Your Essential Guide to Red Bull Rampage 2016
YOUR ESSENTIAL GUIDE
Welcome to the eleventh year of the most thrilling and rowdiest freeride mountain biking event on the planet; Red Bull Rampage 2016.
It's the ultimate test of a rider's skill and mettle on a mountain bike, and this Friday we'll see 21 of the world's best riders pitted against a combination of their own carefully crafted features and some of Mother Nature's most gruelling terrain. All the while, the riders will be judged on their line choice down the iconic red cliffs of Utah, with points awarded for their technical ability and the complexity of their tricks.
With the riders already at the Rampage site digging their lines and acclimatising, what awaits them on Friday will be moments of awe, dread, and joy. Before that though, let's take you through what you need to know before the first "rider on course" call goes out.
It's the ultimate test of a rider's skill and mettle on a mountain bike, and this Friday we'll see 21 of the world's best riders pitted against a combination of their own carefully crafted features and some of Mother Nature's most gruelling terrain. All the while, the riders will be judged on their line choice down the iconic red cliffs of Utah, with points awarded for their technical ability and the complexity of their tricks.
With the riders already at the Rampage site digging their lines and acclimatising, what awaits them on Friday will be moments of awe, dread, and joy. Before that though, let's take you through what you need to know before the first "rider on course" call goes out.
This year Rampage will be returning to its big mountain roots and a new zone selected by the organisers, close to the site which hosted the original Rampage back in the early 2000s.
The new site is untouched, offering riders a blank canvas to create their own unique freeride lines, and boasting a multitude of natural terrain options. The organisers are hoping to return Rampage to its origins: big mountain riding, raw and untamed.
The new site is untouched, offering riders a blank canvas to create their own unique freeride lines, and boasting a multitude of natural terrain options. The organisers are hoping to return Rampage to its origins: big mountain riding, raw and untamed.
| NAME | NATIONALITY | RIDES FOR | STATUS |
| Kurt Sorge | Canada | Polygon | Pre-qualified |
| Andreu Lacondeguy | Spain | YT Industries | Pre-qualified |
| Graham Agassiz | Canada | Kona | Pre-qualified |
| Brandon Semenuk | Canada | Trek | Pre-qualified |
| Thomas Genon | Belgium | Canyon | Pre-qualified |
| Cam Zink | USA | YT Industries | Pre-qualified |
| Darren Berrecloth | Canada | Canyon | Pre-qualified |
| Brendan Fairclough | Great Britain | Scott | Pre-qualified |
| Sam Reynolds | Great Britain | Polygon | Pre-qualified |
| Remy Metailler | France | Commencal | Pre-qualified |
| Kyle Strait | USA | Commencal | Pre-qualified |
| Pierre-Edouard Ferry | France | Commencal | Pre-qualified |
| Antoine Bizet | France | Kona | Wildcard |
| Brett Rheeder | Canada | Trek | Wildcard |
| Carson Storch | USA | Rocky Mountain | Wildcard |
| Conor MacFarlane | New Zealand | Knolly | Wildcard |
| James Doerfling | Canada | Knolly | Wildcard |
| Kyle Norbraten | Canada | Specialized | Wildcard |
| Logan Binggeli | USA | KHS | Wildcard |
| Tom van Steenbergen | Canada | Trek | Wildcard |
| Tyler McCaul | USA | GT | Wildcard |
| Bas van Steenbergen | Canada | Hyper | Reserve |
| Mitch Chubey | Canada | Morpheus | Reserve |
| Ryan Howard | USA | Trek | Reserve |
| Louis Reboul | France | Scott | Reserve |
| Ethan Nell | USA | YT Industries | Reserve |
Twenty-six riders have been invited to Red Bull Rampage this year. The list comprises both pre-qualified riders (the top 12 finishers from last year), nine wildcards and five reserves. The wildcard athletes were chosen earlier this year by the Rampage Committee (riders Cam McCaul, Aaron Chase, Randy Spangler and Nico Vink, together with event organiser Todd Barber), based on their past Rampage results, results from similar mountain bike events, skill on big mountain terrain, and their performances in video segments. The five reserve athletes are on standby should any of the pre-qualified or wildcard riders be unable to compete.
The split between European and North American riders is equal amongst the top twelve finishers from last year. For the wildcards riders, the majority are from North America, with one European - Antoine Bizet from France - and a sole southern hemisphere representative, Conor MacFarlane from New Zealand. As for Red Bull athletes, there are five in the main 21-strong field - Berrecloth, Genon, Lacondeguy, Semenuk, and Storch.
Looking at the bikes across all the athletes, Trek lead the field with four riders, Commencal and YT Industries tie with three riders each, Canyon, Knolly, Kona, Polygon and Scott each have two riders with GT, Hyper, KHS, Morpheus, Rocky Mountain and Specialized each having a single rider.
The split between European and North American riders is equal amongst the top twelve finishers from last year. For the wildcards riders, the majority are from North America, with one European - Antoine Bizet from France - and a sole southern hemisphere representative, Conor MacFarlane from New Zealand. As for Red Bull athletes, there are five in the main 21-strong field - Berrecloth, Genon, Lacondeguy, Semenuk, and Storch.
Looking at the bikes across all the athletes, Trek lead the field with four riders, Commencal and YT Industries tie with three riders each, Canyon, Knolly, Kona, Polygon and Scott each have two riders with GT, Hyper, KHS, Morpheus, Rocky Mountain and Specialized each having a single rider.
There are a few rule changes this year to try to even things up for riders both new and old. Each athlete's dig team will be limited to two diggers, down from four diggers per athlete last year. The organisers hope this will encourage athlete teams to collaborate with one another to create simpler, bigger lines, and also lessen the environmental impact on the mountainside.
Teams will also be allowed a longer build time of eight days with a mandatory day off to let athletes rest. Additionally, to ensure fairness, athletes and their teams weren't allowed on site until only a few days ago.
As for access to the mountainside, it's open to everyone and line sharing is encouraged. The organisers have made it clear to the athletes and their teams that everyone needs to put equal effort into the builds if they're planning on choosing similar lines to their fellow riders. Furthermore, with the number of competitors reduced from 40 to 21, the organisers hope this will allow riders to have a better ability to choose the line they feel fits their style and capability.
For 2016, power tools and the use of external materials are all banned. To compensate for the latter, each athlete's team will be provided with 75 natural fibre sandbags to help them build their features.
There also won't be any qualifiers this year, and come finals day, with each athlete entitled to two runs, the competition will be decided based on their highest scoring run. In case of a draw, the judges will combine the scores from both of each athlete's two runs to decide who wins.
Teams will also be allowed a longer build time of eight days with a mandatory day off to let athletes rest. Additionally, to ensure fairness, athletes and their teams weren't allowed on site until only a few days ago.
As for access to the mountainside, it's open to everyone and line sharing is encouraged. The organisers have made it clear to the athletes and their teams that everyone needs to put equal effort into the builds if they're planning on choosing similar lines to their fellow riders. Furthermore, with the number of competitors reduced from 40 to 21, the organisers hope this will allow riders to have a better ability to choose the line they feel fits their style and capability.
For 2016, power tools and the use of external materials are all banned. To compensate for the latter, each athlete's team will be provided with 75 natural fibre sandbags to help them build their features.
There also won't be any qualifiers this year, and come finals day, with each athlete entitled to two runs, the competition will be decided based on their highest scoring run. In case of a draw, the judges will combine the scores from both of each athlete's two runs to decide who wins.
 | I'm no free-hucking expert but I wouldn't be surprised to see Fairclough sneaking onto the podium after spending most of this year filming his Deathgrip movie. He's probably added some new tricks to his bag that will be unleashed in Utah, and downhill racing speed and style always scores well. Silver will go to Rheeder. He's been on fire this year and has a huge trick list and mind-boggling consistency, but I don't think he has the amplitude to surpass my top-step tip... I think the move to a new zone on the other side of the mountain will give Lacondeguy the canvas to create something bigger and better than ever. There's no other rider at this event that suits Rampage as much as the insane Spaniard. - Paul Aston, Pinkbike's Resident Nostradamus |
Being on point with bike maintenance is essential for the athletes competing, but is it any different when it comes to bike preparation compared to a World Cup weekend? We caught up with Ben Vergnaud from Kust'Home Bikes and Head Mechanic/Brendan Fairclough's go-to man at Gstaad-Scott, to find out.
How many Rampages have you attended?Four, including this year.
What's your approach with bike set-up at Rampage?Nothing really special to be honest. More pressure in suspension is obviously required, but all the rest is the same as it is for a World Cup weekend. The bike check on the finals day is a lot more stressful - more than at World Cups I'd say.
What's the most essential tool you have with you?An allen key for bolt checks.
What was the toughest day at last year's Rampage and why?I would say the final, because you want to see a good run and safe ride from the Dog.
How do you cope with looking after the bike during your time out there?There's not really much to do on the bike because the riding time isn't actually that much. Most of the time out there is spent on digging.
What's been your most memorable moment?Last year when Brendan flipped off the lily-pad.
Safety is always at the forefront of organisers minds, none more so than the crew behind Rampage. Similar to last year, there will be a raft of medics on site - the world's best medical specialists who assist with events like X-Games and the Dew Tour - as well as a team of physio specialists. There'll also be ambulances, ATVs and a high-angle rescue team with a Life Flight helicopter during both practice on Thursday and finals on Friday.
| YEAR | 1ST PLACE | 2ND PLACE | 3RD PLACE |
| 2015 | Kurt Sorge | Andreu Lacondeguy | Graham Agassiz |
| 2014 | Andreu Lacondeguy | Cam Zink | Brandon Semenuk |
| 2013 | Kyle Strait | Kelly McGarry | Cam Zink |
| 2012 | Kurt Sorge | Antoine Bizet | Logan Binggeli |
| 2010 | Cam Zink | Gee Atherton | Darren Berrecloth |
| 2008 | Brandon Semenuk | Kurt Sorge | Thomas Vanderham |
| 2004 | Kyle Strait | Gee Atherton | Steve Romaniuk |
| 2003 | Cedric Gracia | Andrew Shandro | Glyn O'Brien |
| 2002 | Tyler Klassen | Cedric Gracia | Darren Berrecloth |
| 2001 | Wade Simmons | Greg Smith | Robbie Bourdon |
Kurt Sorge is the most successful Rampage rider with two wins under his belt (2015 and 2012), as well as a second-place finish in 2008. Hot on Sorge's heals is Kyle Strait who's also won twice (2013, 2004). Cam Zink - the rider who's probably attended more Rampages than any of his competitors - has been on all steps of the podium, winning in 2010, placing second in 2014, and coming third in 2013. Other Rampage winners competing this year include Brandon Semenuk who won in 2008 and Andreu Lacondeguy who won in 2014.
This year each athlete will receive a $5,000 appearance fee, with the prize purse increasing from $100,000 last year to $150,000 for 2016. As with last year, a Polaris RZR XP 1000 Turbo is also up for grabs for the rider lucky enough to win the People's Choice Award.
| YEAR | PRIZE PURSE |
| 2016 | $150,000 |
| 2015 | $100,000 |
| 2014 | $75,000 |
| 2013 | $50,000 |
| 2012 | $40,000 |
| 2010 | $35,000 |
| 2008 | $20,000 |
| 2004 | $15,000 |
| 2003 | $10,000 |
| 2002 | $10,000 |
| 2001 | $8,000 |
Before his flight out to Utah, we caught up with MTB-internetz sensation, Ben 'The Deakinator' Deakin, to learn a bit more about what it's like to be part of the dig crew at Rampage.
How many Rampages have you attended?This [year] will be my second one. The first one I went out with Yannick Granieri as his team manager - I don't know how I got that role - and after he smashed his ankle, I ended up helping Sam [Reynolds] and Brendan [Fairclough]. This year I'm going out to hopefully bring it home and help Rezza [Sam Reynolds].
What was it like when you got there last year?Everything you can see on the TV doesn't set you up for what the reality actually is. There's so much more exposure than you can imagine; when you first get there it's hard enough walking to the top and by the end you're running up with bikes and tools. All the jumps are as big as you'd expect but the steep chutes are insane and no photo or video does them justice. The terrain is really hard to keep right as you're in a desert after all so it's incredibly dry, so building jumps and features that stick require a lot of time running up and down the mountain to get more water to help firm them up.
What was your approach last year? Was there a plan or did you play it by ear?We [Yannick's team] had it fairly easy as far as we already had a line from the previous year. The guys whose first year it was - such as Sam - had it pretty hard as it was hard to scope a line that was different from someone else's. So for Yannick's line it was to keep it fairly similar but to add some big features into his run. We built this big step-down straight into a road jump which led straight to the purpose-built step-down for the YT Kicker jump built by the organisers. For Sam's, it was to link things up that played to his advantage so the big Canyon Gap was a must and to see him nail the superman over it was insane!
What was the toughest challenge putting Brendan and Sam's lines together last year?Sam's line was pretty straightforward - relatively speaking of course - as far as it was just building various jumps and to link them all up. Brendan's line proved to be slightly more of a pain as he built this new line that led into the GoPro drop which involved a step-on-step-off thing which all had to be built into the off-camber ridge which was always wanting to fall away...and it eventually did when Jono Jones decided to stand in the wrong place and the whole thing collapsed!
If you could have done things differently, what would it have been?Had more water! My urine was luminous orange! No, in all seriousness I was so stoked for Sam being his first Rampage and that he bagged a top 10 and Best Trick. I was gutted for Yannick as it was a silly crash (for him) that he normally wouldn't have normally crashed on but unfortunately the wind took him slightly on a superman seat-grab in practice.
What was your most memorable moment?Can I have two?! My first is when Sam won Best Trick. None of us genuinely expected it, purely down to the fact there were so many big tricks going down but to see your mate dangle off the back of a bike over a +70ft canyon jump was insane even more so the first time he tried and landed it! My second one is when Cam Zink 360'd that flat drop - that was mental. Just looking at the drop from the top was mad enough and then to see him spin it was absolutely bonkers.
And your worst moment?Dehydration and blisters...but on a much bigger scale, seeing Nicholi Rogatkin go flying off the cliff; it was horrible to see but then the nutter gets back on his bike straight into the canyon jump! Also hearing about Paul Bas's crash. It's never nice to hear about someone having a serious injury.
What's the downtime like over there?Downtime? What's that?! Hahaha, there wasn't that much downtime if I'm honest; your typical day was getting up silly-o'clock to build early in the morning before it gets too hot, and then go back out onto the site to carry on building late afternoon until it's dark. The majority of actual downtime is sitting in a swimming pool in a hotel five miles from the site at lunch purely because it's hot, as well as when you're chewing the fat with your mates (the build crew and riders) on the side of the hill. After the event, the stress is off and we go wild in Vegas which is a few hours drive! #OiOi!
What makes a good line for Brendan and Sam?For Brendan it's about being as gnarly and steep as humanly possible (although he's not a human). That lad has so much bike control it's insane. Sam is about being as moto as he can make it, with huge floaty jumps that he can pull all his moto tricks on (I wouldn't know the name of half of them!)
What's the mental game like out there? How do you help Team GB prepare?It's a horrible, intimidating place with each rider in his own mental game; whether it be the size of the jumps, the crowd or the biggest one, the wind. The dig crew and I do as much as we can to help Sam and Brendan prepare, including giving them s**t to keep them in check.
Your video from Rampage last year gave a really good behind-the-scenes perspective; will you be making another video this year?I'll see what happens but watch this space!
You can follow Ben's exploits throughout Red Bull Rampage 2016 on Instagram and Facebook.
| YEAR | 1ST PLACE RIDER | SCORE |
| 2015 | Kurt Sorge | 96.50 |
| 2014 | Andreu Lacondeguy | 95.25 |
| 2010 | Cam Zink | 89.2 |
| 2003 | Cedric Gracia | 88.8 |
| 2013 | Kyle Strait | 87.5 |
| 2012 | Kurt Sorge | 86.75 |
| 2004 | Kyle Strait | 85.8 |
| 2008 | Brandon Semenuk | 82.2 |
| 2002 | Tyler Klassen | 79.6 |
| 2001 | Wade Simmons | 73.4 |
There will be six judges this year. Head judge, Randy Spangler will be joined by five previous Rampage competitors; Josh Bender, Kyle Jameson, Mike Kinrade, Geoff Gulevich and Nico Vink.
Who better to speak to about what it's like to film at Rampage than the godfather of freeride mountain biking video creation, Derek Westerlund from Freeride Entertainment.
What your relationship with Rampage and how has it developed over the years?I guess to a degree I helped co-found the event with Todd Barber, Paul Crandell formerly of Red Bull, and Josh Bender. We were the first production crew to ever capture the event and have done so for the last 10 editions. The event has changed dramatically over the years I think that is pretty well documented. It used to be somewhat of a good old fashioned bro-down but nowadays the risk and the level of competition is very serious.
How has filming at Rampage developed through the years?In 2001 we had a crew of about six or seven people shooting the event on a range of MiniDV cameras, 16mm cameras and anything anybody would bring to the table for not much money. It was basically all our friends and people who helped shoot the first New World Disorder. Steve and Murray from Matchstick productions, Steph Drinnan from Hardcore Candy, LG from Whistler and the Freeride crew. That mickey moused film crew did not last for long. I think by the third year we had a full HD crew there as Red Bull had partnered with some big production companies out of LA who were bringing HD to the table for really the first time in North America. After the fourth year the event went on a four-year hiatus and the next major step change after it came back was taking it live so the fans were able to watch online.
What's your best tip for anyone filming at Rampage?Not that many people are actually allowed to film there these days. The media got too crazy to the point it was dangerous. I think if there was a tip, it's just to look for the good shots no one else is getting and stay the f**k out of the way of the athletes. Too many close calls with dudes being posted up on lips and landings. It's too easy to get off course and for someone to get hurt. No shot is worth that.
What's been your most memorable Rampage moment?That's a tough one. I used to leave the event every year feeling like the anti had been upped. The last few years I've just been plain scared. Zink flipping the Oakley Drop was f**king nuts. I actually cried. I was so worried for him.
Do you have a shot or sequence of shots that you're most proud of from Rampage, and if so what do you feel makes it stand out from the rest?There's been so many insane things done over the years at Rampage. In the early years, Robbie Bourdon's air over the big jagged rock flake was so badass. Recently Ponyboy AKA Tyler McCaul's big double stager at the venue from four years ago was insane. Too many to choose from!!
What are the biggest challenges of filming an event like Rampage?Now that the event is live it's not missing a shot. We have only so many live cameras and there is just a ton to think about in the first few minutes of the show. It is hard to get the jitters out for the first few riders. You think about it so much but there is no way to really practice the 'live' day.
What's the most essential piece of gear you couldn't live without when filming there?A helicopter and Cineflex. Straight up. Without that showing the size and scale, I'm not sure people would really understand the beauty or the magnitude.
Do you think the advent of follow-me drones will change the shape of how we watch events like Rampage in the future?Nope. Those things will not be allowed there. Too sketchy.
Who's been your favourite/most creative rider to work with at Rampage?Cam Zink is an absolute beast. He always has the rowdiest stuff. T-Mac is always pushing and super creative. Semenuk is always looking to win Rampage with authority when he drops in. He brings the most game and diversity. Strait is a savage. The level of competition is just so high!
How do you protect all the camera gear with all the dirt and the dust on site?We are so baller we just throw it all in the garbage at the end and just go buy new stuff! Hahahaha. The dust out there eats equipment. Everything has to be professionally cleaned, camera bodies, lenses, MOVI's you name it.
How many kilos of camera gear does your production usually bring to an event like Rampage?Probably about 20 tons when you add all the live equipment.
It's an intense event for all involved. How do you balance this with getting athletes emotions on camera without being too in their faces or without causing them a distraction?We're in a good place with most of the riders. They know we're on the case and respect them and what we're doing so there is not really an issue. The riders are a lot more pro now and know this is the biggest stage of the year. This is the last true Freeride event and people really care about it. Everybody is there to put on a killer show.
Being on the podium at Red Bull Rampage was a dream come true for the giant from New Zealand. Kelly managed to secure second place on the 2013 podium after completing a jaw-dropping run. I personally remember being a nervous wreck watching Kelly take to his run and then screaming for joy when he landed his signature back-flip over the Canyon gap. It was an epic run and thanks to the complete wow-factor, Kelly's GoPro run made it into the top 100 things people searched for on Google in 2013. That was when we also discovered that Kelly sang to himself whilst riding down the cliff. I never did quite catch what the song was...
For 2016, in memory of Kelly, the team at Red Bull are introducing a special 'Kelly McGarry Spirit Award'. This award will go to the athlete that "embodies the spirit of Kelly; the athlete that shows hard work, a good attitude and charges during practice." The award winner will be decided by votes cast by the athletes themselves the night before the finals and will be given out during the awards ceremony. I'm confident there won't be a dry eye in the house when that happens.
Red Bull Rampage will be streamed live, exclusively on Red Bull TV at 10:30am MDT (local time) / 09:30 PST / 12:30 EST / 17:30 BST / 18:30 CET) on Friday, October 14 barring any weather issues. You can join in the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #RedBullRampage.
Words by Farah Ahmed. With thanks to Red Bull Media House North America, Oli da Costa, Ben Vergnaud, Ben Deakin, Derek Westerlund, and the Pinkbike Rampage photographers.
MENTIONS: @redbullbike / @geebeebee / @natedh9 / @meagerdude / @parisgore / @Margus / @sterlinglorence / @the-deakinator / @EeehhZink / @EthanNell / @kurt-rider / @YTIndustries / @Polygonbikes / @SCOTT-Sports / @trek / @COMMENCALbicycles / @GTBicycles / @konaworld / @KNOLLYBIKES / @RockyMountainBicycles / @Canyon-PureCycling
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Honestly... this year... I think there's quite a few people that have a really really good shot at winning.
Personally, I'm pulling for TMAC. I think he got robbed of a podium. Then last year he had a top 2 run had he not crashed in practice. He's due. Hopefully this location the judges will recognize him for what he is. Dude goes so damn big. He's so smooth and styly and he's got enough tricks in the bag...
I'm wondering if it would be possible to do something like judges put in their scores at the time of the run. Then at the very end a wild card judges the runs in completion... at the end. That way they can be evaluated side by side by at least one judge. Then the results come out.
Judging is very difficult and will ALWAYS be a bone of contention. That's why the people's choice award is often the real winner. The viewers are judging in hindsight... after all runs are complete.
But fact of the matter... the organizers AND the riders are doing their best to improve the event. And that's always a good thing. At least they're not sitting back and cashing in. So props to all involved.
I'm actually a bit worried for the riders this year. The images I'm seeing so far... there are going to be some truly insane lines (cam zink for one) and HUGE drops
keep negging pussies you show your true colors and you know its true, trend on! the reals are too busy riding real while your pissy you got called out lol
This is gonna be a sick one, i can tell. Gl lads
Has anybody been to the event before? I need some tips on what to bring, what to expect, etc.
Do they let you bring in cameras? It seems like the only pictures and video I ever see are from bike websites.
Can you bring in food and water? I figure we'll be out there all day long for 2 days. I sure hope we can bring in some food.
Is it a burly hike to the actual event location? Someone said it's a long walk. I was wondering if we could bring a bike and pedal in.
Any info would be great. We're noobs to the event, but not noobs to biking. We just want to be prepared.
Thanks in advance.
Any budding young businesspeople out there?
You could do a lot worse than a case study of Red Bull's 2016 Rampage social media management....... I for one am watching and learning. Thanks RB.
Oh, and bloody well done to geebeebee media on getting the contract!!
Great article about Josh Bender and how he helped pioneer the event.
The rule changes, riders list and change of venue has already done the rounds
Anyone locate it on google earth?
what a joke