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How comes there is none?
Why don't you ask Rachel Atherton if she thinks she could do it? Tweet her or post on FB page.
Got no balls.
Too much sense.
Apparently Rachel Atherton's considering it next year. But it's not that surprising, there's only a handful of riders in the world that can do it with any degree of safety/sanity. And I think there's not a single woman competing on the FMB tour never mind at the mad end of it.
Better off tweeting Red Bull as I think it's invitation only. Be nice to see though, like the DH racer runs, Gee's from a couple of years ago were brilliant and a nice contrast from all the big tricks, as were Furr-claw's this year.
I was thinking the exact same whilst watching last night.
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Given that the top ten men on the planet with the skill set to do it seem to be, on the whole, terrified by it, I'd speculate and say there isn't a woman on earth who is good enough, Atherton probably being the best. When you consider that Lacondeguy didn't want to do a second run if he didn't have to, that should give you some perspective as to how high the difficulty level is.
I think Bernard Kerr said **** that, I'm just glad to have survived, when he was asked about being an alternate. Fairclough made no secret about being terrified either.
#everyday sexism
[i]Got no balls. [/i]
Maybe near the mark - is it copious amounts of testosterone that drives people to such extremes?
[i]#everyday sexism [/i]
Not sure if you're being serious or not. if you are then maybe explain.
I don't think Rach has done the quarry line at Revo, so cant see her riding rampage. Maybe Manon would though!
Given that the top ten men on the planet with the skill set to do it seem to be, on the whole, terrified by it, I'd speculate and say there isn't a woman on earth who is good enough,
Harsh but probably true. It's the best, of the best of the people stupid enough to say yes. Looking at the DH'ers, the mens podiums (and top 10s, 20's) are all within a percent or two of the best times, the women's podium possibly wouldn't even qualify in the mens some rounds (based on percentage times of the winner).
So finding enough men is easy, finding enough women would be like trawling the mens also-ran's. And that's assuming the best women could still do it physicaly!
Maybe on a smaller course, but then it would lose it's spectacle.
scruff - Member
I don't think Rach has done the quarry line at Revo, so cant see her riding rampage
Having walked/climbed that quarry line, and seen the scale of the jumps, I can only say "fair enough".
Mind boggling that Rampage lines/jumps are even bigger, and it's rougher and steeper to boot.
Is it sexist to say men are better at certain things than women? I should add that I think RA, MC and all the top ladies riders are incredible on a bike and would put most men to shame. I dare say they'd be more than capable of riding some of the technical lines at rampage, but I really doubt they'd have the strength to hang on to a bike after some of those bigger landings.
If there was a seperate female Rampage competition, then that'd be fine, but expecting them to be able to compete with the guys is silly. It's like saying, how come the girls don't fight the guys in the UFC.
I think last year, there were some very interesting interviews with the competitors, and quite a few of them expressed serious concerns that they might die, or be seriously injured, but as a marquee event for freeriders their sponsors expected them to compete.
Is it sexist to say that historically, socially, biologically, men are more expendable than women?
You can get away with losing a slice of the menfolk every now and then to fighting, exploration missions, hunting animals etc. You won’t do so well as a tribe if you lose a slice of the women. The remaining men can do some extra reproductive work, but the women can’t fill in to the same extent, as they're likely to be pregnant anyway.
So you need some people to be keyed up for taking high adrenalin/physical risks, but it makes much more sense for some of the men to be doing that, rather than any of the women.
muddyfunster - Member
Is it sexist to say men are better at certain things than women?
I don't think so - but it becomes sexist if that notion is used to justify excluding them from trying to disprove it.
Facts are facts and there are very very few sports where women can compete with men on equal terms. Look at the times on a UCI DH course where the women ride before the men. So for Rampage Red Bull can invite a few women but they would finish no-where versus the men and IMO there are not enough for them to have their own category. I actually think having women do Rampage would damage the image of their sport as it would compare so unfavourably.
Don#t really agree with that. Not sure if there are women who could hit that canyon gap - but I'd love to see them if there are.
honourablegeorge - MemberI don't think so - but it becomes sexist if that notion is used to justify excluding them from trying to disprove it.
Sure- but can you find even one woman being excluded from rampage because of her gender?
Northwind - MemberSure- but can you find even one woman being excluded from rampage because of her gender?
Was a very general thought, as opposed to accusing them. Would hope they're at least asking women to give it a go.
That said, no female slopestlye riders on their list. Rachel's about as close as they've got.
http://www.redbull.com/en/bike/athletes
It's invite only for the rampage and non were invited this year
[url= http://m.bikemag.com/news/red-bull-rampage-invite-list/ ]Rampage invited riders[/url]
I think it's because they're not seen at freestyle events showing what they can do on a bike, and with rampage being the ultimate in freeride event I can't say I blame them.
Is it sexist to pay female riders less?
It may be the case that there aren't any female competitors at the moment but it won't be long. Just look at the history/progression of any extreme sport. Bring it on...
It may be the case that there aren't any female competitors at the moment but it won't be long.... Bring it on...
+1
The status quo isn't inevitable, it's just the status quo. 🙂
I really don't think there will be any female competitors on the FMB world tour.
Look at the junior women's DH world championships I think there was only 4 riders on one of those didn't finish.
Plenty of women doing snowboard slopestyle, and plenty of women that are brakver and crazier than most of us on a bike. Matter of time before they start having a go.
Comparing it to DH times is spurious, it's all about line choice and execution.
mrblobby - Member
Gee's from a couple of years ago were brilliant and a nice contrast from all the big tricks
That's still my favourite run, everything from top to bottom flowed and looked great.
fourbanger - Member
Is it sexist to pay female riders less?
does this bring up the wimbledon tennis issue..? As long as the same time, effort, etc is put in then why not.
honourablegeorge - Member
Plenty of women doing snowboard slopestyle, and plenty of women that are brakver and crazier than most of us on a bike. Matter of time before they start having a go.
true, but the gulf between the best male and female is huge (no disrespect they are better than me). If the female poplace does catch up i think it will do wonders for the sport - my local bike cafe has had a huge explosion of women riders, and some MTB'ers that are game for a good bit of techy trails.
I would like to see females involved with rampage but I'm not sure what form that should take. On the WC circuit you often see female riders physically struggle on the bigger jumps and more technical lines.
Rampage has evolved into something too trick based and with too high a punishment for failure IMO, which is a shame as it means some quality riders won't touch it with a barge pole. I'm another who thinks Gee's run was ace, and Cedric Gracia won it also back in the day with a trick free run. Maybe if there was a smaller competition more like the original Rampage and with a decent prize pot, then some of the DH / Enduro women would take part.
Manon was about the only woman who consistently hit the jumps on the world cup DH tracks this year. All the men can hit them without batting an eyelid.
The top women are not good enough/not crazy enough to compete with the men. Same with FMX, only a couple of women can backflip a motorbike in the world.
If a female rider came along who was good enough, I'm sure the majority would like to see it.
Curious to see the Atherton run mentioned here - what year was it? 2010?
Back in the day Missy Giove?
Plenty of women doing snowboard slopestyle, and plenty of women that are brakver and crazier than most of us on a bike. Matter of time before they start having a go.
"most of us", that's the issue, STWers aren't not competing at Rampage because it clashes with our middle aged IT consultant confrences, we're not doing it because we're crap and not in the top 20 in the world (or whatever the invite list is). We're not being sexist and saying all men are better, we're saying the gap between the top mena and women is so big that competing in the same event just isnt pracical/possible.
Taking DH as the closest comparabel sport in which both sexes compete on equal (ish, if anything the tracks more cut up for the men's runs) terms. Then at Fort William the first Woman this year would have been 77th, with the two guys who finished so far behind them so far back I presumed they punctured and a few DNF's behind them.
Ramapage is what it is because it's a spectacle and on the limits of what the top few can do. If there was a womens version it would need toneing down, and as a result probably wouldn't pull in the audiance to make it worthwhile.
Pure coincidence - saw this via PinkBike this morning.
wow.
Interesting response to it:
[i]ruclawson
[b]Dude,[/b] you are ****in sick. @katieholden[/i]