Red Bull Rampage is a unique event. Invited athletes are both the architects and activators of their own routes between the start and finish gates. Riders scope the line they want to ride and build it into reality with the help of their four-person dig team, and then hope it scores high on game day. Naturally, lines occasionally cross paths, and with the huge amount of effort the crews are putting in, it can get territorial on the mountain.
There are a lot of lines but most of them are taken. It’s hard not to step on toes, but we’re working together to make something happen.
Riders broke ground on the 10th edition of Rampage in Virgin, Utah, on Friday, and it quickly became apparent that those who had not built during the 2014 debut of this venue were going to face some issues finding untouched land they could set their shovels to. Rookies and even veteran competitors new to this venue (after missing 2014 due to injury) are having a hard time finding a place to make their mark.
“There are a lot of lines but most of them are taken,” says Tyler McCaul, who sat out last year’s event with a broken foot. “It’s hard not to step on toes, but we’re working together to make something happen.”
As you can see in the video above, while riders shoveled, raked and chiseled their masterpieces into the landscape, they also had to work hard on diplomatic relations with neighboring dig crews.
2 Comments
Oct 12, 2015
Seems more like some riders are giving deference to big-name riders who are defending their lines, just because they don't want to piss them off and make an "enemy." Oh the drama...
Oct 17, 2015