Red Bull Rampage 2017 Highlights
Red Bull Rampage: part of Red Bull Signature Series
So Red Bull has a lot of action sports events in this series. There’s:
Crashed Ice: Icecross downhill skating competition
Joyride: which is the largest slopestyle mountain biking competition held in Canada
Hare Scramble: Motocross race event held in Austria
X Fighters: FMX — Freestyle Motocross competition takes place in Madrid, Spain
Hart Lines: Skateboard Street competition takes place in Detroit, USA
Volcom Pipe Pro: Surfers compete to attack the most high-risk waves in Hawaii
And Rampage: the freeride mountain bike extreme competition where riders pull out their best tricks.
Red Bull Rampage is an invitation-only freeride mountain bike competition held near Zion National Park in Virgin, Utah United States.
When I first saw this event I got goosebumps. It’s such a visual masterpiece. To see freeride mountain bikers showcasing their skills against the backdrop of this rugged, steep terrain is such a fun thing to experience.
What to know overall
The 12th installment of the series
Mountain bikers compete
Riders formulate their line
Builders sculpted the course, insane.
When I’m driving cross country and traveling along those steep winding roads where one lane has to accommodate two-lane traffic, I’m always on edge. So watching an event with such steep landscape is gonna give me heart palpitations to see the riders on this terrain, and I LOVE IT!!
The Course
So there are many lines that are carved throughout the mountain as it goes down. The riders start at the top and make their way down maneuvering and traversing this mountain along their designated paths, all the while attempting tricks. This mountain is steep AF!! What I love about this sport is the use of natural elements. It’s not a manmade element like a vert ramp, empty pool, or superpipe. It literally involves using every aspect of this steep terrain. The lines and landings are what the builders carve out. You’re in the elements with this competition.
The Criteria
Judges look for :
The degree of difficulty of the chosen line a rider rides down,
Style and Tricks,
Control and Fluidity and
Amplitude and Air
The best of 2 runs count with a total of 100 possible points
The Competitors
There were around 18 riders who competed, some of whom represented Canada, France, the US, Belgium, and Spain.
1ST place went to Kurt Sorge from Canada who gave Cameron Zink a run for his money and scored 92.66. He performed a Back Flip No Hander, then went into another Flip, Suicide No Hander, Cork Flip.
2ND place was Cameron Zink from the USA, he scored 90.33. He rode one of the steepest lines; a 60-degree angle slope cliff drop. A major moment was when he backflipped his bike from drop to landing and repeated it [Flat Drop Back Flip it’s called]. He then ended with a 360. Cam mentioned that he was hella nervous going through that run but it’s about elevating yourself and being a better rider.
Ethan Nell who is from the area scored 90.00. He moved up from 77 points in his 1st run, knocking out: Flatspin, Step Down Flip, Suicide No Hander, ended with Flatspin.
Honorable Mentions
Tom Van Steenbergen from Canada dropped into a steep landing. He executed a Front Flip as his first trick, and Flat Drop Back Flip and a Back Flip. In Tom’s post-ride interview he said he was so relieved, and that Zink’s run gave him the extra confidence he needed for his run.
It’s refreshing for me to hear when the riders admit they were nervous because a very high-risk sport like this and when they pull out those tricks, they make it look so easy, you almost forget the extra danger involved. Steenbergen scored 84 points.
Andreu Lacondeguy from Spain scored 83 points. His speed was up really fast on his run. The first trick was a Flat Spin 450, and ended with the Flat Spin 360 Superman Seat Grab. He had so much energy in this run. Andreu mentioned that he would be scared to hit a big jump, but that it was even scarier on this type of course because it’s steeper.
Tyler Mccaul from the USA scored 86.33. Standing out with his neon gloves, he had so much speed as well. Back Flip, Suicide No Hander, and an Underflip Knack Knack where his top tricks.
Kyle Strait from the USA scored 87.33. He is known for his Suicide No Hander which he did again as his first trick after dropping in from the most vertical aspect of the slope. He then a Flip to Superman Seat Grab and ended with Shoulder Buzz Tabletop. He is one of the riders that has actually competed in every Rampage.
The People’s Choice Award went to Antoine Bizet. This is the award where viewers went online and voted for their favourite rider.
Kelly McGarry Spirit Award
Kelly McGarry Spirit Award is in honor of the professional freeride mountain biker from New Zealand that passed away in 2016. Kelly was most famously known for doing a backflip over a 72 ft canyon gap at Red Bull Rampage 2013. He was just a good-natured person.
This award was given to Pierre Ferry, as the recipient embodies traits that align with what Kelly would do. So Pierre shared his lines with other riders and was always smiling and being jovial throughout the competition.
It was heartwarming to see the video package that Red Bull played before showing friends and family of Kelly speaking about him and his memory. Kelly died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 33 while he was biking. His memory definitely lives on and riders will be forever motivated by him and his achievements.
