This morning was fresh here in the Utah desert. It was cold and crisp – and incredibly dusty – as we rolled into the new canyon that will be hosting Red Bull Rampage this year. Being the first day that media is allowed onsite, most were more eager than the athletes, arriving onsite before them. But there is something incredibly cool about standing at the bottom of the Rampage course in nearly complete silence and imagining what the riders will make of the lines they’ve etched into the rock.
The new location has succeeded in shedding the skin of last year’s drama surrounding line ‘stealing.’ In appearance it’s not any bigger, but it already has a calmer and friendlier vibe. Athletes seem less tense, even more jovial than in the past; perhaps it has to the do with the mandatory rest day or less pressure with media not allowed on site until today. They might have less anxiety with the lack of a qualification round; allowing everyone to focus on the same goal or it could even be that there are simply less riders this year – whatever the key is, this year already seems to be leaning in favour of the athletes.
The athletes and their dig crews spent much of today still building – some teams working together to cover more territory. When the sun finally dropped behind the ridge, riders began to session some of their sections and some of the gnarlier and most anticipated lines of the competition.
Hashtag Road to Rampage...
Yehaww folks, get ready for a rowdy ride out here in the Wild West of Virgin Utah.
You are here.
There's nothing about Rampage that isn't scary; at least these fellas aren't poisonous like the rattlers!
No caption required.
Practice for Rampage means early days. Riders and their teams have been toiling a week straight to scratch in their lines. Even with that amount of time to dig, as well as teams collaborating on lines, the work's not done yet. Riders still need to stitch it all together. Carson Storch knows the drill: the sun had barely cracked the horizon and the Bend, OR native was already on site.
First man up and on the bike this morning; the mighty B-Sem.
Brandon Semenuk checking tire pressure and one of the first riders on the hill this morning to get some runs in before the heat blazed down.
Gear packing. Ale Di Lullo getting ready for the day. Media is a gnarly battle out there with many elements to deal with to deliver the coverage.
T-Mac's dig team spent so much time filling a gazillion sand bags for the "Goblin Drop-in", all they had left was this itty-bitty shovel for the finish work on the hill.
The new 2016 venue in all its gnarly glory.
Alarm bells are ringing when this is the kind of gear you need to dig your lines.
Most of the monstrous cliff drops are totally blind so the riders need braille; the calling card of Rampage.
Semenuk hiking up early morning for some final packing and warm ups.
Semenuk warming up on his line mid-mountain first thing in the morning.
Semenuk evidently had two helpings of Wheaties this morning; following that step up ejection and subsequent successful flat spin 3 sendoff off that hit, Semenuk grabbed lunch, hiked back up, and swung a pick with his crew, putting the finishing touches on his next feature past the step up. Any doubts as to how much he wants it this year?
Semenuk ain't afraid to get dirty. The "one take" wonder kid was hard at work shaping his step up midway down his line.
Carson Storch and Brandon Semenuk team playing the lower slopes under the heat of the midday sun.
Expect to see all the steezy trimmings on Semenuk's finals run; nose taps and all.
Did the guinea pig run build complacency? No idea. But on his second run into the step up, Semenuk had to hit the eject button. HARD.
Despite a gnarly rag doll on his eject, Semenuk stepped it up and sent it a few minutes later with a flat spin 3.
One of the two Great British hopes at Rampage, Sam Reynolds, with a long day of hard labour ahead of him.
Logan Binggeli
Tom van Steenbergen testing out a drop mid-mountain.
Cason Storch looking as handsome as ever.
Carson Storch has a line filled with big hits, fun, and flowy jumps all the way down.
Carson Storch is one of the youngest competitors, but is brimming with big mountain promise. Here he takes his first attempt at the sandbag special he shares with Bearclaw and T-mac.
Reunion; Paul B stepped off a Razor today to a hearty welcome from Cam Zink and Kyle Strait.
Paul Basagoitia made a surprise appearance today and is sticking around until tomorrow.
So great to see him back after just one year on two feet.
This year Kiwi, Conor McFarlane came to Rampage to rip out throats, but yesterday's guinea-pigging took its toll. His line has some of the most appalling gaps that even the likes of Lacondeguy said they'd refuse to ride.
Cam Zink ahead of another year of nothing but f-king good times.
Bourdo water duty.
It's hot, milk was a bad choice.
Sun's out guns out for Aggy.
Aggy on top of his hydration, nearing the end of some 10 hours digging on his line.
Thomas Genon stomping his stepdown for the first time on the middle ridge.
Thomas Genon ripping down the middle ridge during the last light.
No insane lines out of hell for Nico Vink this year, but you'll find him in the judging 'booth' on Friday.
The first person on site at the first ever Rampage is now back to judge for his first time.
Tough crowd of judges and builders.
Midday hood rat games in the desert.
Gamblin'
Van Steenbergen dropping into his step up feature.
Practicing for the 2016 Red Bull Rampage held outside of Virgin, UT
Tommy G dropping down the center ridge with a fluid, smooth style.
Guniea Pig runs are always nerve-racking. Kyle Strait givin' er on his canyon gap.
Kyle Strait was the first to hit the big sender today over 45 feet down. Zink crashed while running into it on the canyon gap and sat the rest of the evening out.
The elephant on the left ridge: the Green Goblin Step Down. Many riders thought it was impossible for this to be built. But four riders pooled their resources and voila. The Green Goblin was born.
Brendan Fairclough, prepping the sketchy route he will take alongside half the field who elected to ride the rightward ridge. See the sandbags of the landing towards the bottom right of the frame.
Brendan cleared his canyon gap in the last light but cased hard and went OTB. Happy to be alive and well nonetheless.
Andreau chipping in a few final touches on this year's version of his step down.
Andreu Lacondeguy whipping his hit that he soon 450'd for the first time.
Andreu Lacondeguy guinea pigging a large drop halfway down the mountain.
Guinea pig time on the mini canyon gap for Cam Zink. On a subsequent run in, Zink slipped a pedal and fell into the canyon. Shaken but not badly injured, the YT rider took it easy for the rest of the day.
Cam Zink went into the canyon hard. He had been pedalling into the drop to test speed in a high gear; hiked way up to roll into the canyon gap only to slip a pedal off the lip while cranking into it.
"You're gonna drop in where?" "Right here." The top of that cliff, you mean?" "Yeah, the top of that cliff. I have a sneaker line on the side in case we can't actually build in an entrance."
You're gonna go where?!? NBC color commentary coordinator with a bit of disbelief as James Doerfling outlines his route on the map of the course.
Last year Aggy and Andreu's hip was such a hit with judges, media, and other riders, similar super-booters have cropped up all over the new mountain.
Monster gives you wings.
Aggy pioneers the first of many enormous step-downs on his descent.
Yeah, door number one for Doerfling and Aggy. Number 2 is their side entrance. At day's end both dropped in on door number 2. Unreal.
Doerfling and Aggy (mid right) get ready to drop into their chute from the 'plan B' route. Plan A is more, you know... straight down from the top.
Doerfling hits 1000mph. Almost no exaggeration.
Aggy and Doerfling's line goes straight down the mountain and both of them took turns hitting it for the first time today. It's already crazy steep, and the small drops throughout the run make it even more full on.
Money light on the upper portion of the venue. Yes, it is as steep as it looks. It is most definitely a step up in difficulty and consequence from last year's venue.
Darren Berrecloth whipping into the sunset.
T-Mac sessioning his hip in the glowing last light over Zion.
Tyler McCaul spent some time on his hip with Bearclaw this evening dialing in the lower end of their line.
Glowing red rocks.
With the only available light coming from the moon, it's close of play. Tomorrow the riders will be up first thing to tick off a few more monsters...
MENTIONS: @redbullbike / @dbaker / @parisgore / @natedh9 / @meagerdude
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dirtmountainbike.com/videos/healing-vibes-brendan-fairclough-crashes-canyon-gap.html
Stunning pictures i litterally CANT WAIT for tomorrows finals
m.pinkbike.com/news/carson-storchs-rocky-mountain-maiden-red-bull-rampage-2016.html
Great to see Paul B
That guy sure knows how to make the biggest moves and the biggest crashs !! *shivers*
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