Red Bull Rampage 2010 - Mike Kinrade Gets Ready

Sep 27, 2010

Mike Kinrade epitomizes big mountain riding in my mind. He is part of an elite level of riders that have competed at all the Red Bull Rampage events to date. His results over the years are as follows: 2001-5th, 2002-Crashed, 2003-8th, 2004-9th and in 2008-4th. This is one of the only comps that Mike ever attends and he loves it. We were able to catch up with him at his home in Nelson to talk about this year’s Rampage as he prepped his bikes for the event.

Read on,

You’ve been to all the Rampage Events, how are you prepping for this year’s contest, have you got any jitters still after all these years?
I’ve been riding a lot man, I’m not super concerned about the jitters. My biggest worry at this point is to not hurt myself prior to the event, so that is part of my prep this season. Ride tons, but keep it safe at the same time. I want to perform at my best and I’m training to do just that.

I am there to ride it like a mountain biker would and to shred it hard! I have ridden almost 40 000 vert of trails in the last 2 weeks, all hiking up and shredding down. Feeling in great shape right now.


This year I worked on style and flow more than sending it as I know what sending it is all about. I believe that style on the bike and flow are gonna also play big parts in how riders are judged. Your line selection and how you attack that line will really show through in the end and if you only focus on your tricks, I don’t believe that you’ll fair as well at Rampage. I don’t think that the tricks are what will win Rampage as they aren’t a necessary part of this event, but rather a small aspect of it.

In prepping for Rampage, I feel that you really need to be comfortable on your big bike and have spent lots of time on it and that it will shine through in your runs. Looking confident on your bike, sending it and riding really technical lines takes time on the bike and the riders that are out there putting in the time, riding the trails will shine on game day.



Living in Nelson and riding with my best buddies is that best training I could ask for!

Rampage really suits your big mountain riding capabilities, how does this event best showcase your style?
I love the long, gnarly descents, like skiing in the winter where you link it all together and flowing one big line. Riding that is big, burly, and scary is what I like best – envisioning a line and flowing it is what I love most. Rampage has a lot of these characteristics and that is why I always look forward to returning to the desert and sending it with my friends.

I also attended Chatel (placed 6th) this year, so this is my biggest event season of recent years, with 2 whole competitions filling my calendar, ha ha! But it is events like these that get me stoked to really get out there and compete. These comps are REAL to me, you are in serious terrain, riding your bike in control when the surroundings simply aren’t condusive to it. It is an honest showcase of mountain biking in my eyes. The prestige title of winning the rampage is on par or greater than winner the World Championships, because it is a World Championships of ALL classes of mountain biking.

If Rampage never existed, a rider like myself may have had to follow another path. Sponsors look at Rampage with an open mind and accept you for that big mountain styled rider.


How has Rampage evolved from the early years?
Back in the day it was Butler, Dean Williams (Bike Zion), Bender, Myself and the Rampage crew out there scratching in some lines for the competitors that were coming to the event. I remember building my very first line as that was what it was all about – show up, build, ride, compete. We set up some of the early lines and they evolved over the years. The first 4 Rampage events contained no man made features, but like all things that evolve, in 2008, the first man made features were introduced into the venue. This is where the whole Rampage – Evolution came into play. With the introduction of man made features, I believe that it sparked the interests of riders that typically would not have taken serious note in this event. It takes a special breed to want to win the Rampage, you have to really want to be there and you need to know what you are doing. A lot of skill is required to even be there. The invite alone says that you have a skill set that very few possess.

Now it has evolved into not only pushing the sport, but it has helped to sustain the vision of Big Mountain riding and separating it from the slopestyle side of the sport.



What do you think about all the slopestyle riders that are cutting their teeth at Rampage?
I welcome all riders to the venue, but be ready to ride. This venue is not a typical SS course and you need to have more trail skills and not just tricks up your sleeve. You need to really be able to ride that bike and show that you are in control. I also worry a bit about the riders that are so new to the competition side of sport and they are getting thrown into an event like Rampage. I just don’t want to see anyone get really hurt by riding over their heads in an area where the consequences are so high. This is and it is not a proving ground, you need to be smart here.



Tell us about your bike set up for Rampage?
I am riding the same set up that I’ve been rocking all season – Transition TR 450, Easton wheels and components, Race Face Cranks, Manitou Dorado Fork, Elka rear shock, Shimano brakes and drive train with Maxxis tire love from my good buddies at NRG here in Nelson. Compared to years past, I am running a slightly softer suspension set up, wider bars, 2.7 inch tires as opposed to my daily 2.5s. This bike is true DH sled (Slacker, Lower, Longer) as opposed to my more traditional FR bikes of the past. I’ve customized it to fit my desires. That’s how I intent to roll it into Rampage.


Post Rampage, what have you got planned? Big game hunting?
Yeah man when I get home I intend to go Elk Hunting to put food on the table this winter for the family. Besides that, I’ll be on the mountain riding with all my good buddies here in Nelson and fighting the good fight. October and November are the best times of the year to be riding here in Nelson and I intend to be out there shredding it. That also reminds me, I need to get a season’s pass to White Water asap and start saving for a few Baldface days too this winter.

Good luck at Rampage this year Mike!
Thanks guy!

Mike wants to thank the following for making this season a good one: Transition Bikes, Race Face, Easton/Giro, Adidas, Shimano, Manitou, Elka, NRG Enterprises, Dakine, Sasquatch Performance Training and all the great people that I know and love in Nelson.