Even if you are not into the freeride, slopstyle or downhill scene, you have to appreciate what these guys have accomplished. This riding is some of the most insane stuff I have seen in awhile.
This year…
Press release from before the event:
RED BULL RAMPAGE RETURNS!
October 2-5, 2008 near Virgin, Utah“They’re going to bring slopestyle riding and big mountain riding together, and it’s going to turn into the sickest contest ever.” –Robbie Bourdon, 3rd place Red Bull Rampage 2001
Red Bull Rampage, the premier freeride mountain biking competition, held annually from 2001 to 2004, is blasting back onto the scene in 2008, bigger and badder than ever before. From October 2-5, Red Bull Rampage: The Evolution will draw the greatest riders in the world to a new venue just outside Virgin, Utah, offering the most challenging terrain mountain bike competition has ever seen.
On a dangerous network of ridges near Zion National Park, riders will have free reign to navigate their descent between a designated starting area and a finish line more than 1,000 vertical feet below. Thursday and Friday are open practice days for the athletes, allowing them to scout their lines, size up the thirty-plus foot gaps and cliff drops, and practice their tricks. On Saturday, each of the 28 invited riders will take two runs; their best single-run scores will determine the top 14 who will advance to Sunday’s final. The 14 finalists will run two more descents on Sunday, with their best score determining the overall winner. In addition, the Utah Sports Commission will also present a Red Bull Rampage Best Trick award on Sunday.
Competitors will be judged on style, amplitude, fluidity, and difficulty of line, and with a $25,000 prize purse up for grabs, playing it conservative is not a strategy option. Will past champs like Cedric Gracia (France) or Kyle Strait (USA) stand on the podium again, or will a dark horse emerge with new tricks or a gutsy line down the mountain that makes everyone re-think what is possible on a mountain bike? Regardless of who emerges on top, Red Bull Rampage: The Evolution will once again expand the frontiers of the sport.
For a complete history…check out redbullrampage.com.
Highlights from this Year
Freecaster.tv is hosting a video with the highlights from this years event. I can’t even imagine riding most of this stuff…but it sure is fun to watch…so sit back and enjoy the show.
Thanks SSinGA for passing some of this info along!