Riders in the Sky - Red Bull Rampage 2017
Standing at the base of the Red Bull Rampage site and seeing all the lines etched by the builders in the massive cliffs, you can’t help but feel like you’ve walked on to the set of an Indiana Jones movie. Dozens of bodies dwarfed by the sheer size of the canyon busily moved around the site as though they are working hard to uncover ancient treasure or build the eighth wonder of the world. After a week of hard work and long days, some were putting the final touches on their lines, while others were rebuilding sections from scratch.
Morning light at Rampage
Good morning, time to go to work.
The sculpture garden from above.
The ol' trundle trick.
R-Dog taking a tinkle to mark his territory on a line he has largely borrowed from PEF last year.
Enviable water pressure for groundskeeper Zink.
Antoine Bizet hacking the finishing touches on the start of his line.
Sometimes when you're as focused on your line as Carson Storch, you forget about the following techno-zombie horde trying to eat your brains.
Antoine Bizet’s crew were some of the not-so-lucky ones who were busy with a rebuild. After dedicating their first four days of digging to building a landing for a huge new step-up, the whole landing slid on Saturday. “But the guys are working so hard on it,” said Antoine today. “I still have no idea if we are going to be able to use the step-down or not, but we are 100% committed to making it happen.”
Antoine rolling in from the top of his line.
Antoine Bizet barely notices the massive amount of exposure on his way from the top through the rest of his line.
The landing Antoine Bizet's crew of diggers originally built broke loose from the hillside and avalanched to the canyon floor below. Not to be discouraged, they spent today furiously rebuilding. Will we see him send it tomorrow?
Coming back from an injury, Antoine is going against the grain this year and sticking with most of his 2016 line. “I know it’s not the trend really, it’s cooler to have a new one for sure, but that’s how it is.” This puts extra pressure on the team to make this drop work as it is one of the few new sections he will hit – “the goal is to ride [my line] way better and faster and bigger than last year.” Towards the end of the day his team had made exceptional gains with some help from those who would have been Remy Metailler’s builders. “We didn’t know the final decision until yesterday so we have been digging his line in hopes that he would make it,” says Katie Holden “but there are other riders who use his take-offs and landings so it’s okay. Now our team is just trying to help out other teams that are having issues.”
Kurt Sorge contemplates his drop.
You can only contemplate so long. Action is the cure for analysis paralysis and Dr. Sorge is in.
See Kurt spot. Stick Kurt, stick, (he did.)
This may be Ethan Nell's inaugural Rampage but he's no stranger to the sideways life.
Brandon Semenuk tees off the top of the course while testing the upper 3rd of his line.
Tyler McCaul rides his f#%king bike.
If Tyler McCaul had tied that laundry to his handlebars it would have aired out a lot quicker.
Vinny T was the first to charge this chute from the Ridgeline.
Tom Van Steenbergen drops it like it's hot, although the weather was actually pretty pleasant.
Brett Rheeder can step down without the use of a handrail. He can also hit a step down without using his hands.
Margus Riga snipes Kyle Strait for Pan-Shot Friday.
Tippie's Rampage trivia catches everyone out, even vets like Richie Schley.
First-timer, Vinny T, already looking fast, loose and fully at home here in the Utah desert.
"Good to go boys". Vinny T after he came down the possibly steepest line at this year's Red Bull Rampage.
Rampage returns to the scene of 2016 crimes against gravity.
Storch pioneering his massive drop down towards the finish area.
The Intern is about to take the most frightening ride down the Rampage course of all time.
Tommy G.
Nell making shapes for the people.
Connor Macfarlane ran into an issue today when he crashed on his drop, but he’s still way ahead of where he was last year. In 2016, he left Rampage battered and bruised after refusing to give up. His impressively positive attitude earned him the Kelly McGarry Spirit Award. This year he’s made some changes in his run in hopes to avoid the dramatic crashes and injuries this time around. “I drop off the ridge a little earlier and got rid of that big step-down because – well it worked and it didn’t work, but it didn’t help me sleep, so I got rid of that. [Today] I just pure and simple went too slow – and I guess last year I went way too far, which is hard to get out of your mind, so I didn’t go too far and I went that little bit short.” But Connor’s still feeling confident, “everything, apart from the drop that I crashed on today, is mint and I can session it and I was having fun, it was sweet.”
Connor Macfarlane sessioning his upper line.
Connor Macfarlane stepped to this heavy drop and luckily, stepped away shaken but not broken.
Darren Berrecloth gave Connor some advice, “[he] just came up to me and was chatting about it – everyone’s like [that here] if they can help you out, they’re all for that, especially Bearclaw because he’s been here however many years and he knows what he’s doing.” Darren told him to build a “little skipper” before his drop to help him judge his speed. “Just so I can be ‘oh, I went a little bit far on the skipper before it, so I must be going a bit too fast.’” Connor took the afternoon off his bike, but will be back up sessioning tomorrow.
Ethan Nell got amongst it today, sessioning the ridgeline until dark.
Rheeder floating like a butterfly, stinging like a bee.
Last year Zink fell into the canyon, today it was Kyle's turn.
As with other years today, the first day of practice, held many highs and lows – like watching Cam Zink straight line his chute from the top or watching Kyle Strait crash on his canyon gap (he is okay). Red Bull Rampage continues to be the forum in which these incredible athletes can continue to grow the sport, not just through new and creative lines and tricks, but also through contributing to the growth and development of new riders along the way.
Man of steel, Kyle Strait, survived going into the void and finished out the evening session.
The desert is pretty when it's not trying to kill you.
What is style? Ethan Nell will tell ya.
T-Mac getting ready to phone home.
MENTIONS: @redbullbike / @Margus / @natedh9 / @TimZim
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But for real rampage is bigger, better and more badass than ever in my opinion! I can't f*cking wait for Friday !