Video: 10 of the Wildest Moments in Rampage History

Oct 19, 2019
by Ed Spratt  

bigquotesFrom Gee Atherton to Kelly McGarry and Tom Van Steenbergen to Brendan Fairclough, we've done some digging into the freeride MTB archives to find some of the wildest Red Bull Rampage moments from the iconic events history.— Red Bull


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Videos Red Bull Antoine Bizet Brandon Semenuk Brendan Fairclough Cam Zink Carson Storch Gee Atherton Kelly Mcgarry Tom Van Steenbergen Red Bull Rampage


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85 Comments
  • 91 2
 Slopestyle robbed all other riding types! Brendogs line still looks nuts...

(Not that it isn't damn impressive...)
  • 55 1
 To me, a big part of the Brendog line's beauty is how him and his builders went off the beaten path where everyone else rode, and they painted with their own brush. They didn't build massive lips to massive landings with sandbags and tons of water. The Rock he rode was incredible, but the chute he rode afterwards(after the death gap), was also mind blowing.. It was steep, rough, and burly! Not carved into a smooth ramp for a double backflip...

I wonder if they reduced the incentives, and tools(sandbags, tanks of water) to build such massive jumps; we'd get back to more adventurous riding and line choice. Fewer races decided on who pulled the most backflips. They could try and judge differently with weighting and categories, but I'd wager that'd just be more confusing to everyone. Reduction of resources to machine the landscape might benefit those who are capable riding that terrain, and like Brendog, make it look amazing!
  • 2 0
 Has anyone seen non gopro footage of Brendan's full run?
  • 16 38
flag deco1 (Oct 19, 2019 at 18:07) (Below Threshold)
 @joshroppo: Pinkbike comments is literally just people not in the know parroting back what each other is saying, Brendon’s run was deserving on where it was put, the rock feature was awesome and unique, but his canyon gap thing was just lazy sketchy building (doesn’t even compare to some of the huge step downs ridden by Silva, Sorge, Mccaul) and his shoot was what’s kind of expected from rampage and was definitely not the hardest shoot there by any means (why isn’t anyone talking about DJ Brants shoot it was way gnarlier) and Brendog has the least biggest trick bag of anyone there (If anyone is expecting him to go there and win or podium this year, be prepared to be disappointed)

I to be honest find it quite arrogant that a racer can go to a free ride MTB event and think his the best there and expect to win. Tricks are honestly the hardest thing you can do on a bike, most people who have been riding for a few years can honestly go ride pretty hard steep terrain but most don’t even attempt tricks, just because people can’t even imagine doing them doesn’t mean you have to squash there importance.

Probably ever one in the field could ride that rock drop in Brendan’s line but not many can spin or flip massive step downs off cliffs so what do you think is harder, should be scored higher?
  • 26 1
 1. Brendogs line is f*cked. Definitely deserves to be on this list and every future one
2. Norbs got robbed
3. Storch is underrated
4. Norbs got robbed
5. Im like 8/10 drunk rn
6. Thank christ they ditched that tubby guy fiery looking dweeb announcer with the flatbrim and soulpatch looking like he got dressed in 2002. Just cringed every time he spoke.
  • 9 1
 @deco1: chute*
  • 2 1
 @myfriendgoose: Yep, fair enough, my bad.
  • 5 1
 @deco1: !00% agree. Hell zink and straits "chute' from a few years ago was waaay more nuts.... and that was just the start of their run.
  • 2 0
 @myfriendgoose: I couldn't agree more with #6, so glad that douche is gone.
  • 1 0
 @Deep-Friar: totally agree. unreal.
  • 3 0
 @myfriendgoose: #6 - you didn't just say that? Shut the front door!!!!!!

WTF does that even mean?
  • 1 0
 @BenPea: Yeah and I think the POV footage for once did the run more justice than watching it in person or via the live stream.
  • 1 0
 @scott-townes: It sure as hell did, which is why I would love to see another angle, because it is so hard to comprehend his line. I can't remember the live stream capturing this run fully and there's nothing on YouTube that I can find.
  • 1 1
 @BenPea: yeah almost as if the majority of the cameras are at the bottom
  • 1 0
 @dieuci: I'm not sure that's a verified fact. Actually I don't remember much except a disappointing 2D view from f*ck knows where. Was there a chopper cam?
  • 1 0
 @BenPea: see? All you remember is the garbage angle that’s zoomed in from the bottom of the course so it looks 2D. Yeah there was a chopper but it’s hard for the pilot to follow riders traversing ridges so they stay too far up and can’t get good shots that justifies the course.
  • 1 0
 @myfriendgoose: where the fk is rheeders 720. still hasnt even been stomped by semenuk
  • 49 0
 Never used to think it. But seeing this- Brendog got robbed so bad.
  • 8 4
 Best Rampage line ever!!!
  • 6 0
 @kosFoo: I think if Aggy would've pulled that 360 in 2016? That could've been the best
  • 34 1
 The commentary is like WWE. The most electrifying move in extreme sports entertainment history! Going down in history! Two wheeled history!... History!
  • 20 1
 The commentary kills me. Might have to watch it on mute this year, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2 WHEELED ACTION SPORTS HISTORY!!!
  • 5 0
 DUDE MAN DUDE!
  • 1 0
 rear forks
  • 3 0
 The brutal part is McCaul is really good at combining expert knowledge, decent commentary and quick/funny little bits, then they pair him with some "professional" baseball announcer and that x-games poser. There's got to be at least one commentary guy who's actually ridden a mountain bike...
  • 2 0
 his friends call him norby
  • 22 0
 If we’re talking “wildest” moments, you should probably include Rogatkin’s tumble off the cliff to Canyon Gap.
  • 4 0
 Man. Getting up and riding to the bottom, throwing in a back flip for good measure after somehow not dying was also wild. People who talked shit about Rogatkin talked a whole lot less shit about him after that. Unbelievable, maximum respect.
  • 15 0
 I love how the commentators go crazy at each clip except the one of Brendan's run. Almost looks like RedBull wants to please the pinkbike comment section...
  • 10 0
 It's weird, because on one hand you can argue that tricks are easier for a non - mtb audience to understand, but how many people who don't mountain bike actually watch Rampage?
From my experience in the uk the only audience are mountain bikers...
  • 13 0
 what about strait 2004 suicide or klassen classic drop ? c'mon there some rampage before 2010
  • 6 0
 was hoping to see the Bender sender in here.
  • 1 0
 Yes I agree some of the OGs footage should be in here. They paved the way for the progression we're seeing.
  • 15 0
 Fairclaw got robbed.
  • 2 0
 Hehe yes he did
  • 5 2
 Is this Fairclaw you speak of in fact “Brendan Fairclough”, The British freeracer also know as Brendog, or am I missing something?
  • 3 1
 @Spech: The commentator was so involved in mountain biking that he got Brendogs name wrong - calling him Fairclaw throughout his run...
  • 1 0
 @Spech: you take the raw with the smooth.
  • 11 0
 Dude, brendog's line is insane. It looked unride-able, so gnarly.
  • 3 1
 The fact that he got such a low score shows that the judging criteria is still so off, no matter how they revise it each time.
  • 10 1
 Love how Steenbergen almost went for the flip at the finish line and hate how he got robbed with that caveman
  • 2 0
 I watched live and was screaming NOOOOO WTF is he doing? one slip and he's gone to the ER
  • 7 1
 The rest of his line was "basic" as far as Rampage goes and he completely stalled and dabbed a foot in his run... He wasn't robbed at all, you just weren't paying attention.
  • 7 1
 Funny how so few of these "wildest moments" didn't result in winning runs, and how so many winning runs, or riders who have won multiple times, aren't included... I know judging is difficult, but if Rampage is all about the progression, it's sad some of these runs didn't get better recognition in the scoring.
  • 3 1
 Vídeo’s about craziest *moments*.
  • 1 1
 Really just about a full run vs best trick or biggest move. Take Zink’s flat drop backflip seen here. If you watched that full run he was so amped about landing the flip that he got off course and basically forgot about the rest of his run and just cruises down to the bottom. Hard to say he should win the event based in that. They gave him third which seemed fair.
  • 5 0
 Some great moments in Rampage history but must say when McGazza sent a 72 foot Cannon gap while doing a backflip in 2013 was just nuts and probably with the best commentator line ever "coming down on the competition like the hammer of Thor" will live in my memory forever! Long live McGazza
Oh and Brendog 100% got robbed last year.Sure Brett's run was sick but Bren's run was pure Rampage style and should have at least got podium.
A backflip no hander will definitely help now it's in his trick bag.
  • 3 2
 The judging certainly has veered towards tricks. I'd love to see them grade the planned lines so the technicality of even getting down the hill was more appreciated. Otherwise it is just a glorified slopestyle competition. Watching the racers hammer down an impossible line gets more interesting than 5 backflips in a row...
  • 2 0
 @Inertiatic: I think the judges are doing that, although not making it a formal process that they share with the public. The judges definitely go out before the competition and walk all these lines to see them first hand and are taking that into account when judging the runs.
  • 4 0
 @Inertiatic: They've always weighed in tricks along with how gnarly their line is and how well they ride it. The fact you're calling it a glorified slope comp. shows how little you know about the event.
  • 8 0
 Brendog got robbed. One of the best lines ever.
  • 7 0
 Norbs not included, robbed AGAIN
  • 3 0
 For real
  • 2 0
 There have been so many crazy Rampage moments that it would be impossible not to miss a few, but that was a pretty solid list. I think the craziest of them all, given the era/context, was Zink's 360 in 2010. First time we'd ever seen someone spin off a drop that massive.
Also I know we're only including stuff that was actually landed, but Tom VanSteenbergens front-flip over the canyon gap in 2014 was completely ridiculous. If he'd landed that I would expect him to be #1 for sure, it was absolutely nuts.
  • 1 0
 that was Zink's second run wasn't? didn't he blow up on the first? If I'm remembering it correctly makes it even wilder...
  • 10 9
 Joke list lol. Cam Zink alone has at least 3 more impressive and “wild” moments, like his 360s off of his and straits way more gnarly drop. I like how they tried to appease us with brendogs line but seriously that was the wildest line by far and they don’t even put it at the top. I mean really a double backflip on a perfect slope style hip? Okay.

Commercialization and Red Bull has really caused rampage to lose its soul.
  • 6 0
 I agree that mistakes have been made at times and the last year's Brendog's mark is probably the best example, and yes red bull has to think about the commercial art of it, but first, rampage hasn't lost his soul, they added rules like the venue changes every two year for the event to stay a freeride one, and they've made it longer so riders don't have the time to build everything top to bottom, and mostly.. red bull literally created rampage, they are the one who makes it possible. I mean how many people like freeride? And how many events like this exist? Only this one because it's so complicated to organize, without red bull there would just be no rampage at all.
  • 1 1
 @adraps: Rule changes are not meaningful compared to red bull marketing to the mass media even though 90 percent of their viewership is from mountain bikers. They keep trying to recreate viral viewership like mgazzas canyon backflip. But it’s just not as effective, there’s fest series that is already a dedicated slope style event for big bikes. red bull continues to market the slope style tricks and hardly pushes the “soul” side of rampage. You know the big raw lines that still have massive drops and big stunts. Zink is the perfect example, they shove his Oakley sender lines down our throats but don’t show his massive 360 off a raw drop after riding an insanely gnarly chute??? Fest is already a superior slope event and if Redbull continues to only highlight 5 percent of rampage (the one or two man made features at the bottom of the course) it will continue to lose its soul.
  • 2 0
 @dieuci: fest series is slopestyle?? Lmfao
  • 1 2
 @SirWonky: What else would it be “lmfao”
  • 4 0
 @dieuci: MX without the M
  • 2 2
 @BenPea: no trolling allowed
  • 3 0
 Yeah, you clearly don't know what you're talking about. They completely did away with on-site qualifications and limited the use of sandbags and build time along with number of builders - all changes because of rider input.
  • 1 2
 @scott-townes: already elaborated on how rule changes are insignificant compared to designed marketing push. “Yeah guys we listened to you we limited sandbags, doesn’t matter though cause we’re just gonna highlight the major man made features anyways even five years later omg look Oakley sender!!!” They are clearly trying to appeal to a mass media audience ever since mgazzas backflip went viral.
  • 3 0
 @dieuci: hahaha, keep going... I want to hear more of your senseless babble.
  • 1 1
 @scott-townes: ok refute anything I’ve said then retard
  • 2 1
 No one will match the 72" backie to micro landing zone, seriously.
The parameters are clear in other disciplines as it seems like the fastest person wins.
Joyride, speed and style and rampage and subjectively judged by a group thus it's an open forum subject to
criticism and controversy.
It's a hell of a show, each person competing should get a minimum of 10K, a small price to pay for the advertising coup that is red bull rampage.
Are manicured landing zones and the tricks that accompany them rewarded higher than a beast mode descent of a slot like the one highlighted here?
I'd say yes.
And I don't care if someone is doing an opposite 3, if they throw 2 in opposite directions then ok they can throw 3s both ways.
Does an opposite 3 score higher than a regular 3?
If it does the judging is biased because they have predetermined that rider x usually throws left or right whatever the case may be.
Does 2 3's score higher than the slot of gnar? Probably.
Looking forward to the big show, good luck, peace and if you don't get what you want I hope you get what you deserve.
  • 4 0
 Sam Reynolds HUGE superman seatgrab was pretty wild!
  • 5 1
 Fairclough's run is still the most nuts thing I've ever seen anyone ride.
  • 1 0
 I'd abseil down that chute. Carefully.
  • 3 0
 I guess you didn't watch Strait and Zink's chute line... I'm baffled that didn't make the list.
  • 3 0
 Why not the person having the most fun wins?
Kelly 2013 by 72 foot grin.
Judging is hard but not that hard.
  • 1 1
 Mental how the earlier Rampage seems to have more emphasis on raw lines and natural landscapes but the latter years are more sculpted run ins and landings and the trick bags are filled with spins and flips....can we not amalgamate the two to make it, in my opinion how it was originally conceived.
  • 2 0
 The rampage coverage thus far is lacking on pinkbike. The riders have been there for almost a week riding and digging.
  • 3 0
 Redbull probably has exclusive rights to that stuff
  • 1 0
 Media is not allowed on site until this week.
  • 2 0
 Its been very restricted in all aspects since NBC got involved.
  • 3 0
 I'd hate being that good, i would be shi1tting myself every time i rode.
  • 4 1
 Bizet got robbed :-|
  • 2 0
 Still get sweaty palms watching this.
  • 1 0
 Rampage commentary is always a masterclass in how not to pronounce people's names properly :-D
  • 1 0
 I love Rampage. And yes, Brendog legit got robbed.
  • 1 0
 No Strait sui?? Staple of Rampage....
  • 2 0
 so wheres kurt sorge?
  • 1 0
 BEST throwback=Ever







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