2013 Red Bull Rampage: WIN
With all the of the hours and dollars that go into an event like Red Bull Rampage, it takes a force of nature to stop it in its tracks. Today was full of delays, crashes and a premature, anticlimactic ending all due to the wind here in Utah. Despite the late start and the early finish, the riders still managed to pack in a spectacular show of record setting, crashing and comebacks.
All the big hits were taken advantage of and conquered today. Cam Zink set a record with the biggest flip drop ever off of the Big Girl on the Oakley Sender right after Kyle Strait threw a suicide no-hander off of it, a move that won him the event in 2004. Tyler McCaul managed to find a sizeable natural step down to incorporate in his run while Kelly McGarry surprised everyone by flipping the Canyon Gap.
Many of the athletes competing today ended their podium bids early with carnage. As the dark clouds came in, Logan Binggeli got bucked on the landing of the Oakley Sender, creating a game delay as onlookers waited for an indication that he was okay. After a long 30 minutes the medical team hoisted him on a backboard into an ATV to download him from the canyon, as the crowd cheered for him he threw the horns letting everyone know that he could hear them.
Andreu Lancondeguy, unhappy with his first score, threw down in a big way with his second run, winning over the crowd and judges with his rowdy, confident style. Unfortunately the wind picked up stranding over half the field at the top and leaving everyone present and those watching at home wondering what was going to happen. After a more than two hour delay that saw the winds settle and pick up repeatedly, it was with a mix of relief and disappointment that the audience watched as riders slowly descended from the top as a group. Shortly thereafter Brad Ewen’s signature voice echoed through the canyon announcing that the event would be cut short because of the wind, and riders would be judged solely on their first runs.
The decision for the rider’s safety was the right one, but we could not help but feel let down on behalf of the riders - those who did not get their second runs, and those who rallied in their second runs. In the end Lyle’s suicide no hander got him the top step on the box, while McGarry took second and Zink’s flip brought home third.
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 Morning prep at of Semenuk's bike at the SRAM tent. |
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| Always the hustler, Richey Schley taking bets for the betting pool before the Rampage Finals. Luckily for us, Karl from Pinkbike won the bet and is looking to spend it hard tonight! |
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| Tyler McCaul first man to drop, getting windswept in the morning. |
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| 'Merica. Home of the brave. |
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| McCaul's soaking in the morning rays waiting for the wind to die down. |
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| Couch man. |
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| Just f*cking send it boys! |
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| 2013 Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah |
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| Just refinements today. |
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| "Keep it safe and let's get on the hill in case the wind lets up". - Todd Barber at the a.m. briefing. |
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| Perry Ferry fist bumps Bender before heading out to send it. |
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| Chubey taking the long walk to the start of the Finals. |
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| It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll...Sherpa train to the summit. |
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| 'Life's too short not to go big, got to go big' - Josh Bender |
 | That is the thing with Rampage... It is not necessarily the fastest guy or the guy with the biggest tricks or the most technical line, it is the guy who puts it all together and I mean that is the beauty of it. When we came up with the concept back in the day it was like interpretive line choice and overall impression for the judges- what are you gonna do to make us go 'holy smokes'? - Josh Bender |
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| Doerfling lost his bike round one off a cliff. He was lucky enough to get a second one unlike many of the others. |
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| Five seconds into his run and Doerfling's bike had disappeared in a puff of smoke, falling down into the ravine below. At least he didn't share the same fate. |
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| Genon Indian Air flying high again over the desert. |
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| Logan Binggeli flipping off the mid-size sender, and then crashing horrifically. Next to Mark Mathews crash off of Chubey's drop, this was the worst crash of Rampage 2013. |
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| An almost perfectly executed flip off the middle booter was rewarded with a pretty horrifying fall off the side of the landing. Get well soon Logan. |
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| Logan Binggeli, one-hander off the medium sender. His second attempt wasn't so successful. Broken femur, metal rod, but he's gonna be just fine...in a few months. |
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| Paul B - damn it's good to see him riding again. |
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| Gully was hurting all over from having cased the Icon Sender twice the day before, but this didn't stop him from flipping off a scary as shit step down near the top of his run. Unfortunately he crashed. Then went on to ride the rest of his run, only to crash again near the bottom. Dude's one rugged mofo. |
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| Gully. |
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| Mike Hopkins showing a picture of his wrist after crashing off the steep chute at the top of his run. Get well soon bro. |
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| Howey. |
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| Flattest homeland on the planet, but still Genon flew the Belgian flag like a true patriot. |
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| Aggy off the old Icon Sender. |
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| Aggy putting down one of the meanest runs of the day. Only if he had pulled it together along with many others he could have easily been up top. |
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| Graham Agassiz dropping in big time. His build team was up here all night with a rock cutter getting ultimate last minute preps to get his drop absolutely perfect. As he goes here, Aggy continues to head straight down the hill. |
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| Headed in full speed after his massive drop, Aggy cork's off the step down proving that this event still has big mountain roots. |
| Yesterday I kind of went out to win qualifying so it was cool it worked out. it has not happened like that for me at an event in a long time, so it has put me in the right mindset for today I guess. I am feeling alright, just the wind kind of sucks right now and I did not really get much practice on my finals line yesterday so I dunno could be better. I do not have a plan B for the Oakley drop in the wind... I am about to go check that out right now. - Graham Agassiz |
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| Mike Montgomery whipping for the crowds, after crashing on the upper part of the course. |
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| Wil White rolling the ridge. Wil is a Rampage favorite and always a fun rider to watch. Raw and loose. |
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| Will White's father keeping the cool on the course. |
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| Norbs.... |
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| ....getting held up in the dirt like a train in the wild west. |
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| Ramon Huntzinger was the first one to hit the canyon gap on run one of the finals. |
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| Buehler dropping in for his first run. Last year he didn't want to do a second run; this year he was so bummed to only get in one. |
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| Semenuk. |
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| Semenuk was onto a banger the second time around, stomping his big top gap with enough control to go into a 3 on the next. Although he landed it he just couldn't stick to the path or his bike. |
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| Fairclough waits to drop into the Rampage dreamscape underneath darkening skies. |
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| Brendog had his canyon gap dialled. |
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| Brendog over the canyon. |
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| The classic nac-whip from the only Brit representing in 2013. Fairclough had a great Rampage, staying well away from the crash mats that were involuntarily installed by the event safety crew in the bottom of his canyon gap. |
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| Ramon Hunziker |
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| Cam McCaul over the canyon. "I wanted to flip it for my second run, but, well, that obviously didn't happen." |
| Everyones got their whole line set up and it takes a week to get it ready so I don't think anyone's really got a plan B for wind contingency it's kind of like just hope for the best cos you've got one line to ride and hopefully you won't have that invisible force of nature pushing ya from whatever direction it decides. Calm airs and we'll get a good final going. Tyler's dropping his line first so there's a lot on his shoulders this morning. - Cam McCaul |
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| Pierre Edouard Ferry was going so fast that he landed this step-down before anyone even noticed he went off it. |
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| Perry Ferry getting roosty on his in-run to the middle top section of the track. |
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| A family that shoots together, makes a lot of cake together. The Markewitz clan killing it big time. |
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| Andreu Lacondeguy's second run was so bad-ass, the gods got a black eye. |
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| Andreu on his first run and sending it off the sender. "I was really kind of nervous on my first run. I missed a few things. But on my second run--that was the best feeling all week. It was so fast, so fun." Andreu Lacondeguy |
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| Cameron Zink. |
| Coming into it was like 'here we go'..it almost crept up on me. Then all of a sudden just 'lean back a little bit and stare at the sky for a while'. It just felt so awesome, perfect. You get the sickest rush just riding down that landing going 30 or 40 miles an hour, blitzing through the crowd hearing them scream...best feeling ever. - Cam Zink |
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| Zink doing the impossible off the Oakley sender during his first and only run. With his wife at the bottom two days away from giving birth, it's just the start of a big week for the Zink family. |
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| Gotta love it when Z-plan comes together. Zink hit his custom mini-kicker exactly as promised, despite gusting wind and sailed into history once again for landing the most outrageous stunt ever before performed in competition. |
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| Kelly McGarry's backflip off the canyon gap. This was the first time anyone has ever flipped the canyon gap. Second place for McGazza! |
| The canyon gap...she is a whopper! Haha, but it was built well. Coming into it with a bunch of speed I definitely wanted to flip it. I was stoked to get around, just sneak her in and ride away! Being on the podium at Rampage is obviously a dream come true, having grown up watching the event. Being the dude from New Zealand, having my mates back home cheering me on I am pretty stoked, it's an amazing feeling. - Kelly McGarry |
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| Perfect inverted form from the man from down under. There were whispers McGarry would go for it and when he came screaming in, it was clearly game on. |
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| Kelly McGarry full sequence over the canyon gap surprising the entire world with his massive flip. |
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| Strait in the brown pow, two turns into the winning run. |
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| Champion of the 2013 RedBull Rampage in Virgin, Utah. |
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| Winning run, winning move. "I wasn't really planning on doing the suicide on my first run, but it just felt right, so I threw my arms back for what felt like forever." - Kyle Strait. |
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| Killing time up top while waiting out the wind. Soon after Bingelli's crash that left him with a broken femur, the wind rolled in from the south and continued to stay steady for the remainder of the day. |
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| Going to need a lot of that Jack tonight for Gully after stacking himself too many times in 24 hours. |
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| Steve Blick from Oakley took the time to bring everyone some special brews. This one is going on the wall. |
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| Kelly McGarry finally bringing home what he was hoping for in his season. |
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| Father to be, Cam Zink made Rampage history today flipping the big sender. |
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| Kyle Strait. First to take a double Rampage win in history. Not to mention taking them both out with suicide no handers. |
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| An incredible win for Strait, once the youngest ever Rampage competitor. No one would deny the brilliance of his run, but more than a few athletes observed that the decision not to ride due to wind fell on his turn and in the end, ten riders missed a second chance. The flags hung still at the close of play, at least at the bottom. |
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| This little duder, who was like ten years-old, was slamming lines at the side of the course after the event was over. Generation next. We'll see him in rampage 2019. |
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Kelly McGarry for PRESIDENT!
Lacondeguy had more style and flow, Brendog kicked serious ass too, but alas, Kyle 'i'm a has-been' Strait get the win... The least Red Bull could do is carry the final over another day... So many guys got robbed, and even tho the public got to cast their votes - it didn't matter as the industry really doesn't give a flying 'Mcgazza' f*ck what the public thinks anyway...
again neg prop me if you want, just saying tho.
P.S. - for all the injured rider, Bingelli, Chubey, etc... get healed soon guys - no one can deny that your pushing the envelope is what makes this event...
Every person competing at Rampage got robbed. To not count or even have a second run without prior notice is unfair. Not blaming the comp officials in any way, it's just too bad that there wasn't a better solution to this situation.
It's a big mountain contest. Strait actually rode a line he made unlike pretty much everyone else. He also rode more solid than either of them. Strait won Redbull Rampage fair and square. Redbull Rampage best trick, sure we can give it to either Zink of McGarry, I don't care about that because they should win that. But then again, it's not a best trick contest.
With the way everyone is overlooking the fact that Straits run was the most "true" to the spirit of the event, I wouldn't be surprised if the next Rampage was a pure slopestyle contest. Which is a shame because we don't get to see many events like this. Maybe free ride really is dying because hardly anyone here seems to understand what it means. Long live Slope-free-style-ride?
couch man deserves it... he did the full walk out to the course with that on his back.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrQV8qtKscw&list=PL65F54308CEC83F55
The good stuff is coming their way, and the bad stuff has been kept at bay.
Kyle fully deserved first spot, had a banger trick, super flowy, and tricked pretty much everything with a LOT of style.
Kelly's run was superb, but it was mostly flip flip flip, and he totally deserved the 2nd spot.
Zink - massive backflip, but no tricks after that, even tho i'm ok with him 3rd, i think Andreu was a close for 3rd as well.
Just my 2cents...
Event was sick, judging was fine, weather sucked donkey ballz.
Not sure he's underrated anymore either
second for me Zink he have a balls..
and big balls McGarry!!
Pierre Edouard Ferry was fast 2..
i'm Aggy fan
Strait's run was classic Rampage style so deserved big points.
McGarry flipped times in 1 run, I reckon if he'd done some variation after the big flip he'd have won and rightly so.
Zink's second run would've been the one to watch I reckon, he must have had some other lines planned for once he knew he could land the big flip drop?
To make it more than a one (albeit massive, insane, awesome) trick run?
Amazing show by everyone, gutted they didn't let it run to a 2 day final!!! I'm guessing it wasn't a redbull decision but a health and safety bullshit one.
Yeah, what a bunch of a*sholes worrying about the riders and trying to prevent them from dying due to shitty conditions. I can't believe them.
/sarcasm
I said I was gutted that the final wasn't carried on the following day. And that the reason for that was probably health and safety rather than funding, as Red Bull is a pretty comfy company cash wise.
I in no way suggested that anybody involved should take risks beyond where THEY see fit.
And certainly didn't question the riders or demand to see them in bad conditions.
Learn to read a full sentence before you question my attitude thanks mate.
Moron.
#Americansarcasmisretarded
So either I'm seeing things, or you're a liar. See, when you say something is bullshit you are implying it lacks merit or reason or means, or whatever you choose to define it as. In other words, you're criticizing it.
You directly called the reason they called off the second run "bullshit". I don't now how to make it clearer.
Pip pip cheerio mate.
#Apparantelywe'reputtinghashtagsinstuffnowtobeedgyorwhatever
When did I mention that calling off the second run was bull shit?
I speculated that the reason the final wasn't carried over to a second day may be to do with a health and safety decision.
What I implied is that maybe Red Bull would be able to carry it over to a second day, because they're a huge company and have money to spend.
BUT maybe health and safety laws etc might get in the way, purely speculation.
I used the term bullshit to criticize the general world of health and safety as a lot of the time it can be over the top, I didn't criticize anybody specifically it was just a comment.
I don't think you're a liar, just hyper sensitive for some reason, you missed out that I was writing mainly about how cool the event was and how well everyone did.
Sharing my opinion about a few of the riders and their runs.
And that it was a shame we didn't get to see what they had in run 2 and that they couldn't ride for a second day.
I used the # to poke fun at your country as it was invented by an American internet nerd, it has never been and never will be "edgy" I don't think. Bro.
Uh.... here....
"I'm guessing it wasn't a redbull decision but a health and safety bullshit one."
Said by you, in reference to them calling off the second runs.
"I speculated that the reason the final wasn't carried over to a second day may be to do with a health and safety decision. "
Which you then called "bullshit"
"I used the term bullshit to criticize the general world of health and safety as a lot of the time it can be over the top"
So you admit you called it bullshit. Okay...
" I didn't criticize anybody specifically it was just a comment.""
I never said you criticized anyone specifically.
Am I being punked? Where's Ashton Kutcher?
You STILL don't understand that I wasn't talking about calling off the second runs, I give up.
Yes I hate the health and safety world in general and think a lot of it is bullshit am I not allowed that opinion?
Considering I work in an industry that relies on health and safety measures, but is also restricted by them in a bad way every day.
That STILL isn't me saying anything about the safety decisions the guys RIGHTLY made at Rampage.
You really took offense at something that I didn't actually say, it's weird.
Fair enough my mistake, you didn't imply that I criticized anyone specifically, my bad.
The rest of my comments I stand by.
Insanely jealous that you were there!!
Andreu's run was easily my favourite, what a beast, must be so impressive to see the lines in real life?
www.facebook.com/yt.industries?fref=ts
( Think about it, Wimbledon, it rains and the game is postponed till the following day...)
As for all the concern over podium worthiness ?... I've never ridden anything remotely close to what we witnessed, and after picking my jaw off the floor repeatedly yesterday, my mouth feels best left shut.
Please try to be more original, that's about as clever as the announcer saying, "He's mentally going through his mind."
Redundancy and a lower IQ don't need to be perpetuated throughout the MB community. We're smarter than that, huck it bigger than that, love biking more than that.
www.pinkbike.com/news/Redbull-Rampage-Judging-Explained-2012.html
The funnest lines to watch IMO were Lacondeguy's and McGarry's. Both of those guys had some technical aspects of their runs, but both mixed in some tricks and style to really get the crowd into it. McGarry's backflip over the canyon gave his run an edge, but that Superman and 1-handed seat grab by Andreu got me stoked as well.
Overall, this competition was so sick to watch and a big thanks goes out to all the riders and everyone who helped prepare for this rad event. Sucks that the wind played a factor, but at least we got to see everyone go through at least once.
McGarry flipped the top, gap and bottom and got second ?!?
This isn't right... right?
1. Cam Zinks back flip should have landed him 1st place even if he did anything else...
2. McGarry´s back flip was equally impresive or even more considering a 71 foot gap, he threw more tricks in his run than Zink, and thus was deserving the 1st place
3. Nothing against Strait, but a no hander (even if that big) doesn´t feel as risky and the backflips thrown.
4. Is to bad Aggy felt down, I though he had a 2 or 3 spot run.
I feel too that McGarry should have ended up on the Top!
Oh and when somebody makes a great run and crashes you give such a low score, that so old school! Forget the scoring like that and let just people vote as they feel who was the best! Most of people who watches would be fully happy, who cares for a bunch of judges who destroys the peoples and riders fun. Have you seen the faces of riders when they get the score? f*ck THESE JUDGES AND THEIR SYSTEM! Time to get rid of them!!!!!!
McGazza
Zink
Lacondeguy
Straight - TMac tied
Also, he had his mini blog in preparation of Rampage in a german magazine website. Last entry is of qualification day, sounds like he intended to ride: www.freeride-magazine.com/news/artikel/benderoni-goes-rampage-blog-serie-4-gestern-knochenbrueche-heute-wird-es-ernst-quali/12/10/2013
any chance anyone can translate this?
Props, this should of been the only judging...
What a "gangster"...
1 McGarry
2 Cam Zink
3 Andreu Lacondeguy
4 Graham Assasiz
5 Kyle Strait