parents, both avid mountain bikers, had him on a motorbike at three years old and then a strider bike at four. "I've been riding on two wheels ever since," he reflects, not knowing anything other than a life with biking. Growing up in Durango, Colorado – a world-renowned cycling haven – only deepened his love for riding. Asa spent most of his childhood outside, often out on moto rides, and later picked up mountain biking at the age of seven. He loved the sport immediately.
At 14, Asa tried his hand at racing and was hooked after the first event. He competed in a race at his local bike park, Purgatory Mountain, and finished third. It was the catalyst to pursue racing further. He started racing across the West, competing in both DH and enduro, but his first national championship title proved a turning point – it confirmed his knack for speed. At the race, he was on an enduro bike, whereas most competitors were on DH bikes, and despite snapping his chain in the run, Asa pushed through and won the event.
In 2024, Asa competed in his first season of the UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup, racing in the Junior category. "Just to be racing all the tracks I've spent years watching was one of the coolest parts about racing the World Cup," he explains. Asa’s home bike park, Purgatory Mountain, is where he built his foundation as a rider. He argues that the terrain at his home mountain mirrors the style of World Cup tracks in Europe, which helped prepare him for this level of racing. In his debut season, Asa made his mark and won four races, including the Junior World Championship title in Andorra. Ultimately, Asa is excited to build on the momentum and keep progressing, using that for preparation for when he moves up to the Elites.
While downhill is his primary focus, Asa doesn't like to stay confined to one kind of mountain biking. He’s competed in enduro, whip-off contests and loves hitting dirt jumps. In 2025, he added 'freeracer' to his resume, competing in Red Bull Hardline Tasmania for the first time. Asa put down the fastest seeding run and in the finals he put on an incredible show, narrowly missing victory, but delivering an unforgettable debut performance against some of the World Cup's best. He's even open to competing in Red Bull Rampage one day if the opportunity presents itself. "If there’s an extra race and we can make time to do it – it doesn’t matter what discipline it is, I'll try to fit it in," he says.
Rising star Asa Vermette enjoys a quiet moment
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
Asa Vermette launches at Red Bull Hardline
© Dan Griffiths/Red Bull Content Pool
Asa Vermette shreds the Maydena trails
© Graeme Murray/Red Bull Content Pool
What a Red Bull Hardline debut from Asa Vermette
© Nick Waygood/Red Bull Content Pool