trek ticket s build

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Results have arrived, the trek ticket s is the undisputed king of slopestyle.

We don't typically deal in the world of dirt jumpers, but this Trek Ticket S slopestyle bike is a rare exception. It's the most iconic slopestyle bike ever made, and it's ridden by many of the best freeriders and dirt jumpers in the world.

Written by: Bruce Lin

Published on: Sep 15, 2023

Posted in: Features

This is the Trek Ticket S (“S” stands for slopestyle), a unique full-suspension dirt jump bike (a.k.a. “dirt jumper” or “DJ”) that has been purpose-built to handle the bigger jumps and features often found on slopestyle courses.

TPC typically doesn't buy or sell dirt jumpers, but we made an exception for this 2018 Trek Ticket S. It’s here because it’s fairly rare, it’s super cool and unique, and most importantly, it’s the most iconic dirt jumper/slopestyle bike ever made.

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The Ticket S is Ridden by Legends

Dirt jumping is one of the more niche segments of mountain biking. In fact, I’d say that dedicated dirt jumpers are even less common than dedicated downhill bikes, which are already a pretty niche product. 

You will usually only see dirt jumpers being ridden at bike parks that cater to them ( Valmont Bike Park in Boulder, CO is a great example). Then, among these niche bikes, full-suspension slopestyle bikes are an even more niche subset.

The first year the Ticket S was offered to consumers in 2014, the initial production run was only 125 frames. Compared to standard hardtail dirt jumper frames, the Ticket S is also significantly more expensive. A new frameset currently retails for $1,899.99, while the standard Ticket DJ hardtail is half that, retailing for $949.99. 

If you roll up to a set of dirt jumps on a Ticket S, then you’re guaranteed to attract attention. Not just because it’s unique and expensive. It's also a bike with a reputation. 

Here’s a short list of riders who currently ride or previously rode the Ticket S:

• Brandon Semenuk
• Emil Johansson
• Brett Rheeder
• Ryan Howard
• Drew Bezanson

Those are the main riders I can remember off the top of my head, and I’ve surely forgotten a few (let me know who’s missing!), but if you recognize any of those names, then you already know that theses are the best freeriders and dirt jumpers in the world.

The Ticket S has also scored more professional slopestyle wins than any other bike. Just this year, Emil Johansson broke the record for the most Crankworx World Tour Slopestyle gold medals. The previous record holder, Brandon Semenuk, is considered by many to be the greatest freerider/dirt jumper of all time. 

If you’ve ever watched any of Semenuks jaw-dropping edits, or a clip from a major slopestyle competition, then you’ve probably seen a Ticket S in action:

The History of the Ticket S

Slopestyle is essentially a crazier form of dirt jumping. The jumps and features are much bigger, and they’re built into a slope so riders can get the necessary speed to clear them. Slopestyle courses can be ridden on a traditional hardtail dirt jumper, and plenty of pro riders do, but some started experimenting with full-suspension dirt jumpers around 20 years ago. 

In 2004, Cam McCaul rode a modified full-suspension Trek Session 77 with reduced travel, and Trek has been producing one-off full-suspension dirt jumpers for its pro athletes ever since. While it added weight and complication, rear suspension also helped riders handle increased air time, harsher landings, and bigger tricks. 

The first Ticket S prototype appeared in 2011 under McCaul and Brandon Semenuk. A total of 5 prototype frames were originally produced — two were kept in Trek’s Waterloo headquarters, two were given to McCaul and Semenuk, and the final one was given to 3-time four-cross world champion, Anneke Beerten, to uses as a four-cross race bike.

The prototype frames are built using a mix of production and custom parts. The aluminum tubing for the front triangle was taken from the Trek Session and Remedy and combined with a CNC machined rocker link and custom-built chainstays and seatstays. For maximum agility, the chainstays were incredibly short at 400mm. Otherwise, the geometry essentially mirrored the “Long” size Ticket hardtail, so that McCaul and Semenuk could easily switch between the frames depending on their needs. 

Production versions of the Ticket S finally arrived in 2014, and it has remained essentially unchanged ever since. For the most part, it’s the exact same bike being ridden by Trek’s pro riders, with the exception of Semenuk’s Ticket S frames, which often have carbon fiber seatstays instead of aluminum for more stiffness on big hits. 

The Closer Look at Our 2018 Trek Ticket S

Of course, it’s rolling on 26” wheels. Dirt jumping is one of the rare corners of mountain biking where the small wheelsize still dominates. The Halo SAS aluminum rims are wrapped in Maxxis Ikons, the same tires Brandon Semenuk generally uses on his Ticket S.  

But the Ticket S is made to be run with a drivetrain. Most commonly, riders will build them up with tougher downhill-specific drivetrains like the Shimano Zee group used here. Having a few gears can help dial in your speed in the run-up to big jumps and features, and if needed, maybe pedal back up the hill. 

Barspins are a core trick in dirt jumping and slopestyle, and a shifter cable attached to the bars will only get in the way. Our Ticket S here clearly isn’t built for barspins. Generally, riders will leave the rear brake hose extra long so it can wrap around the steerer, or they’ll use a more complicated gyro system. 

So Who’s the Ticket S For?

The market for a bike like this is admittedly incredibly small. I’m don't hit the bike park much these days, and I'm not going anywhere near big near enough to push the rear suspension of the Ticket S to its limits. So I’m not going to buy it. But do I want to? Heck yes I do! Even if I can't do 360s or back flips (tables and toboggans are my go-to), it’s still an incredibly unique and cool toy, and that’s reason enough for me to want one. 

This Ticket S sat by our Production Manager’s desk for a week (he was thinking hard about buying it!) while it waited to get refurbished for sale. Pretty much anyone who walked by would stop and take a look, and 9 times out of 10, they’d say some variation of: “Hey! That’s Brandon Semenuk’s bike.” Few bikes are so iconic that they’re forever associated with a single rider. 

I hope this bike finds a good home with plenty of dirt jumps nearby. And I hope the next owner boosts it to the moon, because that’s what it’s made to do.

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The Ticket S has been honed to perfection over a decade of whips, flips, and mind-blowing tricks by the world’s best slopestyle riders. Ticket S is a full suspension slopestyle mountain bike  built for big tricks, big jumps, and a whole lot of style.

The tech you get

Lightweight Alpha Platinum Aluminum and 100mm of rear travel with a FOX shock make the Ticket S both durable and agile. This bike as features inspired by Trek C3 Project riders like water bottle bosses on the down tube for shifter mounts and a hole for a bottom bracket bolt to keep the crank from spinning while you’re in the air.

It's right for you if...

You’ve got an appetite for the tricky stuff and want a flickable ride that’s forgiving enough for hard landings. If you want to hit jumps like the Trek C3 Project riders, the Ticket S is for you.

Just the ticket?

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Bike Check: Emil Johansson’s custom Trek Ticket S

Part of this story

Crankworx World Tour

The world's best mtb slopestyle riders do battle in new zealand, austria, australia and canada..

Emil Johansson

Emil johansson, sweden's slopestyle star, is an inspiration on and off the bike, both for his athletic prowess and his personal strength..

• 1 Emil Johansson explains his bike
• 2 Emil Johansson’s Bike Setup

Emil Johansson with his Trek Ticket S, Rotorua Edition

© Jay French

Erik Fedko calls in to reveal his new bike for Red …

How to judge mtb slopestyle: what makes emil johansson …, find out everything that went down during crankworx …, emil johansson explains his bike.

Johansson's custom-painted frame

A fresh and unique paint job is always a treat for any athlete

It's the small details that make it extra bling

The 791 number is the name of Johansson's crew back home in Falun, Sweden

Johansson runs his suspension as hard as he can

100 mm travel in the front

Some Slopestyle riders run carbon wheels but Johansson sticks with aluminum

Gyros make bar spins a much easier business

Clean as it comes

When the saddle and frame match each other perfectly

Cranks that don't spin well? Yep, every Slopestyle riders dream

HT pedals with some Rotoruan dirt on top

Emil Johansson’s Bike Setup

• Frame : Trek Ticket S
• Fork : RockShox Pike Ultimate
• Shock : RockShox Deluxe Ultimate
• Crankset : SRAM X01 Eagle DUB with 32t Chainring
• Cassette : Singlespeed w/ freecoaster hub
• Chain : SRAM XX1 Eagle
• Derailleur : SBONE G3 Tensioner
• Rear Brak e: Odyssey lever with gyro and SRAM Avid BB7 Road caliper
• Rotors : SRAM Centerline 160mm
• Wheels : Industry9
• Handlebar : Sixpack Millenium
• Stem : Sixpack
• Front tire : Maxxis Ikon 26’’ x 2.1
• Rear tire : Maxxis Pace 26’’ x 2.1
• Saddle : Signature Emil Johansson Sixpack
• Pedals : HT Supreme
• Grips : Signature Emil Johansson Sensus

Every detail on this bike is though through, clean and stylish

Mechanical brakes are a stand-out feature today

Johansson's rocking his own EM.J grips from Sensus

Want more of this?

Mountain Bike Magazine

[Bike Check] Semenuk’s RAW100 V6 Trek Ticket S

If you haven’t seen the sixth/latest version of RAW100 , with Brandon Semenuk, you’re missing out and should have a look. If you have, then you might recognize the bike below. Read on for an in depth look at Brandon’s latest creation…

If you’re lucky enough to be a Trek C3 athlete, pretty much every bike you ride gets to be a blank canvas. For this project, we had a truly unique build and thus a very unique bike was in order.

For this bike, Brandon had the traditional style tattoo artwork of Brett Rees as the centerpiece.

Three separate window details on the top tube, and a bit of branding with a classy font…

Macro lens details – pretty clean.

Artwork on the other side of the downtube.

More details…The work coming out of C3 and Project One is always amazing, but this is next level.

Okay, how about some bike details? Brandon finally made the switch over to a Trickstuff hydraulic gyro, which means no more cables.

A SRAM Level Ultimate brake is on either end of the Trickstuff gyro, meaning unlimited spins and way more braking power.

Out back and RockShox Deluxe Ultimate and a RockShox Pike Ultimate up front. Both are custom jobs, but travel is around 100mm front and rear and the pressure is usually freakishly high.

This is Brandon’s second year on Industry Nine and I know first hand he’s very happy with the wheels. He’s running Hyrdra hubs and the Enduro 30.5mm inner diameter rims. Matching gold for this bike of course…

The artist’s badge…

Chromag bits all around – the Synth plastic pedals, and an ultra short (31mm) Ranger stem.

Rounding out the cockpit is a standard aluminum Fubar and Brandon’s signature Overture saddle – which is easily the most popular and widely used saddle in slopestyle.

Last, but not least – the big guy’s name in traditional font.

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Trek Ticket S Build

• Thread starter zacapp
• Start date Mar 13, 2014

Likes Bikes and Dirt

Having owned a session 88 and remedy i would recommend so volume reducers for the rear shock especially being a bike for dirt jumping. The bottomless feel is good for plowing shit but really sucks for anything with abit if lip.  

the suspension curve on these things is totally different to remedys and sessions. The ticket s ramps up a lot more and is perfect for jumping. sick to see one of these in the flesh, can't wait to see it built.  

Sickkk bike can't wait to see it when it's done!  

yeah this things specifically designed for Dirt/ slopestyle by the C3 guys so shouldnt have a problem with suspension. Parts starting arriving today, hopefully its all done by next week.  

Yes i realise that it is a purpose built jump bike but their is only so much they can tune out before the suspension design is the limiting factor. Take a close look at either semenuks or mccauls ticket s and note the chainstay is connected direct to the seat tube and the shock direct to the frame so its not a full floater anymore. Volume reducers is something i would seriously consider.  

Mr_hANky said: Yes i realise that it is a purpose built jump bike but their is only so much they can tune out before the suspension design is the limiting factor. Take a close look at either semenuks or mccauls ticket s and note the chainstay is connected direct to the seat tube and the shock direct to the frame so its not a full floater anymore. Volume reducers is something i would seriously consider. Click to expand...

Likes Bikes

bikesarefun

I love the look of this.  

updated with final build pic minus a brake and guide  

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Trek Ticket S framset

• AUS $ NZD $ USD $ CAD $ GBP £ EUR €

Size / LG High, LG Low

Weight / 3.08

At a glance

Where to buy.

Specifications

• Frame Alpha Platinum Aluminium, tapered head tube, alloy rocker link, press fit BB, ISCG 05, Mino Link, 100 mm travel
• Shock Fox Performance Float SV, 3-position damper, 6.5x1.5"
• Wheel Size 26"

Q: Where to buy a 2022 Trek Ticket S framset?

The 2022 Trek Ticket S framset may be purchased directly from Trek .

Q: How much does a 2022 Trek Ticket S framset weigh?

A 2022 Trek Ticket S framset weights 3.08.

Q: What size wheels does the 2022 Trek Ticket S framset have?

The 2022 Trek Ticket S framset has 26" wheels.

Q: What size 2022 Trek Ticket S framset should I get?

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Moscow Oblast, Russia

The capital city of Moskovskaya oblast: Moscow .

Moscow Oblast - Overview

Moscow Oblast is a federal subject of Russia located in the Central Federal District. Moscow, the capital city of the country, is the administrative center of Moscow Oblast. At the same time, Moscow is not part of this region, it is a separate federal subject of Russia, a city of federal importance.

The population of Moscow Oblast is about 7,769,000 (2022), the area - 44,379 sq. km.

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Moskovskaya oblast latest news and posts from our blog:.

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History of Moscow Oblast

The territory of the Moscow region was inhabited more than 20 thousand years ago. In the first millennium AD, this land was inhabited mostly by the Finno-Ugric peoples (Meryane and Meshchera). In the 9th-10th centuries, the Slavs began active development of the region. The population was engaged in hunting, fisheries, agriculture, and cattle breeding.

In the middle of the 12th century, the territory of the present Moscow region became part of the Vladimir-Suzdal principality, the first towns were founded (Volokolamsk in 1135, Moscow in 1147, Zvenigorod in 1152, Dmitrov in 1154). In the first half of the 13th century, the Vladimir-Suzdal principality was conquered by the Mongols.

In the 14th-16th centuries, Moscow principality became the center of unification of Russian lands. The history of the Moscow region is inextricably linked to military events of the Time of Troubles - the siege of the Trinity-Sergius Monastery by the troops of False Dmitry II, the first and second militias.

More historical facts…

In 1708, by decree of Peter the Great, Moskovskaya gubernia (province) was established. It included most of the territory of present Moscow oblast. In 1712, St. Petersburg became the capital of the Russian Empire and the significance of the Moscow region as the country’s economic center began to decrease.

In 1812, the Battle of Borodino took place near Moscow. It was the biggest battle of the Russian-French War of 1812. In the second half of the 19th century, especially after the peasant reform of 1861, the Moscow province experienced economic growth. In 1851, the first railway connected Moscow and St. Petersburg; in 1862 - Nizhny Novgorod.

The population of the Moscow region increased significantly (in 1847 - 1.13 million people, in 1905 - 2.65 million). On the eve of the First World War, Moscow was a city with a population of more than one million people.

In November, 1917, the Soviet power was established in the region. In 1918, the country’s capital was moved from St. Petersburg to Moscow that contributed to economic recovery of the province. In the 1920s-1930s, a lot of churches located near Moscow were closed, a large number of cultural monuments were destroyed. On January 14, 1929, Moscow Oblast was formed.

In 1941-1942, one of the most important battles of the Second World War took place on the territory of the region - the Battle for Moscow. In the postwar years, the growth of economic potential of the region continued; several science cities were founded (Dubna, Troitsk, Pushchino, Chernogolovka).

In the 1990s, the economy of Moscow Oblast experienced a deep crisis. Since the 1990s, due to the motorization of the population and commuting, road traffic situation in the Moscow region significantly deteriorated. Traffic jams have become commonplace.

Pictures of Moscow Oblast

Moscow Oblast scenery

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At the airport in the Moscow region

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Nature of Moscow Oblast

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Moscow Oblast - Features

Moscow Oblast is located in the central part of the East European Plain, in the basin of the rivers of Volga, Oka, Klyazma, Moskva. The region stretches from north to south for 310 km, from west to east - 340 km. It was named after the city of Moscow, which however is not part of the region. Part of the administrative authorities of the region is located in Krasnogorsk.

On the territory of the Moscow region, there are 77 cities and towns, 19 of them have a population of more than 100 thousand people. The largest cities are Balashikha (518,300), Podolsk (309,600), Mytishchi (262,700), Khimky (256,300), Korolyov (225,300), Lubertsy (209,600), Krasnogorsk (174,900), Elektrostal (149,000), Odintsovo (138,900), Kolomna (136,800), Domodedovo (136,100).

The climate is temperate continental. Summers are warm, winters are moderately cold. The average temperature in January is minus 10 degrees Celsius, in July - plus 19 degrees Celsius.

One of the most important features of the local economy is its proximity to Moscow. Some of the cities (Odintsovo, Krasnogorsk, Mytishchi) have become in fact the “sleeping districts” of Moscow. The region is in second place in terms of industrial production among the regions of Russia (after Moscow).

The leading industries are food processing, engineering, chemical, metallurgy, construction. Moscow oblast has one of the largest in Russia scientific and technological complexes. Handicrafts are well developed (Gzhel ceramics, Zhostov trays, Fedoskino lacquered miniatures, toy-making).

Moscow railway hub is the largest in Russia (11 radial directions, 2,700 km of railways, the density of railways is the highest in Russia). There are two large international airports - Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo. Vnukovo airport is used for the flights within the country.

Attractions of Moscow Oblast

Moscow Oblast has more than 6,400 objects of cultural heritage:

• famous estate complexes,
• ancient towns with architectural monuments (Vereya, Volokolamsk, Dmitrov, Zaraysk, Zvenigorod, Istra, Kolomna, Sergiev Posad, Serpukhov),
• churches and monasteries-museums (the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, Joseph-Volokolamsk monastery, Pokrovsky Khotkov monastery, Savvino Storozhevsky monastery, Nikolo Ugresha monastery).

The most famous estate complexes:

• Arkhangelskoye - a large museum with a rich collection of Western European and Russian art of the 17th-19th centuries,
• Abramtsevo - a literary and artistic center,
• Melikhovo - an estate owned by A.P. Chekhov at the end of the 19th century,
• Zakharovo and Bolshiye Vyazyomy included in the History and Literature Museum-Reserve of Alexander Pushkin,
• House-Museum of the composer P.I. Tchaikovsky in Klin,
• Muranovo that belonged to the poet F.I. Tyutchev,
• Shakhmatovo - the estate of the poet Alexander Blok.

The architectural ensemble of the Trinity Sergius Lavra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The largest museum of the Moscow region is located in Serpukhov - Serpukhov Historical and Art Museum.

The places of traditional arts and crafts are the basis of the souvenir industry of Russia:

• Fedoskino - lacquer miniature painting,
• Bogorodskoe - traditional manufacture of wooden toys,
• Gzhel - unique tradition of creating ceramics,
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• Pavlovsky Posad - fabrics with traditional printed pattern.

Some of these settlements have museums dedicated to traditional crafts (for example, a toy museum in Bogorodskoe), as well as centers of learning arts and crafts.

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5,000 Miles, 8 Countries: The Path to the U.S. Through One Family’s Eyes

By Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Juan Arredondo

With three children and a dog, the Aguilar Ortega family trekked through the jungle, hopped freight trains and toured Times Square. Significant challenges still lay ahead.

Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Juan Arredondo reported from Mexico, Texas, New York and Connecticut as they followed the family’s monthslong journey.

The three children had not bathed in four days.

They had been sleeping in a makeshift tent on a dirty street outside a bus terminal in Mexico City, and Hayli, only 6, was developing a rash between her legs. But the parents could not spare the 20 pesos, or roughly $1, for a bucket shower.

After a 55-day trek through Latin America, the five members of the Aguilar Ortega family were stranded more than 3,000 miles from their Venezuelan homeland, and almost as many miles from their intended destination: New York City.

It had been a week since they had arrived in Mexico City, and they had no money to proceed north. The children — Hayli, Samuel, 10, and Josué, 11 — were in good spirits, imagining aloud what it would be like to live in New York. But for the parents, Henry Aguilar, 34, and his partner, Leivy Ortega, 29, the lull demanded a reassessment of what still lay ahead.

While Mayor Eric Adams of New York spoke at a nearby conference in Mexico City, the Aguilar Ortega family slept in tents.

Millions of Venezuelans like the Aguilar Ortega family have fled economic misery and political repression in their homeland as it descended into turmoil. The exodus has led to a sharp increase in crossings at the U.S. border, reigniting immigration as one of the most polarizing issues ahead of the presidential election.

Indeed, the Biden administration recently took executive action to limit the number of migrants crossing the southern border. The decision angered critics who contend that it contradicts America’s image as a safe harbor for the vulnerable. But others welcomed the move amid concerns that migrants were being let in with few checks.

Mr. Aguilar embodied that paradox. He set off for the United States with a turbulent past as a soldier, police officer and bodyguard in Venezuela, and after a prison stint that could derail his chances of securing asylum.

But Mr. Aguilar was hoping to start anew.

Ms. Ortega dreamed of maybe one day opening a restaurant. Both were chasing a vague promise of a better future in the United States while casting aside the real possibility that his criminal history could render the family’s hardship for naught.

The New York Times documented the family’s one-year odyssey, first meeting them in Mexico City, and then rejoining them at the U.S.-Mexican border. The ordeal would test their mental and physical fortitude, strain the parents’ relationship, and challenge their commitment and ability to build a new life in the United States.

The family’s dog, Donna, was with the family every step of the journey.

The journey took them through a jungle of dead bodies and was filled with dangers that terrified the parents, including an obstacle course of dirty police officers, smugglers and immigration checkpoints they traversed on foot and by bus. They had to panhandle, sell lollipops and hustle up odd jobs along the way.

But for the children, the journey was framed as a daring family experience. They took pictures and recorded video that they shared with The Times. They even brought their coffee-colored Labrador mix, Donna. In their eyes, it was all part of a big adventure that would end in a place they had seen only in movies.

“The kids want to go to New York,” Mr. Aguilar said in Spanish as he stood by his tent in Mexico City. “They want to see Times Square.”

But his American dream was even simpler: “All I want is to take my kids to play ball in a park,” he said.

MAY - AUGUST 2023 COLOMBIA

Samuel, Hayli and Josué pose for a photo in Colombia, where along the way they slept in a town plaza for two weeks.

The Decision to Go to New York

Mr. Aguilar left Venezuela about six years ago, part of a flight of more than seven million people who have escaped a once-wealthy country where the economy collapsed and crime skyrocketed under President Nicolás Maduro.

Three years later, Mr. Aguilar found himself in Chile, where he sparked a romance with Ms. Ortega, who is also Venezuelan, and they blended their families. Ms. Ortega left behind a 13-year-old daughter in Ecuador because she was too sick to travel.

Besides Ecuador, the family also spent time in Peru before setting their sights on the United States at the children’s prodding. So they headed to Colombia but with no money, no plan and no place to sleep — a frequent plight during their voyage.

They slept in a town plaza there for two weeks before Mr. Aguilar and Ms. Ortega gathered enough money to rent a home. Colombia, Mr. Aguilar thought, was where he would prepare the children for the menacing rainforest between Colombia and Panama known as the Darién Gap.

“It’s going to be a grand adventure,” Mr. Aguilar recalled telling them. “But with real-life obstacles.”

So Mr. Aguilar put them through an at-home boot camp with a summer camp feel, letting them ride bicycles to boost their stamina.

He woke them up before 7 a.m., but their breakfast portions were small to brace for the coming hunger.

AUG. 11-17 DARIÉN GAP

Crossing the Darién Gap

At first, the journey into “la selva,” or the jungle, had the trappings of an organized tour.

The family was given pink wristbands after paying $300 to the armed men who control access to the Darién Gap. And surrounded by hundreds of Venezuelans, they even had a sense of anticipation as they smiled for selfies, their clothes still clean.

That excitement would fade as they waded into the jungle’s depths.

Their feet were rubbed raw as they trudged through mud. Hayli lost two toenails and cried as dirt seeped into the exposed skin. Torrents of rain made rivers roar, forcing Mr. Aguilar to ferry each family member across, one by one — with Donna the Labrador’s stubbornness nearly drowning him.

“Muerto! Muerto!” those toward the front would call back as they passed the bodies of migrants. “Dead! Dead!”

Ms. Ortega generously, but perhaps naïvely, shared the family’s food with other migrants, leaving the family to subsist on nothing but river water on the last two days of the six-day hike through the jungle.

It was hard to hide the brutality of the journey from the children.

“No puedo,” Ms. Ortega would say. “I can’t.”

AUGUST - OCTOBER PANAMA TO MEXICO CITY

The parents presented the journey as a grand adventure to the children.

The family used currency to keep track of places they went through in Guatemala and Mexico.

Getting to Mexico City

Once out of the jungle, the children were committed to the adventure as they crisscrossed dirt roads and slipped from one country into the next.

Josué, ever talkative, told anyone within earshot that they were headed to New York to see Times Square, or las pantallas: the screens.

Samuel, the most reserved of the three, assumed the role of navigator. He quietly tracked their trek on a wrinkled map of Central America as Donna meandered without a leash.

Hayli was always the first to smile for pictures, flashing her tooth gap. Her small legs carried her for hours, as the family circumvented border checkpoints in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala.

But for the parents, the burden of not having money was inescapable.

There was transportation to arrange and immigration officers to grease. Bus companies would charge them double or refuse to sell them tickets because they were migrants, a taste of the prejudice that awaited them further north.

They often slept in tents on the street, and going to sleep without eating became normal.

In Guatemala, police officers patted down migrants to steal their money. They groped Ms. Ortega’s breast, leaving her feeling violated, she said. Mr. Aguilar created hiding places for their cash, using toenail clippers to cut small openings into Hayli’s jacket and Josué’s pants. The ruse worked.

They mostly came to rely on the charity of strangers and sporadic money transfers from friends and relatives: more than $8,000 in total, the parents acknowledged with a trace of shame.

OCTOBER - NOVEMBER MEXICO CITY TO CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico

Hopping Freight Trains

The family rode a succession of freight trains to the U.S. border.

The wait for a train could last for hours, especially in the dead of night. When one stopped, they would all emerge from hiding near the tracks and clamber onto a car’s metal roof.

They fastened themselves as best they could, wrapped loosely in rope and blankets, the wind blowing against their faces as they left behind Mexico City.

They were riding “la bestia,” or the beast, the frightening nickname for the cargo trains that many migrants hop illegally , hoping to evade checkpoints and cartels. Countless people have died or lost limbs riding the trains.

Ms. Ortega wrapped her legs around Hayli and prayed that the boys would not fall off. Bundled in quilts, the boys squinted their eyes against the cold breeze, taking in the arid shrub land.

The nights were the hardest. They battled falling asleep, fearful with each jerk of the train that they would fall off.

NOV. 9-10 CIUDAD JUÁREZ, MEXICO

A family selfie along the border in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, before they crossed into Texas.

Ms. Ortega looks at a family ring, the only heirloom she brought from Venezuela.

On their last night in Juárez, the family left for the border patrol checkpoint at 3 a.m.

Approaching the Border

The Times reconnected with the family in Ciudad Juárez, a Mexican border city where migrants are regularly smuggled and kidnapped for ransom, and sometimes murdered . The Aguilar Ortegas were visibly disheveled, emerging from the last train with little but the clothes on their back, closer than ever to the United States.

“Time is going by slowly now,” Mr. Aguilar said after taking the children to glance at the Rio Grande. Texas was just a few yards away, behind a towering fence.

Using a mobile app that the Biden administration has relied on to curb illegal crossings, the family had secured a coveted appointment to enter the United States legally the next day — the first step for many migrants seeking asylum.

But with no money left for food that night, they decided to pawn Ms. Ortega’s white gold ring, her last family heirloom.

A pawnshop offered her 400 pesos, or $23 — a lowball price, she thought, perhaps because she was Venezuelan. She found a Mexican man to sell the ring for her.

The shop offered him more than double, about $70. She took the money, feeling sad but clever, and slightly empowered.

NOV. 10 U.S. BORDER

Entering the United States

As dawn crept across the Rio Grande, migrants from Cuba, Haiti and Venezuela with immigration appointments braced the frigid desert air on a bridge connecting Ciudad Juárez to El Paso, Texas.

After entering so many countries illegally, the family’s final border crossing was to be entirely lawful. But that did little to ease their nerves as federal officers began to check their passports, take fingerprints and photographs, and swab their cheeks for DNA.

It is not clear what immigration officials knew of Mr. Aguilar.

He had a tumultuous upbringing in Venezuela: He said he was kicked out of the house as a teenager, and was in a motorcycle accident that resulted in permanent memory loss that blurs his childhood.

Still, he recalled dreaming of becoming a detective, and after a stop in the military, he joined Venezuela’s largest national police agency, which is heavily politicized and has a history of corruption.

Mr. Aguilar was part of a SWAT-like unit that specialized in taking down organized crime when, as a 21-year-old police officer, he was arrested and charged in 2010 with abusing his authority.

Venezuelan prosecutors accused him of participating in an armed shakedown of someone who owed his friend money. The friend and Mr. Aguilar, said to be carrying another officer’s gun, were accused of holding several people at gunpoint and stealing money and bottles of whiskey. Mr. Aguilar was charged with aggravated robbery, extortion and embezzlement, according to the few court documents available online.

Mr. Aguilar says Venezuelan prosecutors distorted the charges and that he and his friend weren’t violent. In court documents, he portrayed himself as accompanying his friend for backup. He eventually served two years in prison, he said.

At the U.S. border, background checks did not appear to turn up Mr. Aguilar’s criminal past. The family was released on parole — a status that allows migrants without visas to live and work in the country as their asylum cases wind through the courts.

Mr. Aguilar’s first court appearance before an immigration judge is scheduled for April 2025. He doesn’t know how he intends to deal with his past: The government can bar asylum for people convicted of serious crimes, and Mr. Aguilar would have to disclose his record on his asylum application.

None of that was front of mind as the family walked into downtown El Paso, ushered in by an archway with a familiar greeting: Bienvenidos.

NOV. 10-24 EL PASO, TEXAS

The family shared tight quarters in a shelter with other migrants arriving daily to El Paso.

Mr. Aguilar slept outside the shelter in El Paso with Donna, because dogs weren’t allowed.

Tumult in Texas

By Day 3 in El Paso, the family was already in turmoil. Ms. Ortega had gotten in a fight at a shelter with three Venezuelan women after tempers flared in the dinner line. The family was forced to go to another shelter.

Ms. Ortega sat down on a stoop, her face scratched, and began to cry.

They were told they did not qualify for free migrant buses out of Texas. And while they had collected $120 — mostly thanks to Donna, who attracted generous passers-by — commercial bus transport to New York was up to $450 per person. They had survived a treacherous monthslong journey, only to be stranded again.

Ms. Ortega thought of the upcoming birthday of her daughter in Ecuador, and wondered if she would have money for a gift. She spoke wistfully about a friend who had made it to New York and already had an apartment and enough money to help his family in Venezuela.

“It’s not envy, but I want to be over there already,” she said through tears. “I feel stuck here. It hasn’t even been 72 hours and I’ve already been hit.”

Mr. Aguilar consoled her. “It’s always been like this,” he said. “But we always figure it out.”

The journey had taken its toll on the children. When Josué and Samuel played with toy cars on the sidewalk, they re-enacted scenes from their young lives: immigration police officers chasing migrants.

And tensions between the parents began to simmer as they deciphered what to do next. Was New York even the right place to go?

“Things are tough in New York with the 100,000 migrants who have arrived there,” Father Rafael García warned them gently at their first shelter, which is run by the Roman Catholic Church.

Taped to the shelter wall, a flier in Spanish paid for by New York City offered a more dire assessment: “It’s best if you go to a more affordable city.”

NOV. 24 NEW YORK CITY

The flight the family took to New York was the first time Ms. Ortega had been on a plane.

After arriving, the family headed for a familiar migrant starting point, the Roosevelt Hotel.

Fasten Your Seatbelts

Hayli cried when her ears popped for the first time as the plane gained altitude, but once it glided into La Guardia Airport, her sense of wonder took over.

“Papi, the bathroom was magical!” she exclaimed, recounting how the hand dryers and toilets sprung to life via sensors.

Just a few weeks earlier, New York had seemed out of reach. But in El Paso, the family met a group of Christian missionaries from Michigan who, taken aback by their story, raised nearly $2,000 for Delta flights.

And so it was that the family landed in New York the day after Thanksgiving with 20 cents, their few belongings stuffed inside a donated suitcase and a pink sleeping bag that Mr. Aguilar hauled like Santa Claus.

The family had heard that if they went to a place called Manhattan, they could get free shelter at the Roosevelt Hotel, the welcoming center for the 200,000 migrants who have recently come to the city.

At a Queens subway station, they persuaded a Spanish-speaking police officer to let them in without paying the fare. They climbed a maze of stairs and almost boarded the wrong train until a passer-by offered them guidance.

The children stared out the 7 train in awe as the city skyline materialized against an orange sunset.

“Better than riding the top of a train,” Mr. Aguilar said.

NOV. 25 - DEC. 9 MANHATTAN AND BROOKLYN

For the children, Times Square was the goal. They stared in awe at the lit-up screens and the costumed superheroes.

The family celebrated Ms. Ortega’s 29th birthday at the Floyd Bennett Field shelter in Brooklyn.

Trying to Make It in New York

The children held hands in Times Square. They strolled around Central Park, posing for a picture by the statue of Simón Bolivar, the revered Venezuelan who fought Spain.

But the allure of sightseeing quickly gave way to challenges: finding jobs, permanent housing, a sense of stability.

They had been assigned to a far-flung Brooklyn shelter at Floyd Bennett Field, an old airfield on Jamaica Bay where the city is housing hundreds of families in a giant tent dormitory.

Upset by the tent environment and its distance from Manhattan, Mr. Aguilar, prone to making rash decisions, initially rejected the shelter’s free room and board before acknowledging it was the family’s only option.

“I was being rebellious,” Mr. Aguilar said. “I’ve been wrong so many times before. I’m not perfect.”

But the parents began getting antsy. The shelter was getting crowded. They didn’t speak English or know how to apply for a legal work permit.

So after just three weeks, Mr. Aguilar uprooted his family again.

DECEMBER - MARCH MIDDLETOWN, CONN.

The family was placed into a two-bedroom home in Middletown, Conn., after leaving the shelter system in New York.

Hayli and the boys were enrolled in schools, where they quickly picked up English.

A New Home in Connecticut

A few days before Christmas, the family was sleeping in a car outside a gas station in Brooklyn.

The children snuggled tightly in the back seat, braving the cold in a beat-up Honda sedan Mr. Aguilar had found on Facebook for $800. Then good fortune intervened.

During a brief stay in Connecticut a few weeks earlier, the family had met Maria Cardona, who works at a social services provider there. She called Ms. Ortega to check in, and learned of the family’s setup. She immediately made some calls.

“Their situation impacted me deeply,” Ms. Cardona said.

She helped them move into a two-bedroom house on a leafy street in Middletown, Conn., operated by a local nonprofit that provides free emergency housing for homeless families. The family was allowed to stay on a month-by-month basis if they showed a case manager they were actively looking for employment and a permanent home.

More help arrived.

Amy Swan, the psychologist at the children’s elementary school, gathered donations of food and clothes, as well as money to pay the $410 fee for Mr. Aguilar to apply for a permit to work legally.

Her husband, Ray Swan, owns a wood workshop and was looking for a worker. So he hired Mr. Aguilar, who worked in carpentry after leaving Venezuela, and began paying him $20 an hour to build furniture and kitchen cabinets.

“He works hard and doesn’t complain,” Mr. Swan said at his workshop in March. “I can’t stop singing his praises.”

MARCH - JULY MIDDLETOWN, CONN. TO HOUSTON

After abruptly leaving Connecticut for Houston, the family faced new challenges.

The parents share news of Ms. Ortega’s pregnancy with their three children.

More Turmoil and an Uncertain Future

In early March, the family received more welcome news: Ms. Ortega was pregnant.

She’s expected to give birth later this year. Having a child who is a U.S. citizen would not give the parents any special protections against deportation, leaving the family’s immigration status in flux.

Immigration lawyers said that Mr. Aguilar’s past will seriously complicate his bid for asylum, an uphill process that usually ends with judges saying no.

“If it’s God’s will that I’m not here in two years, then so be it,” Mr. Aguilar said in Connecticut in March. “I’m happy being with my family and making them happy.”

But the parents were still stressing about their future, and their relationship continued to fray. One night in mid-April, Ms. Ortega grabbed a baseball bat and swung at Mr. Aguilar, hitting his hands. She said it happened in the heat of the moment. Mr. Aguilar was not injured and did not hit back.

She was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, and a protective order was issued to keep Ms. Ortega away from Mr. Aguilar. He lost his carpentry job, and the family was forced from the house. Mr. Aguilar was placed in a shelter for domestic violence victims with his children, Samuel and Hayli; Ms. Ortega was set up elsewhere with Josué, her son.

The family was languishing again — apart, with a baby on the way and their immigration status still in question.

Desperate, they fell back on the same spur-of-the-moment manner that guided their travels. Ignoring the protective order and strapped for money, the parents reconciled and abandoned Connecticut, leaving Ms. Ortega’s court case unresolved. They hauled the children and Donna south in the old Honda, hoping it wouldn’t break down.

About 1,700 miles and five days later, they arrived in Houston, where the mother of Mr. Aguilar’s two children took the family in, cramming into a small apartment with mattresses on the floor.

Mr. Aguilar is applying for landscaping jobs while doing delivery gigs. Ms. Ortega has been satisfying her pregnancy cravings with mangos.

But, ever restless, the parents were already hatching next moves.

Denver seemed promising. Salt Lake City, perhaps.

In Houston, at least, Mr. Aguilar had fulfilled his wish: He found a park to play catch with the children.

Behind the Story

With empathy, bearing witness to one family’s plight.

By Luis Ferré-Sadurní

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Paramount Global Deal With Skydance ‘May Not Be Sufficient to Stabilize the Credit Profile,’ Moody’s Says

By Todd Spangler

Todd Spangler

NY Digital Editor

• Paramount Global Deal With Skydance ‘May Not Be Sufficient to Stabilize the Credit Profile,’ Moody’s Says 12 hours ago
• Paramount-Skydance Merger: 5 Burning Questions About the Deal 12 hours ago
• Paramount Investor Mario Gabelli ‘Very Impressed’ With Skydance Deal Presentation but Isn’t Sure Buyout Price of Voting Shares Is ‘Fair’ 1 day ago

Skydance Media this week clinched a deal to merge with Paramount Global , and execs outlined a plan to cut costs and boost the combined company’s profitability in the years ahead.

But the turnaround plan might not be enough to save Paramount Global from seeing its debt rating cut to junk status by credit-rating agency Moody’s. In a note Tuesday, Moody’s placed Paramount’s debt rating on review for a downgrade, citing “the ongoing secular pressures on the company’s television networks and the slow pivot to reach direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming scale,” along with the announcement of Skydance-Paramount pact.

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Related stories, gaming layoffs already top 2023’s total — and it’s only july.

As part of the pact, Skydance and its financial backer, RedBird Capital, have pledged $1.5 billion in cash to help pay down Paramount’s debt. As of the end of March 2024, Paramount Global’s long-term debt stood at $14.6 billion.

“Moody’s believes that the company will endeavor to build on its own franchises as outlined in the Skydance Consortium new strategic plan,” the agency wrote. “But without much more avid [intellectual property] such as more evergreen franchises to build on or heavier investment by Paramount, we believe that the company may remain competitively disadvantaged. Therefore, either a new materially different strategy is needed or it is possible that the initial investment into the company by the Skydance consortium may not be sufficient to stabilize the credit profile.”

Speaking on a presentation for Paramount Global investors Monday, RedBird Capital partner Andy Gordon said the Skydance investor group expects the combined company “to be investment-grade by all rating agencies sometime in 2026.” The Skydance team expects debt-to-operating-income ratio to decline from approximately 4.3x for stand-alone Paramount Global (as of Q1 2024) to 2.4x by 2027.

In a note Tuesday, S&P Global said it is holding its rating on Paramount Global for now and that the merger with Skydance “doesn’t yet affect credit quality.” S&P now has a issuer credit rating on Paramount Global and its senior unsecured debt of of “BB+,” which is the highest “speculative grade” debt rating.

The agency said it view the Skydance-Paramount merger announcement “as positive” but that it will “continue to monitor the transaction.” The companies anticipate the deal closing by Sept. 30, 2025, and that 14-month window “presents a potential risk for the company as worsening secular industry pressures (and the potential for macroeconomic headwinds) could impede the company’s ability to achieve its strategic and financial targets,” S&P Global wrote.

All of Paramount Global’s debt is at a fixed rate and the company has no material near-term debt maturities coming due. The company also has an untapped $3.5 billion line of credit. Paramount paid down $1 billion of debt in Q4 2023.

In addition, this spring Paramount Global announced an agreement to sell its 13% stake in India’s Viacom18 for $517 million , and proceeds from that transaction are expected to go toward paying down debt. The company’s current trio of co-CEOs further have announced they are looking at different asset sales to help lower Paramount’s debt load. Those could include a sale of BET Media and L.A’s Paramount Pictures Lot.

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