Trek Signs McCaul and Semenuk for Two More Years, Introduces C3 Project

With no race series, point standings, and a sport that emphasizes steez and going big above all else, it’s pretty easy to see why a lot of bike companies would question having not one, but two world class free ride athletes on their payroll. Trek on the other hand, is not most companies.

Seeing the value of what Cam McCaul and Brandon Semenuk bring to the company and the world of mountain bikes at large, Trek has signed both stars to another two year riding contract. In addition Trek went as far as to create a new free ride based team called the C3 project; named for competition, cinematics, and creativity. In addition to McCaul and Semenuk the team will include long time free ride star Andrew Shandro and marathon downhiller Rene Wildhaber.

More after the break!

The C3 team is relatively uncharted territory for the mountain bike industry, and the announcement for the newest team under the Trek flag has exited brand managers and riders alike. “Trek is absolutely thrilled to announce this commitment to Brandon and Cam and the freeride / slopestyle scene,” remarked Trek MTB Global Brand Manager Michael Browne. “We’ve watched these athletes develop in ways we never imagined over the past few years—winning RedBull Rampage, the Claymore Challenge, and Crankworx Colorado, just to name a few—and we’re eager to see where this can go.”

When asked to comment Semenuk and McCaul were stoked to say the least. “I’m very excited to continue working with Trek over the next couple seasons,” said 19-year-old Whistler-based Semenuk. “The bikes have always been flawless and just get better every year. I’m really looking forward to being a part of the C3 Project and watching it take shape.” McCaul had similar things to say, stating “2010 will be my sixth full season riding Trek bikes! The last five years have been amazing, and it’s the best feeling ever to be staring through the sites of this shotgun with at least another two years loaded in the chamber. I’m looking forward to pulling the trigger on some really cool stuff this year, and I couldn’t imagine doing any of it without a Trek between my legs. Giddyup!”

“The name of this new team, The C3 Project: Competition, Creativity and Cinematics, is a nod to the non-traditional nature of the sport and will allow us to further embrace riders’ activities through new team paint schemes on Scratch, Session, Ticket and Remedy frames,” said Browne. “We’ll also be sharing the amazing footage we capture throughout the season on a new website that will go live later this spring.”