Thinking about it though, perhaps it isn’t that unconventional. It is in fact, another rider showing that playing around on small non bouncy bikes sets you up pretty well for racing mountain bikes.
There are a lot of riders, myself included, who believe that riding a hardtail is the best way to learn. Okay, so bikes have changed a lot, but I think there is a lot of be said for the unforgiving nature of the hardtail. Get it wrong and you know about it. Also, hardtails are fun, encouraging you to ride more. Take a look at this section for Earthed 3 and tell me it doesn’t look fun. Steve Peat with the X-Up is a highlight.
I’ll be honest, I’d pretty much forgotten about the X-Up as a trick, but maybe it’s going to make a come back?