Photo Epic: A Condensed Session - Red Bull Rampage 2021
Access to the venue was restricted this morning as we woke up to the pitter patter of rain and high winds. The dirt on the long, narrow shuttle road to the venue becomes slick and sticky when wet and so organizers had no choice but to delay the start of the day until the road dried out. The sun eventually came out mid-morning, but it wasn't until close to 3pm that riders were able to drive into the venue to get to work on their lines. In the distance, fresh snow coated the mountains and the nearby town where Ethan Nell lives was one of the places that received several inches of fresh snow.
Although the day was cut short, we were treated to some mega sessions, and riders fit an impressive amount of riding into a short period of time before the sun set. While Brage Vestavik, Reed Boggs, and Brandon Semenuk took advantage of the moisture in the dirt to spend all afternoon on the tools, many other riders took the opportunity to tick of features on their lines and get comfortable on their bikes as the wind was light.
There's nothing like approaching darkness to put the pressure on, and as the sun moved lower in the sky, we saw some major features ticked off. It was like fireworks going off around the site as Tom Van Steenbergen, Kurt Sorge, Cam Zink, Ethan Nell, and Jaxson Riddle all hit the major drops in their lines within the same hour.
It was a late start to the day due to the overnight rainstorm. Riders were finally able to get on site around 3pm.
Fresh moisture means it's a good time to pack down your line, and what better way to do so than with a friend?
As we arrived on site, the slap, slap, slap of shovels on dirt was the predominant sound.
There were a couple of riders that took advantage of the moisture in the dirt to spend all afternoon on the tools.
The dirt was looking prime after a full night of rain.
Obligatory shot to show the condition of the dirt onsite as displayed on Zink's wheel in an artsy fartsy way.
No chairlifts here. As Ethan was working his way up to the top of his lily pad drop, he could be heard singing Skee-Lo; "I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller..."
Szymon Godziek had a big session at the bottom section of the mountain, throwing tuck no-handers, flips, and more!
Ethan dropping in to the last big hit on his line.
Andreu pushing back up while sessioning the bottom feature. Andreu had a big crash higher up on the mountain later in the day and is rumoured to have broken his collarbone. We have reached out with him for more details and will update when we hear back.
Szymon Godziek shows why he was invited to Rampage once again.
A classic Andreu flatspin.
Vinny T scoping his line.
Thomas Genon grabbing tire.
When packing a landing requires a rappel, you know it's a big feature.
Landings so steep that you have to use rope access to rappel into them to make sure they're packed, just right.
Ethan testing out his lily pad feature. He sent it deep on one hit, but looks to have it pretty close to dialled in.
T-Mac airing out a big suicide no-hander.
Jaxson Riddle's drop is slow and technical, a big change up from the rest of his fast line.
Tom Van Steenbergen on his massive bottom feature.
Jaxson dropping in off the Knoblin.
Brage is planning on keeping his line raw.
This trick jump had Andreu grinning from ear to ear every time he boosted the lip... His style is something that we've missed since the last Rampage, and unfortunately sounds like we're going to have to keep waiting.
Szymon was making the most out of the short afternoon session, making sure he's perfectly dialed in on the lower features. He made sure that his stanchion made solid contact with his frame on this one-foot downside.
It took Ethan a couple of hits of his lily pad feature to dial in the speed needed to land perfectly on the pad, but he took to it like a frog to water before the afternoon was a wrap.
Kurt showing Szymon what the downtube of his frame looks like. Szymon said, "She's real nice Clark, real nice."
Andreu didn't blink hitting this drop and then rolled into the trick jump and boosted it to the moon. Once he finally landed, he said, "So much fun!! I forgot how much fun bikes were!!" We made his comment PG.
A cheeky no-footer from Szymon through the legs of the water tower.
Kurt Sorge was the last rider to win at this site in 2017, can he make it a four-peat?
Jaxson Riddle kicks his legs around like a toddler that was just denied a McFlurry.
As Jaxson was riding, his team was using the moist dirt to sculpt one of the final hits of Jaxson's run. We can't wait to see what Jaxson has in store for this lip.
The views, especially after the storm we had, sprinkled with some sunlight, will make anyone stop for a second to appreciate mother earth.
No spectators are onsite this early in the week, however, this is the perfect time for members of the production crew to take a couple minutes before the mayhem starts to take in the views.
Jaxson seems to progress from test-run to tricking the feature in the blink of an eye. The next hit, he's going to do something sick.
Final hits of the evening included Kurt Sorge making light work of the drop with possibly the best-looking landing out there...
The sun managed to peek through the storm clouds for just a second at sunset to light up the start gate with a glow that makes the red rock pop like no other place.
Just before we lost all light for the day, Zink got this drop checked off.
Must Read This Week
[Updated - Dante Silva Joins the Canyon CLLCTV DH Team] Round Up: A Complete Timeline of 2023 Team Moves
130579 views
130579 views
Bike Check: Comparing Jack Moir, Kasper Woolley & Christian Textor's New YT Capra Race Bikes
47285 views
47285 views
64 Comments
I guess you have never been to a rampage site, right? So therefore you have no right to be the internet thug who’s able to criticise the line choices. You do know who’s in the judging/organising team of rampage right? Pretty sure they would push rampage into a different direction, if it really became a slope event like all you keyboard warriors are complaining about.
Just let the riders do their thing and enjoy the show!
"Brage is planning on keeping his line raw." this is where Rampage was born from.
As awesome as it is to see the huge made jump/drop lines everywhere, it feels a little manicured these days.
No Idea who felix1999 is but think he needs to watch the history of Rampage
Yeah man, pretty sure I know it better than you bro
Wade Simmonds & Josh Bender are the true OGs of rampage and surprise surprise, both of them are in the judges and organisations team. If they are happy with the direction rampage is taking then you should be too.
PLEASE show me one other MTB event where guys are dropping in on a knife edge ridge off of 30 foot drops with 100ft cliffs on either side that are life enders if you don’t stick it just right. Yes there are big jumps and manicured landings but that is about the only resemblance to an event like Audi Nines. The amount of focus and precision these riders have to have, not to mention battling the elements, to make it to the bottom is insane and can not be compared to any other event. Until you have ridden in Virgin at the old sites and came to watch the event live you have ZERO credibility and right to say this is what we see at other events.
Regardless of this I think my point is being missed, I fully appreciate the risk, challenge, technicality etc of the whole event, but I like watching the lines which look creative and raw (ie my own personal opinion on what I want to see, others are just as entitled to their own) - chutes, drops, canyon gaps etc which really make use of the fantastic terrain on offer. I, like almost every other commentator on the matter are the viewers that Red Bull etc want so my opinion is just as credible as anyone else's, or is having an opinion an entitled club only the most elite can join?
Last night I watched a cool video Red Bull compilation of the last 20 years. Some of the early stuff has some huge sends to pretty shitty landings. The sport has progressed to more slope style tricks, in 04 a no hander was. Big deal. I’ve yet to see one live but I have been to the sites, it’s humbling for sure. Loose af is an understatement. In my opinion I like the natural lines more but a combination of both is pretty damn cool too.
The question is how the competition should be judged and how line choice is scored. I'm in the 'natural line' camp and would like to see heavier scoring for original lines, but tricks seem to have become the focus instead in recent years. Nothing to complain about though really.
Bro I think all of you have to sit down
I‘m just saying that we should let the riders build and ride what they want to. They know the best in which direction Rampage needs to be pushed. 99.9% of the PB commenters haven’t been to the rampage site and most definitely won’t think about riding any of this stuff.
All I’m saying is that none of us has the right to say that rampage is moving into a wrong direction.. you really think your opinion about how the event should be judged (most of you have never been there) is more worth than Zinks, Sorges, Straits, Lacondeguys, Benders, Vink (…)?!
- Pinkbikers: ‘’ Dude I don’t like your line choice, I want riders to risk their lives on the line that I prefer for my best entertainment. And don’t ask me to pay for anything’’
Individual athletes cutting raw lines for a youtube video is one thing, but when it's competitive it goes to another level and they push each other and I've got nothing but positive to say about what these guys are doing. I wish I could do it and I'm glad I don't- I know I'd cock it up and I'm way to pretty to take that kind of fall.
Andreu: *gets hurt because the hits are super hard even for a rider of his caliber*
...
Fat 50 year old PB gaper who'd shit his pants just looking up from the bottom: "iTs SlOpEsTyLe" *takes a swig of Stella/[insert your local cheap beer for chavs], then proceeds to sit on his arse and type angry comments*
Me looking at a picture of a rock wall and people who look like mountain goats: "what fkn line, WHERE IS THE LINE!?"
One suggestion: it would be nice to include some wide shots that show the rider's lines, specially in the upper part. Less aesthetic, but more informative in order to see how each line flows and where it is in the mountain. Maybe even edited with arrows/lines to show the rider's path? Understanding how difficult lines are makes me enjoy the final show much more. Thanks!
Hope he gets well soon, possibly even well enough to compete.
I am assuming that as I read this on the morning of Wednesday 10/13, the pictures and post are referring to yesterday, Tuesday 10/12, but the way info trickles out from this event its hard to ever know for sure. And I would assume its even more difficult for those readers outside the US who are in much different time zones.
Put it on YouTube, how to build your own slope course in 3 years or less…..