Always bitchin’ to stomp my line in both runs. This chute was and probably will be the gnarliest thing I will ever ride. Thought it would be judged higher but that’s how it goes sometimes. Finished out the day in 6th place, so we’ll be back for another year. Huge shout out to my dig team Mitch Ropelato and Jonathan Simek for crushing it all week. And to my wife Rachel Strait.—Kyle, Strait
I will never get tired of watching him ride that chute, it's so gnarly. The conversation with him and Mitch about his first run down it is so interesting to hear. I hope in the future the judges score steep shoot like that higher, because I want to see more of them.
I hold my breath every time Strait or Zink dropping into that chute. It is so scary. I'd also like to see this scored higher. But on the other hand, if you compare to Zink's run - it is getting scored. He sent his 360 and flat flip so perfect! I guess he would have won with a 90 if he had tricked that last jump! Don't know why he did not just send another flip like Sorge did at the bottom... lack of speed? We know from 2019 he can send fronties and cash rolls, too! Man, he deservd to win...
I understand the guys may stop riding chutes like this. It is great to watch, but judges don't value chutes that much as compared to tricks and opo stuff. In the end, this will become like a crankworx on steroids. That's where the judges are guiding rampage so far. I still love watching but I wish raw stuff scored higher.
I'm feeling a little over the critiques on the judging as everyone has such different opinions and that makes sense given the variety of ways riders can interpret the mountain and judges can interpret the performance. Definitely not how I would have scored it...from the comfort of my living room and as someone who has never ridden anything like that...which I'm guessing is similar to 99% of the people going on about the judging. I will say that the chute that Kyle and Cam rode had me frozen every time it was ridden. So committing and gnarly. To me, that was such a rad use of the mountain and I am bummed to think that moving forward riders may feel less inclined to ride something like that...which was also IMO something as close to the original spirit of this comp as anything I have seen in the last few years. Either way- Kyle and Cam I loved your runs and line. Seriously badass and blows my mind that someone can ride that. I was on the edge of my seat when Cam was slightly to the right of his line coming down it on his second run. The man is unreal for keeping it together. Both legends.
I wonder if he wanted to throw a no-hander backflip at the end there. I think that’s what Brandon was asking him about in the finish corral when they were “still talking about mountain biking” instead of doing a live post-ride interview.
@t1000: but when it comes down to picking a winner it always seems to be best trick over gnarliest line. I thought Rampage was supposed to be about the gnarly terrain. Obviously craziest line and best tricks is the goal
Kyle - I've enjoyed watching you all these years. I hope you get this big riding out of your system now that you have such a beautiful family. You've pioneered this sport for all our benefit, but I personally hope you can reduce your risk of injury (or death!).
Love this guy but this competition has passed some Riders by….they put their best out and get scores in the 70s seems not worth it to some degree. The thing with semenuk is he could ride every line there but uses tricks to win I am not saying I like this but that is how it is. Zink and strait are awesome but they are kinda old school now and their skill set is not going to win rampage. Though there is something to just going and not getting hurt cuz you can finish top ten that way.
not sure why i got downvoted, strait is great and so is zink but they go out there, put themselves on the knife's edge and run a completely flawless run to the best of their ability and have no chance to win unless others crash. the expectation of tricks at rampage has changed what you need to do to win and it is a dangerous event to go in having no chance at a podium.
I think that I have asked this once before " Does the site get get returned to natural state after the event?". This is not free riding It's trick riding . Free riding means you ride whatever is in front of you. No digging.
That massive stack of sandbags that Boggs landed coming off the Goblin drop on rider's left (viewer's right) surely must have remained there after 2017 (it was originally built by Darren Berrecloth, Tyler McCaul, and Carson Storch).
I don't see how Reed could have rebuilt it all by himself (with his two builders) in time, plus what he built new for his line.
Technically Freeriding is whatever you want it to be. You are Free to Ride whatever you want, however you want to. Rampage has always been about making your own line from the top to the bottom. It has never been in the rules that you aren't allowed to build anything (although you are somewhat limited).
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But on the other hand, if you compare to Zink's run - it is getting scored. He sent his 360 and flat flip so perfect! I guess he would have won with a 90 if he had tricked that last jump! Don't know why he did not just send another flip like Sorge did at the bottom... lack of speed? We know from 2019 he can send fronties and cash rolls, too! Man, he deservd to win...
Put another way, the scoring is a blend. A massive steep chute isn’t enough on its own, and neither are incredibly stylish tricks on jumps.
You see that mountain
Mountain mountain mountain
One a these days ima climb that mountain
. __I~|__. Coyote
Lets git drunk. x x. Yew
O yippe
Riders by….they put their best out and get scores in the 70s seems not worth it to some degree. The thing with semenuk is he could ride every line there but uses tricks to win I am not saying I like this but that is how it is. Zink and strait are awesome but they are kinda old school now and their skill set is not going to win rampage. Though there is something to just going and not getting hurt cuz you can finish top ten that way.
I don't see how Reed could have rebuilt it all by himself (with his two builders) in time, plus what he built new for his line.