It was a dusty morning in the desert. As the rider meeting got underway the mountain was almost hidden for a while...
Rider meetings in Utah have sick light at Redbull Rampage.
Todd Barber is the ring leader for Rampage we are so fortunate to have him.
Athletes drawing in their lines to give to the judges first thing in the morning.
And your line is gonna be...Mike Kinrade filling in the details so Todd Barber can determine a rider start order for the Rampage qualifying round.
Riders had to hike to the top but there were staff to carry bikes up.
The morning started with unusually still air. Dust hung until it settled to the ground instead of moving off.
Early morning preparations and EMTs on hand to watch and be ready at a given moment.
Garett Buehler was one of the first riders on the hill for the final practice session.
Buehler doing some early morning warm up laps.
Buehler , post warm up full on charging.
Brendan Fairclough washed out his front tire in an unexpected pile of moon dust on his first run - early am practice sessions sloughed loose dirt into his line. Bren-dawg took that in stride and then charged his second run strongly enough to qualify. Instead of launching that sick looking canyon gap he's fashioned high up on the track he opted to hit a hip a just below it. "I'm saving that one for Sunday's finals. It's only scary looking until you're on the lip."
Fairclough - drop.
Fairclough looks a little less than excited by the prospect of tossing his carcass down the side of the mountain.
Casey Groves in the start gate.
Casey hit this line beautifully as his trail of dust tells.
Groves fully committed to the stratosphere.
Pierre Edouard Ferry dropping in towards the end of his line.
Vink post Oakley Icon sender.
Gully seems to be awake by this point as he flattens it out.
Soderstrom heads back in for his second lap.
Martin linked this line together on his second lap qualifying him for the finals.
The Swede boosting out of a little step down/step up that he built.
Heli footage for Howey.
Brendan Howie throwing down on the step down.
Howey trying to up the ante on his qualifying run number 1.
Hopkins with a one way ticket to the pain cave. The gap measures around 68 feet. He landed well beyond the sweet spot.
Mike Hopkins took one of the hardest crashes I've seen in a long time and still walked away from it. 60 foot step down gap and the top of the landing is at the bottom right. Just a little bit bigger than needed - probably a solid 80 feet on this one...
Margus captures Hopkins mid-flight.
Thomas Genon on the horizon of his first Rampage.
Genon won Joyride this year and he threw down some beautiful airs here in Utah. Unfortunately it wasn't enough.
Messere learning what is takes at Rampage.
Messere won't be in the big show on Sunday. He missed his landing by a good 10 feet in run one after someone moved his marker rocks and crashed lower down on run 2 - over a drop with a very short landing that had him dragging a foot.
Messere isn't a stranger to having bird following him.
Anthony threw a huge no hander over a canyon gap on his second run.
Rampage ain't easy son.
Kyle Norbraten had a great first run sticking a solid 360 and ending up in the third place spot in qualifying.
Norbs crushed it today - nuff said.
Rheeder being the good student and studying every detail of what it takes.
And looking incredibly comfortable on course.
Brett Rheeder and style for miles.
Doerfling sent the Sender and stomped the landing. He then proceeded to rail the line Gee Atherton pioneered lower down - the step down to hip landing - garnering enough points to lock up second place in qualifying.
With qualifying over Cam McCaul and a number of other riders wasted no time in getting on the hill to start working on their lines for the finals until nightfall shut them down.
Cam McCaul with a solid and unique far rider's right ridge line that had good flow, some fairly hairy exposure and one small canyon gap.
McCaul just had to qualify for the super finals this week. Instead of taking it easy Cam dropped a massive line in zone 3 and was the only rider to hit the canyon gap today. Look for Cam Zink to join him over here on Sunday.
We're looking for this same photo on Sunday with Cam McCaul in his Sunday best.
Yeah,I saw it in your gallery. Still this shot (Antoine is doing a backflip) shows that was the interesting run,so I'm pretty suprised that we watch so many pics of Messere and Genom who didn;t qualified and none of the 4th qaulifier... Kinda weird...
With hundreds and hundreds of spectators walking all over the side of the mountain and all over the course things get knocked over and moved. It's not deliberate, no one is that stupid...
Honestly someone moving his marker rocks was just an excuse because he didn't perform the way he wanted too. He BUILT this line he should know it inside and out before his run.
@rex bikes. At the speeds these guys are going at down a line they've only completed a day or 2 before, you need markers, especially if your expecting them, as they were there on the practice runs before!. Most of those step downs/shuttes are all blind and being just a couple of inches off line spells game over..
The Article said he missed the landing completely by a good ten feet. He should know that if he's going to be competing on this course he should be thinking before he drops in about all the lines he needs to be taking.
...rampage is crazy n all, however i cant help but notice more and more how much 'manufactured' or 'man-made' so many of the lines and elements are... maybe its just me, guess i prefer seeing the more 'natural' lines with less wood n sandbag etc.
Yeah i noticed this too. Its all about the jumps now, and most of them have been built with a bobcat or out of wood. Its just like Joyride but with a couple of chutes here and there...
I get what you are saying, I think I lot of people appreciate that as well, but..... I think you have to take progression into account. We are all treated to the amazing new tricks, stunts, drops, jumps, gaps and all the other balls-to-the-wall things these world class riders bust out. But as the sport grows and shit gets gnarlier, people would be bitching that they had seen it all before if it stayed stagnant. Go back to the beginning of rampage, what was big then is not considered to be now. The other aspect that is easily over-looked is the commercialism. Massive sponsorship dollars, marketing campaigns, live coverage, films and photography, a TV series from Red Bull. With so much exposure it is going to be pushed to new highs every time the event is held. Wish I was there, maybe next time!
I am hearing you gdr. I really loved watching the early videos, seeing those guy dropping big stuff with only minimal shovel work. I've got to believe that the event would still progress even if the landings were not carefully created. What these guys can do on a bike is mind blowing. However, REALLY big drops probably should have a rather nice landing, and big air makes for better TV. I guess I just my Rampage raw.
Ever since the begining people made thier lines, built them. No they have more builders thats all.
I think what you would like to see is a Where the trial ends style compition, With anual venue changes and a ban on hand tools.
Where The Trail Ends style competition would be cool. I don't think a total ban on hand tools is needed, it just gets a bit over the top when people come in with bobcats and a 60 person build crew.
yep, that would be sweet. its like big mountain skiing or boardin... 'heres the mountain, ride it.' u get a slightly different kind of creativity, different kind of lines, maybe even see some changes to the bikes n gear...the bigger travel bikes become necessary maybe!? etc...
however.... i am scratching like a drug addict, waiting to see the final today woot woooooot.... canyon gaaaap !
To all that are commenting about the excessive "building" There were 4 wooden features, the Canyon Gap, the Oakley Sender, the wooden step up jump, and the mine shaft/quarter pipe, that's it, that's all. Everything else was built by the riders and a few helpers, no power tools, and no bobcats... That is no different really than it was 4 years ago, the only difference is they had a few extra days to build...
^ look at this guy with his facts and actual experience. Ian...for future reference if you want to make an informed opinion your best bet is to sit in your mother's basement and talk shit about things you will never be capable of doing yourself.
Hooly my friend. I poorly conveyed the tone of my comment. I was absolutely being sarcastic. I am 1000% certain that Ian has a better understanding of the course layout and the build process of the features than any of the above forum warriors.
Any news on Gee? VitalMTB lists him as injuried and not competing, but haven't ready any of that so far on here nor on Red Bull Rampage's page nor on Gee's twitter. Hopefully they're just getting too ahead of themselves and Gee's ok to throw down tomorrow. The pics of his line had me quite excited.
Has anyone got a photo of the sheet/form the riders use to mark out the intended run on?! I'd be really interested to see what's where and all the start points etc...
in response to manufactured lines . NWDisorder 8 they did recon where they all went to some un ridden lands in mexico ,and guess what??? They had a hard time finding any cool lines all the way down a range . Virgin and Moab are ideal for this kind of riding . Cendric Gracia said at the end of recon ,as they were leaving ,looking at the mountain ,"Un rideable ,it sucks "lol they were bored of trying to find anything ,as awesome as it looked ,there were few cool lines . There are so many lines at Virgin it's overwhelming to look at , it's way beyond even Moab
I personally think the first 3 riders in the fmb world tour standings should qualify automatically. Sucks that Martin & Brandon are qualified but not the leader.
That oakley icon sender look smaller this time. These guys riding 5-6" bikes are out of control. At least the first aid tent going to get some action. Big mountain bikes!! Hello this is rampage. Tight pants slopestylers better come with proper big bike or get sent home.
Photographers are Kona haters too?
Bizet: www.pinkbike.com/photo/8751040
Yeah,I saw it in your gallery.
Still this shot (Antoine is doing a backflip) shows that was the interesting run,so I'm pretty suprised that we watch so many pics of Messere and Genom who didn;t qualified and none of the 4th qaulifier...
Kinda weird...
Love that pic of Ferry dropping in, and that section Soderstrom built deserves major props...looks fun. Can't wait to see B Dawgs run tomorrow!
...rampage is crazy n all, however i cant help but notice more and more how much 'manufactured' or 'man-made' so many of the lines and elements are... maybe its just me, guess i prefer seeing the more 'natural' lines with less wood n sandbag etc.
anyways stocked for the final, should be epic!
its like big mountain skiing or boardin... 'heres the mountain, ride it.'
u get a slightly different kind of creativity, different kind of lines, maybe even see some changes to the bikes n gear...the bigger travel bikes become necessary maybe!? etc...
however.... i am scratching like a drug addict, waiting to see the final today
woot woooooot.... canyon gaaaap !
Mccaul sending it over the canyon, huuuuge!
There are so many lines at Virgin it's overwhelming to look at , it's way beyond even Moab
I can't wait to see him do that massive jump and tear it up!!! GO BREN-DAWG!! We're with ya 1,000%!
Go on Brendog! We're with you 100%!