BIG AIR IN TIJUANA

Words & Video by Jacob Gonzalez
Photos by Juno BIT

As a filmmaker from Baja California, living in Rosarito just south of the U.S. border, bikes have always been part of my DNA. Growing up, it was BMX, moto enduro, and tearing through off-road races. Those wild years hit a dead stop when I finished school and my dad pulled the plug on his “sponsorship.” Racing dreams swapped out for a camera, and soon I was out there shooting motorsports for brands like Red Bull, chasing legends with a lens.

Then came 2020, the great grind-to-a-halt year. With work dried up, I tripped over an old Specialized Hardrock hardtail for 40 bucks. That rusty steed yanked me back into the saddle. I rode it into the ground, then leveled up to a Vitus Sentier and eventually a Kona Honzo ESD—a steel monster built to eat trails. That’s when I started looking for the secret local rogue jumps, dirt playgrounds hidden in small valleys and hills. And then discovered the crown jewel: a jump park in La Presa, Tijuana.

This place was no joke. The step-up jump loomed like a dirt temple—20-foot takeoff, all intimidation and adrenaline. First tries? I cased it. Hard. Like five times. Brakes or no brakes, gravity had other plans. Over months, I kept coming back. The riders there were just as nuts, a mix of fearless lunatics. By the time the holiday “posada” rolled around—a party of tacos, bikes, and borderline chaos—I was all in. I dragged my girlfriend along, put her behind a camera as we waded into this madness.

My hardtail got a workout—bent saddles, smashed pedals, and a helmet ding that still makes me wince. The heaviest crash of my life, served up with a side of too many tacos. But damn, was it worth it.

Facing fears, eating dirt, and flying over jumps with this ragtag crew reminded me why I’m hooked.

Salud!

The next one should be coming around the corner anyone interested?