Szymon Godziek: Behind Rampage - Video
No one would deny the uniqueness and extremity of Red Bull Rampage. To put it bluntly, it is unlike any other competition out there. Every year, for one week a small part of the rocky desert in Utah becomes the battlefield for the bravest and most skilled bike riders from all over the world. For most of the participants, acquiring an invitation is already a sort of distinction. However, it is where all the fun begins, because you still have to dig your line all the way down to the bottom of the mountain and it's not an easy task at all...
This year Szymon Godziek, after his great performance in 2014, was one of the 13 pre-qualified riders to automatically join the finals. Szymon and his digging crew were working hard all week long to build the sickest line possible. Unfortunately, the effort went to waste after a huge crash occurred while testing the canyon gap.
Below, you will find a gallery full of great shots showing what happened behind the scenes. But first of all, make sure to check the video giving you a fresh look into the reality of Red Bull Rampage – fasten your belts, it is going to be a hell of a ride!
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 Visting the Wild Wild West. A journey to Red Bull Rampage is nowhere near your average bike trip. You have to be prepared for something totally new and unknown. Remember, a hat might be useful! |
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| Is it the Red Planet? Well, actually the answer is no. Of course, this breathtaking landscape is located in Utah. If you are a fan of extraterrestrial views, you have just found a perfect spot! |
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| Warming up at legendary King Kong trail. |
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| Upon the arrival to Utah riders take their first step to the well-known King Kong trail. This line was built over a dozen years ago and still is capable of surprising even the most skilled freeriders. The old school at its best! |
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| On the way down with Roots. |
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| The long way up the hill. Looking for a chairlift in Utah is pointless - it is not another European bike park. Visiting the land of endless rock you have to rely only on yourself. That is why nobody is riding alone out there - it would be far too dangerous. |
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| Dust walk with me! |
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| Rock Desert. There is a reason why Utah is being referred to a rock desert. In nearby Virgin the landscape does not differ a lot. Most of the place is simply covered with stones - yet it looks truly amazing! |
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| A driving test. Everyday the Polish crew had to drive approximately 50 miles to reach the place and get back home. Some of the roads were very decent, while the rest led through a bumpy, sandy and narrow paths - of course, it brought a lot of fun! |
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| Look mum no hands! While speaking about the off-road part, the real challenge was the 4-mile long desert road that led straight into the venue. Passengers had to hold on tight while catching some dust and gravel! |
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| Ford F150 was a real desert terminator. A 3.7 litre V6 twin turbocharged petrol engine made this car a real beast! Fortunately, the downsizing idea is still not very popular in this part of the globe. |
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| Keeping up the good work. At Red Bull Rampage all of the riders have to prepare their own lines. Szymon together with his mates had their hands full of work while building all of the features. It might sound strange, but water is a rare resource at the venue and it has to be used wisely. |
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| Reaching the start gate. Before rolling down the mountain for 2 minutes, you had to climb up for almost an hour. To avoid extreme exhaustion, riders often used the help of their mates - nothing was simple in Utah. |
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| Getting ready to roll. the start gate. At the top of the mountain there is only one place you can start your run. The ridge is only 2-meter wide and later on it gets extremely narrow and technical - it is not the way for the fainthearted. |
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| The first section. As mentioned earlier, right after the start the line is narrow as hell. This tiny passage is only half meter wide. Even the smallest mistake would cost you a pretty long fall off the cliff. A safety margin does not exist at all. |
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| Drop it like it's hot! There was an extremely gnarly vertical path before the 4-meter tall drop at the beginning of the Szymon's line. The building process of this feature lasted for couple of days. According to many competitors, this part was almost impossible to ride. Fortunately not for Szymon - big up on that! |
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| This section is crowded with spectators and riders have to pass them by. |
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| Halfway down the mountain. For a brief moment before hitting the canyon gap, one of the features was a huge 7-meter tall drop. Without a doubt, it was very impressive and looked a bit like falling down into the abyss. |
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| The canyon gap. This year the biggest jump of Red Bull Rampage was redesigned. The landing was a bit higher, which turned out not to be a very good idea. While in the mid-air most of the riders thought that they are going to case. Unfortunately, Szymon decided to land without his bike and the impact was very severe, leaving him incapable of riding. |
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| The landscape in Virgin, Utah. |
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| The Red Bull Rampage journey comes to the end. The 2015 edition of Red Bull Rampage was full of surprises. During the qualifiers and the finals, we saw a lot of great riding but there were also a lot of doubts and questions about final results and safety of riders. |
Photo by Bartek Wolinski courtesy of Red Bull Poland - www.redbull.pl
Video by Flairmotion - Aleksander Osmalek
MENTIONS: @wolisphoto / @redbullbike / @dart-bikes
Author Info:
Member since Oct 10, 2009
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If I started talking like that to my mates about mtb they'd all cringe and pretend they don't know me...
Amazing riding
That said I have to mention that RB film is cheeky advertising and should end with #IrideforPaul. No wait! #Idontgiveaf*ck - thats the one.
I have one, I like it