Going into the canyon today, we knew that big things were going to happen, but we didn't yet know what. The eleventh edition of Rampage saw Bizet do a double backflip on his downhill bike, Carson Storch take his first podium finish at Red Bull Rampage, and Semenuk add a second Rampage win to his resume and another fan favourite award. We also saw some unbelievable lines and unbelievable attempts. We saw Conor McFarlane take a beating and refuse to stay down - earning the Kelly McGarry Spirit award, and we saw Aggy go down during what might have been podium run. As with every Rampage of years past the audience came away with a mix of sadness and concern for those injured and a sense of pride and excitement for, not only those who won, but also those who threw down and advanced our sport.
To all the athletes - we salute you!
Dawn's early light at the venue. The views in the office today definitely did NOT suck.
Kyle Strait buckling down to get wild before the start of the final.
Conor McFarlane lacing up.
Man of the match - Carson Storch. What a day for the young American bagging best trick and 3rd place.
09 and 06. 1st and 3rd. Coincidence? I think not.
26 Ain't dead for Brandon Semenuk.
Sam Reynolds opted out this year. In his view, things have gone too far and he said he simply wasn't prepared to risk his life. A tough but admirable call considering the pressure the riders are surely under to perform.
All smiles for Remy Metailler today, having finally nailed all his most troublesome and terrfiying features.
Norbs.
Brett Rheeder gathering his thoughts prior to the riders meeting. Lot's to think about for the runs that lay ahead; and Rheeder is a real collective soul who always makes sure he is calculated to a tee.
Riders meeting under the nets; an early day for finals with little time to warm up.
Todd Barber going through with the athletes on the days program.
Familiar faces at the early morning rider meeting after a very brief one hour warm up session on the lower slopes.
Somber tones in the riders meeting this morning with a lot of thoughts going through everyones heads.
Andreu Lacondeguy
Brandon Semenuk and Aggy taking the ease off some of the days pressure.
T-Mac watches on as Todd Barber goes through the day.
James Doerferling gives his lady a hug before heading up for the day.
Props to everyone who made the pilgrimage... For those about to watch, we salute you!
Conor McFarlane took a heavy hit on his first run, went back up for another and washed in the first drop off the ridge. What an animal, after watching his day; it was a clear choice who deserved the McGazza Spirit Award.
Conor McFarlane boosting off the top ridge and what looked like a killer run.
Conor McFarlane ripping off the first drop.
It doesn't look it, but this was perhaps one of the most technical gaps on the hill. Connor judged it almost perfectly in run 1, but apparently it still wouldn't be enough and he went down hard... yet again.
Banged and battered, Conor McFarlane doing a bike check after his first run and headed back up for round 2.
A huge flag of Kelly McGarry was made up to fly at the event and it sure flew with flying colors.
Healing vibes out to Aggy after a heavy crash on his first run. Not a good year for him after just coming off a broken hand.
Aggy warming up in the morning on the lower jumps and looked the best out of anyone off it.. If only he had gotten a full run in, things may have been a lot different today.
Hands blowing off and smoke off the rear wheel... heal up, Aggy.
The moment it all went REALLY wrong for Aggy: note the rear wheel case and the immediate hands blowing off the bars.
Aggy blasting down the chute and charging for a what could have been winning run.
Aggy spinning his drop that took him out moments later.
"The mustard slipped off the hotdog" - Cam Zink
Zink - What went wrong? "I 450'd the 360. I was so focused on making the drop that I forgot to slow down the 360, so I over rotated and..."
Cam 'the terminator' Zink literally walking away from a near-death over-rotation of his drop.
No grey areas here at Rampage; you're either in or you're out. Brett Rheeder drops in.
Brett Rheeder flat drop flipping on the lower mountain on his second run only to slip a pedal just soon after. Not the day for Rheeder but he still seemed to have a good day.
Rheeder all style haflway down the mountain and like many, had he had a clean run would have been way up there.
Brett Rheeder popping a cork 720 in practice. His day didn't turn out as planned and would have loved to see a full run from Brett.
Rheeder fist pumping the crowd on his second run. He came up short on the run, but not on the fun.
Doerfling - full tilt boogie.
James Doerferling cutting loose down the mountain.
Connoisseur of big mountain riding, James Doerfling, making tracks.
Norbs dust-bombing the hell out of the upper ridge.
Kyle Norbraten floating off the top ridge.
Norbs getting ready to fall from the sky.
Over the shoulder, Norbs sighting in that landing on a mellow 360.
Kyle Norbraten 360'ing down the mountain. Kyle took a mellow run today and played it safe but had fun and killed it.
Smoke signals for the riders waiting to drop in...
Remy Metailler cruising through.
The Claw on the attack as the very first man down the mountain in gusty conditions.
Darren Berrecloth had a smooth first run; but due to wind got a bit blown on this ridge and made the right call to end his run.
The Claw: it's been 14 years since he first stepped onto the scene with an appearance in the second Rampage. And he's still a force at the Rampage.
Do you even compress bro? The Claw feels the G's off his own gargantuan design.
Tom Van Steenbergen taking a breather and wishing there were more bike haulers around.
Tom Van Steenbergen blasted into this wall yesterday and had a great run today but not enough to earn a top spot.
Van Steezburger flipping the last major feature on the course.
TVS, couldn't lock the big moves down this time... That's what next year is for. You've been warned...
PEF had a sick old time out in the desert this week and was stoked to secure his return invite by hitting the top 10.
Pierre Edouard Ferry hitting the eject button on run two.
Andreu's speed and massive style carried him well down the mountain but not quite enough to put him in a top spot.
Andreu Lacondeguy spinning halfway down the mountain and into a heavy drop.
T-mac, on fire on the '4 amigos' drop.
T-mac living by Bender's 'life's too short not to' motto.
What might have been: Tommy G leading into his meat and potatoes.
Tomas Genon looking on point and fast with tons of flow all the way down.
Strait on target.
Signature: Strait with the suicide no-hander off the 35+ step down.
Kyle Strait always impresses with a massive suicide drop.
Kyle Strait sending his elevator drop before a huge flip on his lower step-down.
Kurt Sorge dropped in after Aggy's heavy crash; took it a bit easy off the drop but still placed well and didn't take a second run.
Sorge overcame the demons on his line after Aggy's crash and roared tp 4th, just missing another podium.
Sorge opted not to do a second run, asserting that he couldn't do his run any better so why risk injury on a second run that wouldn't place him any higher.
Carson Storch giving the great wall some style.
Falling from the sky: Storch on his second run.
Falling from the sky: step one: enter the Redbull Rampage. Step two: build a ridiculous line. Step three: SEND IT! Carson Storch falling into third place.
Best Trick of the 2016 Rampage: Carson Storch 360 off a massive step down.
Carson stomped this big 360 on his third place run and couldn't be happier. His riding has been on point all week and progressing by the day. His good friend and mentor Kelly McGarry would have been real proud of this kid.
Antoine Bizet doing an oppo frontflip off a stepdown and on his way to a podium run.
Bizet going upside down. Again. And again. And again. That kid can definitely backflip. And do other sick things. But today it was all about getting upside down with sick exposure that placed him in second.
Mark your jumps and drops with a brewski if you want to win Rampage... Semenuk will tell ya.
Brandon Semenuk on a run to win on his first and only run.
Brandon Semenuk on a flat spin mid way down and on his way to his second win at Rampage to join in with Strait and Sorge's two timer club.
Flat flip drop from Semenuk leading into the lower jumps to glory.
Carson Storch getting a full tackle from the boys.
Brandon Semenuk
Brandon Semenuk and Brett Tippie
Brandon Semenuk all smiles.
Brandon Semenuk weaving through the crowd to the podium.
Brandon Semenuk on his way up to the top steps.
#1
Leader board.
Victory is sweet, but the second time is sweeter, Semenuk joins the two-timer Rampage elite.
Back on top in the red desert. Brandon Semenuk back for the first time since 2008. He's been wanting this for a long time and it's finally here.
Reveling in the chaos? More like reveling in a well won Rampage.
Semenuk letting it sink in. It's been a long time coming, why not soak it up?
Semenuk, Bizet and Storge, your winners and owners of the biggest cajones in MTB, if not planet earth.
Winners. Antoine Bizet, Brandon Semenuk, Carson Storch
Carson Storch coming home with some new mantel pieces.
Peoples choice award three times in a row and finally doubling up as the true winner as well.
Carson Storch on his way to a good night.
Connor McFarlane, winner of the Kelly McGarry Spirit Award.
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
Antoine Bezit needed to be scored higher imo.
Respect to Connor McFarlane the guy took a pasting out there. But I think the Spirit award should have gone to Paul Bas. When that Paul Bas segment came on about his recovery so far it hit me right in the feels.
Also it was odd to see a Rampage with out Mcgazza
Most of all thanks to the riders. These guys really do put their lives on the line to progress the sport. From 1st to 18th place everyone of you are winners and mtb hero's.
Otherwise great coverage, stunning pics, great event and #noonegotrobbed
Except maybe Bizet a little, c'mon that double back flip was best trick.... just my a*shole sorry I mean opinion
That surprises me but if your not feeling it then don't do it, when it comes to something like that you have to be 100% committed or it's just not safe, not that it is safe but you know what I mean
But it definitely seems like Red Bull are pressuring Rampage more and more and pushing all athletes to be more "extreme" to get their slice of the money.
It's a dangerous precedent that's only going to end in disaster... See Shane McConkey's death for just an example.
I understand that Bingelli and Fairclough crashed out and maybe that didn't provide adequate time for the reserves to get ready.
Considering Fairclough crashed out and hard I wonder if that had an impact on Reynolds decision not to ride... They've always seemed to be friends, filmed together etc.
Seems a shame to deny someone who wants to compete the opportunity to do so.
Quote: " Healing vibes out to Aggy after a heavy crash on his first run. Not a good year for him after just coming off a broken hand."
Why didn't he opt out in time to let one of the alternates ride? Basically robbed someone of the opportunity to ride that. I bet R-Dog or Bas woulda loved that slot.
He still get paid out?
At least Reynolds had the guts to say no.
Yet again, the tricks are incredible. No question about that.
road2recovery.com/cause-view/irideforpaul
Sending positive vibes your way Aggy.
Also great pictures!
(It's "cojones").
The event should be over two/three days and all the guys should ride the same trails,
designed by the public to be even more dangerous.
Not happy with the straight down fast approach, there should be penalties for lack of stunts.
Maybe a few blindfolded wild card riders just to spice shit up.
Semenuk's run was just like his one from last year, far flowier and flawless than every one elses, but this year he won ?
He needs to be banned, or handicapped.
Yea. And we used to ride 26x3.0 gazz.
That now is "plus".
It's all been done before, but we get new names this time round.
dat 2 second googling..