It had already been confirmed that Red Bull Rampage would include women in this year’s event, but now it’s clearer that there will be two separate days: Women on Thursday October 10th, and Men on Saturday October 12th. Spectator tickets will go on sale on 30th August, and no athlete line up has been revealed yet.
No further details on the event format have been revealed, so there’s a lot of interesting stuff still to be understood. Will the men and women be digging and riding on the same cliffs? Or perhaps they’ll divide the area into two but all end up in the same finish arena,? There’s got to be a lot of logistics involved… they could run the events in two separate areas of Zion – there are a few past Rampage sites there – but that would mean the whole event support tents, cameras, advertising etc being doubled up. But having it on one site potentially puts a lot of dig teams and riders in one space (…assuming there’s as many men riding as last year, and the same number of women?), and with the women’s event being a couple of days earlier, do they start digging earlier? Get first dibs on the lines?
Oh so many questions. And that’s before we get to the athletes – who do we want to see there? Who is looking on form? Does anyone hope that Gee Atherton has been given some sort of restraining order to keep him away? Will Brendan Fairclough be back after last year’s canyon gap? Has Bienvenido Aguado had the run of his life and won’t feel the need to return?
Personally, It felt to me like there was room in the line up for some of the longer standing riders to step aside and let in some new style and perspectives. I’d like to see Brage Vestavik bring his raw approach back to the scene. And Jaxson Riddle bring his style and extensions. Another relative local, DJ Brandt has a deal with Canyon after losing out in the demise of CRC Wiggle, so it would be good to see him back.
On the women’s field, it would be good to see some of the ‘OG’ of women’s freeride get to see the fruits of their trailblazing. Hannah Bergemann, Casey Brown, Vero Sandler and Joey Gough all spring to mind there – and I’ve noticed Joey getting all loose on an MTB away from groomed jumps, so maybe it’s not out of the question. Local rider Chelsea Kimball would be a natural candidate, having nailed a canyon gap at the last Red Bull Formation. I’d probably put money on Cami Noguiera – backed up by the Propain team there’s a ton of freeride dig and ride experience to support her. The list of younger riders with the potential to compete is huge though. Harriet Burbidge-Smith would have been up there as a favourite, but she’s just broken a C7 vertebrate so seems unlikely for this year. Robin Goomes would be another likely candidate – so many tricks and loads of style. Barbara Edwards is a Utah local without a pro-ride (another CRC Wiggle casualty) but surely with the steeze and skills to join the line-up.
…Excited much? Me? YES!
Who do you think should (or will?) be there?
Here’s the official PR:
Red Bull Rampage Returns on October 10th & 12th With New Two-Day Event
Red Bull Rampage, the world’s toughest big-mountain freeride mountain bike competition, continues to push the level of progression in the sport with the introduction of a women’s competition and addition of a brand-new, two-day event format this October. On Thursday, October 10th, the world’s top female freeride mountain bike athletes will compete on the iconic reddish desert of Southwest Utah for the first time, looking to secure their name in the history books. The top male freeriders will return to the stage on Saturday, October 12th, taking on some of the most challenging terrain in the world to compete for the top podium spot, bragging rights, and the coveted Red Bull Rampage trophy.
For fans looking to attend the event and watch all the history-making moments live and in-person, tickets will go on-sale August 30th via the Red Bull Rampage website. Single and multi-day tickets to the women’s and men’s competition will be available for purchase. And don’t forget to sign-up on the event website to receive the latest event updates and exclusive content related to Red Bull Rampage.
The inaugural Red Bull Rampage was held in 2001, and since then, 17 different events and 9 different winners have earmarked their place in the history books. Which athletes will add their name to the list of champions in 2024?
To stay up to date on the latest Red Bull Rampage information including the list of confirmed riders, venue and competition details, broadcast details and tune-in information, as well as spectator and ticketing info, follow @RedBullBike and visit the event website here.
Red Bull Rampage is proudly supported by BFGoodrich, Samsung Galaxy, GoPro, Can-Am, OANDA, and the Utah Sports Commission.
