If there’s one rider in the Australian MTB scene that represents the hard working, fast riding, blue collar family man, it’s gotta be Josh Carlson.
This offseason has been a major shift for Giant Factory Off-Road Racing Team member Josh Carlson. Six years ago he and his high school sweetheart risked sacrificing everything as the left their home town of Wollongong and moved halfway around the world to Vancouver so that Josh could chase the dream of becoming a pro rider. He managed to achieve that goal and he’s been signed to one of the biggest team’s in the business ever since. He’s also ended up marrying the love of his life and they now have two beautiful little kids. With his career well and truly on track Josh and his family have decided to pack up their lives and relocate back home to Australia.
‘All you can rely on is your skills and your bike set up. To have that and to know that your bike set up is dialled, that’s worth so much. It’s rad. There’s so many unpredictable factors that are popping up at the EWS race now. The tracks are ruined by the time we race them, they’re rough, they’re gnarly, unpredictable.’
In the lead up to the 2018 Enduro World Series getting underway [R]evolution Magazine recently sat down with Josh at one of his local haunts on the beachside city he grew up in, to talk coming home, family, training, changes on the component front, trails, EWS and what the year ahead holds for one of Australia’s fastest and by far the frothiest exports… And there’s plenty of Josh shredding his local trails to keep you entertained.
Coming Home is the first in a series of full length features showcasing the personalities behind the goggles and handlebars by [R]evolution.
Producer + Interview // Matt Holmes
Film + Edit // Matt Staggs
You’ll read more from Josh’s interview and see more amazing photography in the upcoming issue 50. Due out late March.