It’s Red Bull Rampage week down in the Utah desert, and the world’s best riders have been hard at work moving literal mountains of dirt to shape their lines. It might be the same venue as last year, but that does not mean the history-making lines you’ll see Friday morning will be the same. Here are a few of the most eye-catching features on course this year. Take a peek.
Rough and raw freeride at its finest. Peter Morning photo.
Brendan Fairclough’s Chute
Brendan Fairclough is no stranger to riding rough and raw tracks all over the world, drawing from his expertise across both racing and freeride disciplines. When he first became a big name in the mountain bike world, he was often known as the “freeracer” because of how comfortable he was at speed. These days, and in particular once a year in the Utah desert, Fairclough shows up and chooses the gnarliest lines he can muster, then points his bike straight down them. This year at Rampage is no different, as he spent the better part of the digging week rebuilding his old line, paying special attention to an impossibly steep chute up high on the venue.
Strait's transfer drop measures at 70 feet. Garth Milan photo.
Szymon Godziek and Kyle Strait’s Take on the Price is Right Drop
For the past 18 years, Kyle Strait has committed to the pilgrimage to Virgin, Utah, making him by far the most veteran rider at this year’s Rampage. He was just 14 when he competed in the first Rampage in 2001. Since then, he has competed in every event. All those years of riding have given him an edge, knowing how to piece together a line that will check all the judge’s boxes. Never one to focus on just one aspect of the sport, Strait mixed up his line choice this year to include a healthy combo of jumps, exposure, and his take of the "Price is Right" drop. The drop was originally built by Szymon Godziek last year, but he never hit it. Unlike the other riders hitting it, Kyle plans on transferring to a new landing for an absolutely massive drop that was measured at 70 feet.
Odds Semenuk tricks this lilypad? Bartek Wolinski photo.
Brandon Semenuk’s Lilypad
With eight Rampage appearances and two wins under his belt, we’ve seen Brandon Semenuk’s riding evolve from his slopestyle background to riding rough and raw lines littered with huge tricks. This year, we expect nothing different, and his line clearly reflects his attention to detail. One feature in particular has caught our attention - a lilypad on-off that’s in the middle of a massive cliff drop. We’ve seen Semenuk hit plenty of on-off pads like this in his video parts over the years, even tricking a few, but this one is a clear representation of the evolution of his riding deep into the big-mountain realm. Talk about consequential exposure on this beast!
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Fairclough first hit this thing last Rampage, will it score higher this year? Garth Milan photo.
Brendan Fairclough’s Dwayne the Rock
As a testament to Brendan Fairclough’s willingness to push the limit of his riding, a second feature on his line makes the list. We first saw it last year in Rampage, but his run wasn't scored high enough by the judges for a podium spot, causing some uproar in the community. He calls it Dwayne “The Rock” – an homage to an homage, really – Whistler Bike Park anyone? This precariously-perched monolith sits high up on his line and is one of the most visible features on the entire venue. It's an on-off feature with massive drop to a sniper landing on the far side.
Tom Van Steenbergen managed to flip this bad girl in practice. Bartek Wolinski photo.
Tom Van Steenbergen’s Trick Drop
Tom Van Steenbergen may still be a young gun at Rampage, but his line certainly shows he has what it takes to win – if he manages to put it all down clean. As a frequenter of the Whistler Bike Park, TVS is no stranger to big tricks, and his line reflects his freestyle mindset while on his bike. However, just like everyone else, he knows that Rampage is not merely a best trick competition, so his line includes some real old-school freeride features like a massive drop. Guess what, though? The drop might be bigger than most, but TVS casually flipped it in practice. What will we see on Friday?
Emil Johansson’s Brand-New Drop
It might be Emil Johansson’s first time at Rampage, but that doesn’t mean the young Swede is holding back. Being a rookie means starting fresh on a line build – unlike veteran riders than can re-use their features from years past. Instead of simply scraping together some stuff from other rider’s lines, Johansson teamed up with Reed Boggs and Reece Wallace to build a seriously huge drop with only inklings of a take-off scraped into the dirt. We asked freeride legend Brett Tippie if he would hit it, and he summed it up with a big old “nope.”
