If you've been keeping up with Mark Matthews's Isolation series, then you'll know that his new trail, Sharknado, is complete. From start to finish, it's a fast-paced, feature-heavy jump trail with shark fins galore. As one trail build comes to a close, Mark shifts his focus to his next project; completing Moon Boot, the trail that was featured in his winning GoPro Best Line video and our collaborative video project, Rainy Daze.
Not caught up on Mark's first build during Isolation? Watch Part 1 of the Isolation Series here.
Isolation with Mark Matthews - Episode 53
It's the start of something new, kind of. With episode 53 of Isolation, Mark revisits his old jump line, shares his plans for its future, and gets his shovel dirty.
Episode 54
Picking up right where he left off, Mark aims to solve drainage issues as water runs across Moon Boot's newest feature after a heavy rain.
Episode 55
In episode 55 we're introduced to Mark's newest bike from Marin; The Alpine Trail XR. With a thick layer of snow coating much of the PNW, we aren't able to see the Alpine Trail in action, but are treated to some fast hardtail laps instead.
Episode 56
With the snow finally clearing in areas at lower elevation, Mark head's back to the zone where he built Sharknado to scout a location for a "one off" jump. As luck would have it, he finds the perfect gully for a massive step-up and immediately gets to digging.
Episode 57
Mark took one look at the 9 foot tall step up he's building and thought, "Nope, not big enough." As the run in for his one off jump gets steeper and longer, the jump will need to grow to match and send riders to the Moon.
Episode 58
It. Just. Keeps. Getting. Bigger. This jump is going to be absolutely huge by the time it's done. We can't wait to see what kind of hang time this thing generates.
Episode 59
Mark heads uphill from the step up and carves a run in and shark fin that will set him up for the mega booter. After a nice session of moving dirt, we get a taste of what Mother Nature is capable of as the fresh dirt at the bottom of the step up has been displaced after heavy rain.
Episode 60
Sometimes you have to take your foot off the gas and focus on rest and relaxation. After a hard crash while shuttling, that's exactly what Mark is doing (thankfully he walked away without major injuries). He's putting the shovel down for a few days to allow his body to recover and in the meantime we get to enjoy eight and a half minutes of shovel packing build lapses.
Episode 61
Mark is back to playing in the dirt and it's so fun to watch his visions come to life. With a bit of love, the new run-in for the mega step up is looking like something from a mountain biker's dream.
Episode 62
After spending time building his flow trail in collaboration with Shimano, Mark heads back to his mega step up and starts working on the landing. It's going to take a ton of dirt to complete this one.. With a solid day of digging behind him, Mark heads to Chunder for some high speed, tech riding.
Episode 63
Isolation is back! Mark heads back to the mega booter after a long period of digging on Blueprint and tests out some new camera angles.
Can't get enough of Mark's Isolation series? Be sure to check in frequently as we'll be updating this article with new videos as they're released. In the meantime, subscribe to Mark on his YouTube channel, follow him on Instagram, and like his Facebook page for a better glimpse into his day to day life.