Matt Stevens: From SA National Champ to USHE and why he's betting on the US over Europe | S2E10

In this episode we're chatting to a young rider who is an up and coming South African talent who has already made a name for himself, Matt Stevens. 

We get straight into the topic of why Matt has chosen not to focus on riding in Europe and the HEWC and why his sights are on USHE. We touch on the financial investment of both options and which would give a young rider the best chance for success. We clarify what Matt's plans are for his time in the US and which races he plans to participate in and other opportunities that the US presents. 

In South Africa trials bike riding is not common for riders to adopt at a young age, but it is certainly a benefit to improving technique. Matt touches on a great topic of learning from others, especially those who's skills may be more advanced. An example of this was the time Matt spent riding with the top athletes in the world at the Roof of Africa 2025. 

Of course as a hard enduro podcast we had to talk about bikes. Matt rides both a 2T and a 4T and shares his experiences and preferences. Justin from Shock Logic suspension has been on the podcast before and is a key part of Matt's team ensuring his bike is perfectly tuned without making it complicated. 

Training for hard enduro doesn't just happen on the bike and in the mountains but needs to be supported with off the bike training to support fitness and strength. Matt has been focusing on power recently in the gym and has noticed improvements during racing. 

We wish Matt all the best on his journey to the US. If you are based close to the races he plans to attend and would like to support his journey, please reach out to Matt directly via his social media - @mattstevens.43
We hope you enjoy this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:31 Meet Matt Stevens
02:36 SA talent at Alestrem
03:08 America over Europe
07:57 Passion vs. profession
09:35 The US plan: Hollow Point & Tennessee Knockout 
10:27 What the US hard enduro series offers vs. the HEWC
11:51 GNCC & cross-country racing
13:08 Trials Bikes
14:34 Learning from better riders
16:33 Sponsors or a team for the US
18:42 Bike talk - The KTM 300 2-stroke 
19:51 2-stroke vs. 4-stroke in hard enduro
21:39 250F for technical hard enduro terrain
24:31 Shock Logic Suspension - Keep it simple
27:04 Off-bike training
32:15 Roof of Africa
37:41 Well wishes and support for the US

Would you make the same call as Matt... USHE over HEWC? Drop your thoughts in the comments, we'd love to hear where you think the better opportunity lies for a young rider trying to build a career in hard enduro ↓↓↓