Aaron Gwin facts for kids

Aaron Holmes Gwin (born December 24, 1987) is an American professional downhill mountain biker. He comes from Morongo Valley, California. Aaron is famous for being a five-time World Cup overall champion in downhill mountain biking.

Aaron Gwin's Racing Journey

Aaron Gwin started riding bikes very early. He began BMX at just 4 years old. By the time he was 8, he was racing at a national level!

From Motocross to Mountain Biking

When Aaron was 12, he switched to motocross. He raced motocross until he was 17. He stopped because he kept getting injured.

In 2008, when Aaron was 20, a friend named Cody Warren loaned him a bike. Cody encouraged him to try a downhill mountain bike race. In his very first race, Aaron finished 3rd! After that, he started racing downhill all the time. He quickly signed with a team called Yeti Cycles.

Aaron became well-known very fast. He joined the international World Cup scene after riding downhill for only 8 months. This was super impressive!

Becoming a Champion

Many people saw Aaron as a hero for American downhill racing. His 10th-place finish at the Mont Sainte-Anne World Cup in 2008 was the first time an American had placed in the top 10 since 2004.

Aaron has won the United States National Championships for Downhill eight times! He won in 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017.

In 2011 and 2012, Aaron was incredibly dominant in the UCI World Cup downhill series. In 2011, he won 5 out of 7 World Cup races. In 2012, he won 4 out of 6 World Cup races. He truly ruled the circuit!

The year 2013 was a bit tough for Aaron. He had some unexpected results and even crashed into a tree at the World Championships.

Amazing Comebacks

In 2014, Aaron's racing got much better. He won one World Cup race and the USA National Championships. He showed he was recovering from his 2013 challenges.

He also had some incredible moments where he overcame problems. For example, in a 2014 race in Leogang, his tire went flat right at the start. In 2015, at the same Leogang World Cup, his chain broke at the start line! He raced the entire course without pedaling and still managed to win the race. This showed his amazing skill and determination.

Aaron continued his success, winning the World Cup overall titles again in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Aaron's Riding Style

Aaron's unique riding style comes from his past experiences. His time in motocross helped him develop a lot of his skill. His BMX racing background also taught him how to ride smoothly. This smooth style helped him succeed in other types of racing like Dual Slalom and Mountain Cross.

Aaron's Teams

Aaron Gwin has ridden for several different teams throughout his career.

• In 2008, he was sponsored by Yeti Cycles.
• In 2010, he joined the Trek World Racing Team. With Trek, he won two World Cup Overall titles in 2011 and 2012.
• In 2013, Aaron moved to Specialized Racing. His teammate there was Troy Brosnan.
• After a great time with Specialized, Aaron announced in 2016 that he would ride for a newer brand called YT Industries.
• In 2019, Aaron signed with Intense Factory Racing.
• As of 2024, Aaron Gwin has started his own independent team called Gwin Racing.

Aaron Gwin racing at Lourdes (2015 World Cup 1st round)

Key Race Results

Here are some of Aaron Gwin's most important race results:

• 2008:

* 10th place, 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup #4 Mont Sainte-Anne, Canada * 8th place, 2008 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup #8 Schladming, Austria

• 2009:

* 1st place, USAC National Downhill Championships, Sol Vista, United States * 3rd place, 2009 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup #6 Mont Sainte-Anne, Canada

• 2010:

* 1st place, USAC National Downhill Championships, Sol Vista, United States

• 2011:

* 1st place overall for the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Series (first American to win this title!) * Won 5 World Cup races in one season (a record at the time).

• 2012:

* 1st place overall for the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Series * Won 4 World Cup races.

• 2013:

* 1st place, USAC National Downhill Pro Championships, Angel Fire, United States

• 2014:

* 1st place, 2014 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup #1 Pietermaritzburg, South Africa * 1st place, USAC National Downhill Pro Championships, Angel Fire, United States

• 2015:

* 1st place overall for the 2015 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Series * Won 4 World Cup races, including the famous chain-break win in Leogang. * 1st place, USAC National Downhill Pro Championships, Mammouth, United States

• 2016:

* 1st place, Overall for the 2016 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup * 1st place, National Mountain Bike Championships - Downhill

• 2017:

* 1st place overall for the 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Series * 1st place, 2017 USAC National Downhill Pro Championships Snowshoe West Virginia, United States * 3rd place, 2017 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships Cairns, Australia

• 2018:

* 1st place, Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike Downhill World Cup Lošinj 2018