Red Bull Hardline Told Not to Return to Welsh Mansion After Damage

Mar 30, 2023
by Ed Spratt  
Wheelie across the line into first place for Jackson Goldstone

North Wales Live has reported that Red Bull will not be allowed to use the accommodation Plas Tan-y-Bwlch in Wales after damage caused during Hardline over the past two years.

Snowdonia National Park Authority which owns Plas Tan-y-Bwlch, a Grade II listed mansion offering space for 60 guests, has come to the decision that they will not allow Red Bull to return to the venue for Hardline after being used for the event in previous years. Members of the National Park Authority have claimed that after the past two events have resulted in damage to the property there is too high of a risk for future damage.

While details of the damage have not been revealed North Wales Live has reported a spokesman saying: “Main costs included refills of fire extinguishers and other additional cleaning and cosmetic damage." After staying last year Red Bull had to forfeit its £5000 deposit and had to pay for all repairs to the property.

During a recent management committee meeting the Director of Corporate Services, Iwan Jones responded to a question about whether staff were at the property during the event saying: “staff were present during the day but weren’t comfortable to stay overnight”.

Members of the committee have expressed that banning Red Bull from staying at the property will be a difficult financial decision with a big gap to fill in order to match the income Hardline generates. But members found that potential future damage could be more significant and "too much of a risk”.

Posted In:
Industry News Hardline


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222 Comments

  • 505 33
 Way to make us look like fucking hooligans, assholes.
  • 37 7
 like hooligans?
  • 103 460
flag 5afety3rd (Mar 30, 2023 at 9:00) (Below Threshold)
 Honestly this is exactly how the sport should look.
  • 41 305
flag iammarkstewart (Mar 30, 2023 at 9:01) (Below Threshold)
 Everyone is a hooligan when the stuff isn't theirs. Every hotel that's ever had half a dozen hockey teams book for a tournament, anyone who's rented a car, anyone who uses a public bathroom....
  • 299 2
 Im glad the authorities took the hard line.
  • 121 1
 @iammarkstewart: I'm glad this isn't true for everyone.
  • 293 7
 @iammarkstewart: How about no? Now I don't know where you're from where it is apparently normal to trash stuff that isn't yours, but here we usually tend to respect other people and their property.

Being a civilized and respectful person is surprisingly easy, these hooligans should have tried it.
  • 57 99
flag chriskneeland (Mar 30, 2023 at 9:29) (Below Threshold)
 @5afety3rd: What do you think this is BMX? Freeride 2009? MTB is just roadies on $19,000 ebikes now. Get with the culture.
  • 41 8
 @5afety3rd: no. Just... No.
  • 79 5
 @5afety3rd: Ah yes, we should all look like immature children incapable of something as simple as respecting other people's property.
  • 14 109
flag NZracer91 (Mar 30, 2023 at 9:51) (Below Threshold)
 Welcome to sports... they all do it...
  • 44 2
 @NZracer91: Doesn't even involve sports, put a bunch of young dudes anywhere with spare time, and usually alcohol, and you get this kind of behavior. Source: every spring break town, every year.
  • 69 2
 This is tough to hear and not the norm. I rented a property I own to an elite level snowboarding brand and their athletes for a week during an event. They were super respectful and a pleasure to work with. I'd have them back any day.
  • 79 2
 @iammarkstewart:
I prefer to live by the mantra "Drive/inhabit/use it like you own it". Destroying something is easy and any idiot can do it, creating and/or maintaining something takes creativity, maturity and integrity.
  • 12 36
flag slickwilly1 (Mar 30, 2023 at 11:04) (Below Threshold)
 It happens every weekend in hotels all around the world..Not saying its right but I was once; Young, Dumb and full of…….. Rum???
  • 26 45
flag AlanMck (Mar 30, 2023 at 11:13) (Below Threshold)
 @Muscovir: don't be gentle, she's a rental.
  • 9 86
flag Da-Trasher (Mar 30, 2023 at 11:49) (Below Threshold)
 @5afety3rd: I wish I could upvote this a Billion times!!
  • 19 58
flag ryanandrewrogers (Mar 30, 2023 at 11:52) (Below Threshold)
 @Da-Trasher: Amen! Y'all are crazy for not wanting to trash a castle!

It's a basic human desire! Just take a look at our history of trashing castles-
  • 38 0
 I assume the majority of the damage was caused by Goldstone... not for any logical reason, but because I want to believe that Kerr, Kaos and Atwill were pleading with him to calm down and instead he flushed a cherry bomb down the loo and antiqued Kaos with ABC chemical.
  • 22 9
 Not condoning the boys and girls having too much fun and destroying property. But fck man who was the idiot that decided to put that crew up in a "grade II mansion" whatever the fck that is. Put em in a campsite, tent or whatever and let em blow off a little steam.
"Us bikers" really dude? Never thought to compare myself to the hardline riders, completely different sport than what 99.9% of "us bikers" do. Now get off my lawn
  • 17 0
 @HughBonero: In that part of Wales, nearly all large accomodation buildings are either former stately homes or converted barns, all of which are at least 150 years old, so by virtue of the fact they are still standing are usually under some level of protection.
  • 52 1
 The fact that they had to refill fire extinguishers says it all really.
  • 7 1
 @motts:Exactly.
Nobody saw this coming, huh?
  • 40 2
 @ryanandrewrogers:
Our history of trashing castles? You got many castles in the US?
  • 12 0
 @bikes-arent-real: that the hardline riders took warners 'goldstones on fire' comment too seriously and attempted to put him out?
  • 19 2
 @Muscovir: Have you met the English? There are a few of us that care and respect others, but it’s mostly just entitled chavs or poor chavs.
  • 10 1
 @5afety3rd: you want the sport to be filled with A holes?
  • 45 1
 Ok so maybe some context for those in the states, a grade 2 listed building is a building of great importance, something that needs to be protected because of its significance.

For you guys maybe think ummmm…. Gun range (shrugging emoji).
  • 17 0
 That’s how hecklers rock in whis got shut down . Morons throwing doing dumb shit
  • 13 0
 @CantQuitCartel: We've got a load of old, useless, protected stuff here in England. Mostly they work in parliament.

For the Americans, old buildings get 'listed' to preserve history. You have to have special permission to change stuff. Grade 2 is the lesser of the 2 grades (Scotland and NI do things differently) Grade 1 reserved for really important stuff like old cathedrals or the great cheddar cheese factory of 1468

For example a house in my village are older than the US declaration of independence and is only grade 2 listed. They have to keep their thatched (straw) roofs etc.
  • 28 2
 No dig, no ride.

No respect, no stay.

Pretty much the same thing. If you behave like that in someone elses property, I don't even want you on the trails. Pick up computer games and keep living with your mom. She sure loves cleaning up after your 40+ yo ass.
  • 6 1
 @mxmtb: this is why we can't have nice/fun things...
  • 7 12
flag therealnobody (Mar 31, 2023 at 2:08) (Below Threshold)
 When did punk rock become so safe?
  • 18 1
 @therealnobody: When people realised that hotel staff are not 'the man' to be angry at nor rallied against.
There's a time and a place to cut loose, no need to be a dick about it
  • 2 0
 @JiminOz: nah, they were all trashed.
  • 5 1
 The Atlantic is pretty big and even though it seems pretty easy for Hollywood creations to travel back and forth, actual understanding often doesn't make it this far. Castles are to be trashed and saloon doors are to be kicked open. Don't you North Americans get bored by all those European tourists who kick your doors open and order a drink at gunpoint (having just blown all bottles to shatters as instructed by the A-team)? Similarly, we're getting bored over here by lycra-clad Americans razing our castles. You know, were aren't that different after all.
  • 1 2
 @HughBonero: RB management made that decision
  • 3 1
 @therealnobody: Mtb no longer punk, it went gone emo and has since turned easy listening. This is now a family friendly morning show.
  • 1 0
 @therealnobody: it wasn't duane or fletcher.
  • 3 0
 @ROOTminus1: not arguing that historic buildings shouldn't be protected. I just think the organizers should have known that this might happen and planned accordingly. We have a Spanish saying that translates roughly, "If you know how I get at parties , why did you invite me?"
  • 3 1
 @bikes-arent-real: consider the consequences of a real fire, with guests sleeping upstairs and no working fire extinguishers to be found. Havent we seen enough interviews with friends/family of the perished ?
  • 3 0
 @JiminOz: Eh, our lineages were all trashing castles in Europe around the same time (if European). Generationally, I reckon most people on Earth were trashing some kind of castle only 7 or so ancestors back.

Plus, my dad's from Liverpool, and if there's anything a Scouser knows how to do well its trash a classy establishment lol
  • 4 6
 @ryanandrewrogers:

Your ancestors maybe, yes. But not for hundreds of years.

The US must have missed trashing castles like their ancestors, so they progressed to trashing entire countries instead.
  • 1 0
 @BikesBoatsNJeeps: Jackson let loose and had one too many juice box after that killer run
  • 2 0
 @JiminOz: Like Australia wasn't happy to join us lmao
  • 2 0
 @HughBonero: that's why you're not invited any more
  • 2 2
 @chriskneeland: you’re right, my mistake. Forgot how lame MTB culture has become.
  • 2 2
 @danielfloyd: deah deah deah
  • 2 2
 @Saucycheese: I’m saying it’s is filled with a holes and I prefer fun loving hooliganism
  • 2 0
 @ryanandrewrogers: I don't approve but your logic is inexcusable
  • 1 0
 @motts: yup, happens all over. i see it many place i walk, ride, shop. People dont care about others at times. If your borrowing it, use it and return it better then you found it.
  • 1 2
 @chriskneeland: lol I at least upvoted you my guy.
  • 3 0
 @iammarkstewart: Why can't people just treat stuff as if it "was theirs?"
  • 2 0
 @5afety3rd: Hard to believe, but you can be a badass at your sport of choice AND you can have a really good time working towards those "lifestyle moments " for the Socials, w/o being an a*shole! Next time you plan to go somewhere and are "Why the F@#% is it so expensive just sleep somewhere!" refer back to your above comment, and actions it encourages.
  • 1 0
 @HughBonero: AND THIS! But it's a bunch of Boomers and older who run theses "Heritage" sites. I wouldnalmoa put that deposit on the fact that the decision maker A) has never seen seen a Redbull video. B) Knows Redbull has LOTS of money and only "saw the revenue potential."
  • 166 0
 While details of the damage have not been revealed North Wales Live has reported a spokesman saying: “Main costs included refills of fire extinguishers and other additional cleaning and cosmetic damage."


Oh, I think we can piece together this mystery, hahaha
  • 197 0
 Office chair. Fire extinguisher.
"Look at the time!"
  • 5 0
 @fruitsd79: An actual LOL from here Big Grin
  • 2 0
 @fruitsd79: HAHAHAHA xD
  • 17 1
 I have seen quite some contest after parties, but the one with the highest bill the next day was 26TRIX / Out of Bounds Festival in Leogang, in mid/end 2000s:
After the official party, some riders decided to create a pool party in their room, meaning that they threw the furniture out the window, duct taped all doors and started to let water pour into the room.
But to be fair: the riders took over these costs.

The bill that the organizer got from the hotel ewas ridiculous:
Some used a bench to trash the glass front door, because they forgot their keycard,
a stuffed bird got his head biten off, .....
It really was crazy times.

Fun fact: this hotel still accomodated the riders the next, following years,
but with young staff during the 2 main event nights, to calm things down, if needed.
Afterwards no more issues.

You have to give props to the family that owned that hotel, to be that easy and relaxed, with this quite f*cked up situation.
I have been doing the global MTB-tourism related communications for Legang for almost 4 years back then, and have to say, the LEOGANG people have been very, very chilled to work with in general (next favorite client back then: Livigno).
  • 102 0
 This is why we can't have nice things.
  • 10 0
 "Barry! You jackass!"
  • 1 0
 You beat me to it, well done.
  • 4 20
flag ryanandrewrogers (Mar 30, 2023 at 11:54) (Below Threshold)
 Because they won't let us. Besiege that castle lads! In the name of Satan and Freeride!
  • 96 5
 Well that's embarrassing.
  • 40 5
 Eek agree. You'd expect it from the football yobs but, sheesh, not us bikers.. Chav behaviour.
  • 7 1
 @Schbeemb: those guys aren't "us bikers".
  • 11 0
 @Schbeemb: have you seen the majority of professional bikers when not dressed in race gear. They love their tracksuit bottoms and Nike Air Max.
  • 94 20
 Freeride aint' dead!!
  • 72 2
 Grade 2 listed means it's old and protected, so I see they're point...it ain't the Travelodge!
  • 12 6
 My mate was woken up in his travel lodge room by the police at 8am because he has unscrewed the safety catch off the window. He complained it was too hot in the room and needed to open the window. Traveldodge just called the old bill on him and got him charged for criminal damage! Arseh0les!
  • 49 5
 @rich-2000: I would do unspeakable things to sleep until 8am. The cost of a room at a travelodge, a police wake up and a vandalism charge sounds like a good deal to me.

Source: guy with little kids
  • 6 1
 @slow-cal: +1
  • 3 1
 @slow-cal: Fellow dad here. 8am sounds like a dream!
  • 60 7
 Yeah rock and roll! Trashing other peoples sh!t cause 'wE Did SOmeTHinG cOoL tHaT dAY aND We'rE sO fAMoUs tHat iT mAkES It rAdiCaL'! (And therefore not just senseless disrespect and vandalism).


Woo.
  • 1 0
 @JiminOz: I speak this language. The lines are hard to see, but there is space b/n them.




Hoo rah!
  • 48 3
 It's always the portion of people without respect that ruin it for everyone else.
  • 8 45
flag mrgonzo (Mar 30, 2023 at 13:37) (Below Threshold)
 Sorry they ruined your vacation plans, it sounds like you were planning to stay at that mansion and ride the hardline course
  • 4 2
 @mrgonzo: the f*ck does that even mean?
  • 2 0
 @miff: ? Seems pretty clear what he meant, regardless of whether you agree.
  • 1 0
 @miff: means there's very little chance that explodo was actually going to stay at that mansion so nothing is actually ruined for anybody. explodo or me or you can book any vacation house or hotel that we want and go ride any bike park or trails. It's all 100 percent good. Assuming we can afford the $$ and get time away. But these young wild hardline rock stars certainly didn't ruin our chances to have a fun vacation with our bikes.
  • 38 5
 All these morons in the comments saying it's not a problem...

I'm coming to your houses and dropping an upper decker in everyone of your toilets and throwing your tv out your (closed) second floor window with and extension cord so it's still on when it hits the ground. And on my way out I'll make sure to remove your front door from its hinges.

It's fine. Just having a bit of fun.

Morons.
  • 1 1
 @ih8hondas: but did we pay you and sign a contract at your house?
  • 3 0
 @therealnobody: Show me where exactly the contract granted Red Bull guests permission to damage the property.
  • 1 0
 If you hit all the jumps and put down a respectable time on the hardline course then yes you can do all that in my house except it's only one story but you can drop my TV off a ladder for better effect
  • 31 0
 Reminds me of Hotel Maribor (Slovenian World Cup) that banned any athletes/teams from accommodation in 2002, after riders partied a wee bit too hard in the lobby and rooms. Shame, was the nicest hotel and right by the finish area.
  • 35 2
 When a sport's athletes think they're rock stars. But the rest of the world disagrees.
  • 1 0
 right
  • 3 0
 Didn't DH World Cups get moved to Sundays for just this type of thing? I remember hearing something like that from way back then. To get them out of quicker to reduce the debauchery. Sounded like a good time.
  • 26 0
 The Building is owned by the Snowdonia National Park Authority and was a Mansion owned by rich Slate Quarry Owner.
It's now a study centre with residential rooms etc.
It's a real shame that this has happened to put negativity on mountain bikers.
Being local I can't say that they have ever encouraged mountain biking in the area and this won'n help matters.
But having said this they have facilitated the permission to ride up and down Snowdon ( Highest mountain in England and Wales).
  • 13 0
 Yeah Snowdonia NPA won't need much excuse to turn against mountain bikers, they've never been too keen on canoeists either
  • 1 5
flag chrismac70 (Mar 31, 2023 at 7:12) (Below Threshold)
 Exactly. It just goes to show how little RB care about the sport that they will risk riding in the area just to sell a few cans of a lousy drink
  • 27 0
 the roof was on fire
  • 6 0
 We don't need no water...
  • 1 1
 @xmicherx: Link or it didn't happen
  • 5 0
 @kyleluvsdh: You missed the reference I believe.
  • 3 0
 @Ih8Hondas: I did xD
  • 22 0
 Potential April Fool’s headline: “Walton Brothers to Bring Hardline to Bentonville for 2023”
  • 11 0
 They would need to change the name to Walmart: Blue Flowline. Instead of prize money they just give out walmart giftcards
  • 3 0
 They do have a castle there now.
  • 21 0
 Kids today... you've got to be the greatest drummer of your generation before you can party like Keith Moon...
  • 18 0
 I guess setting up that indoor wallride was a bad idea
  • 14 1
 I'm sure Dan will head down the saw mill and knock up some wooden yurts and shepherd huts before hardline. Then rent them out at the weekends for the rest of the year at Dyfi bike park! Win win?
  • 9 0
 This doesn’t do the sport any good as this Grade II listed building is owned by the local authority in Snowdonia in Wales, where there is a campaign to get better access to the trails. Snowdonia National Park is also where a number of the UK bike parks are hosted. That means the very same people who decided this ban will be the very same people who make decisions on trail access & planning permission for buildings & construction. It is hard enough to get the sport accepted in the UK as it is without this sort of negative publicity. These are supposed to be Professional athletes, brand ambassadors, influencers, they should act like it & set an example.
  • 16 4
 Probably all Kaos Seagrave
  • 14 0
 That's "how we roll".
  • 13 2
 definitely wasn't Kaos, he was actually one of the more respectable ones.
  • 10 0
 Think it's more Jono Wink
  • 16 0
 "Name on the reservation sir?"
"Kaos, Kaos with a "K""
"Welcome Mr Kaos would you like a room with Mt view or a balcony overlooking the swimming pool, sir?"
"With balcony overlooking the swimming pool will be LOVELY!"
  • 9 0
 I heard it was Danny Hart - its always the quiet ones after a few beverages
  • 3 0
 @HughBonero: Taos, but with a K instead of a T.
  • 13 2
 this is why we can not have nice things at a reasonable price.
  • 9 2
 Riders will all complain they don’t get paid enough to be professional athletes and then will do shit like this.
I’ve been around a lot of after parties in a number of different sports. They are all fun, but none are as destructive as downhillers.
  • 9 0
 Thank god there where no balconies!
  • 7 3
 How is it embarrassing if these are not people you are personally connected to? Some of the best and worst people I've met have been mountain bikers. It's time for a Hardline series in New locations anyway. South America for one.
  • 8 0
 I miss the 90's
  • 7 0
 Damn. Not a good look.
  • 7 0
 Redbull Hard-On Mansion
  • 3 0
 Never heard of that adult film.
  • 5 0
 Cum's out next week
  • 6 0
 Embarrassing from professional MTBer's
  • 5 1
 "Main costs included refills of fire extinguishers", think they had to cool Jackson down because he was on fire.
  • 5 0
 Some riders just can't help being red bulls in a china shop...
  • 3 11
flag kyleluvsdh (Mar 30, 2023 at 15:56) (Below Threshold)
 Red Bulls in a Wuhan Lab
  • 18 17
 Not a great look for Hardline but not really surprising I guess. After an event as gnarly as this you can imagine the riders and builders are going to get pretty loose afterward.
  • 59 1
 Getting loose is one thing, damaging someone else's property is another and shows a lack of respect, and reflects poorly on the sport.
  • 1 0
 @woofer2609: agreed
  • 1 2
 All they have done is take part in a RB marketing event. It’s not as if the result matters. Why do you think most of the elite dont go
  • 4 0
 Someone done to many "hard lines"and got a little rowdy
  • 1 0
 Whew, thought the headline stated "Red Bull Hardline not allowed back at Welsh Countryside" before I had coffee! I figured Red Bull paid handsomely to cover incidents but when you start unloading fire extinguishers... Smile
  • 2 0
 I think we’ve all be n there… you’re hanging out in a Grade II listed mansion and you don’t have a choice but emptying a fire extinguisher
  • 2 0
 Maybe Red Roof Inn is more appropriate for a Red Bull-sponsored competition.
  • 5 2
 How dare they, those wild rapscallions!
  • 3 0
 Some people just need to grow up
  • 1 0
 These are easily some of the best Pinkbike comments I've read in long time. Just goes to show you who we mountain bikers really are. Jokesters.
  • 3 0
 What a embarrassing matter. Fucking hooligans.
  • 2 0
 Imagine if Peaty, Palmer and Warner were here in their hay days...No statue would be unturned....
  • 1 0
 If you follow the right Instagram accounts, you'd have seen who emptied fire extinguisher and other actions that have lead to this decision
  • 1 0
 Guessing they didnt have to complete basic safety training. Amateur night huh
  • 1 0
 So I’m assuming that hardline will still happen at the same venue, they just won’t have hotel access?
  • 5 0
 Boys and girls gonna be tenting it this year.
  • 3 1
 NGL. This made me smile. Especially the fire hydrant quote. XD
  • 2 0
 It reminds me of the Kona party at the bowling alley at Vegas interbike!
  • 2 0
 F#cking motley crue racing at hard line ?
  • 13 16
 We own an air bnb next to my house and screen who stays there very carefully. The business man in me would say hell no to this booking. However the mountain biker in me says hell yeah so long as I can party with them. Adulting blows…it’s like internal battle between common sense and the inner hooligan from yesteryore.

That’s the beauty of snowshoe wv. They take hooligans in stride. The last World Cup, the resort took a bit of a beating. Everybody is still invited back this year.
  • 10 8
 What’s the air bnb. You know so we can avoid it
  • 2 3
 If you think adulting blows why don't you sell the airbnb and spend it all travelling the WC series for a few years? Being a boring old adult is a choice.
  • 13 10
 @mi-bike: who said I was a boring old adult? I am a 42 year old man who came from nothing and now I own my own business that I built from scratch. I’m working my ass off now so I can retire young and enjoy my life. The air bnb is just a side hustle that my wife manages. I travel and ride more than most. Owning businesses give me the freedom to not be a lame adult working for a small paycheck. Or riding the corporate shaft for a career only to get out out to pasture when I’m older. What I won’t do is post on here like I wasn’t a hooligan in my 20s that wouldn’t or never did trash a hotel room. I most certainly was. Now that I have worked hard to have what I have I look back on those years both longingly and with regrets. Having fun is not always paramount to respecting people’s property. Your good time should not come at cost to folks who work hard and take pride. this is hard to see when you’re young and shit faced though.
  • 3 4
 @Struggleteam: TLDR
  • 12 2
 @freeridejerk888: lig ma. That short enough for ya?
  • 6 0
 @Struggleteam: You want salt with that chip on your shoulder?
  • 4 4
 Several hundreds of years with English and Scotish attacking: all fine.
A couple of weekends with 60 douchebags....
  • 1 0
 oopsieeee.... good fun though
  • 1 0
 Rob and Peaty were there?
  • 2 3
 Sounds like fun, y'all grow up, everyone's been there before. Plus these guys most of all deserve a little party, they don't make shit and work their asses off.
  • 1 0
 Cheers big ears fuch the whole British empire and shave the queen.
  • 1 0
 I pooped in a urinal once
  • 1 0
 Bernard Kerr will just buy the place. Bruce Wayne style.
  • 2 1
 FREERIDE LIVES!!!
  • 1 1
 Who do you believe? Honestly, who cares? Just move on…
  • 1 0
 42 y/o baby
  • 1 1
 WTH i just read…….
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