Rampage. Anyone watching

That’s awesome.

I thought Chelsea was the most impressive rider at the whole thing, with those two scary crashes in the same spot.

That footage is up there with Rogatkin’s famous crash for WTFness.

“I thought Chelsea was the most impressive rider at the whole thing”

Crash, tumble, catch herself, track down her missing bike, get back on it and then send it off the biggest drop. Incredible.

Brendog’s line was amazing – I’m not sure anyone else there could have navigated/controlled a bike like that, riding natural terrain is so different to slopestyle bits there. His score should have been way higher! But Semenuk’s second run was spectacular – that lily pad chute trick drop thing felt like the winning feature.

I’m a fan so clearly biased but I think part of the issue is that Semenuk is so good he makes things look too easy.
I do agree that Brendog’s line was great and deserved to be scored much higher, but at the same time I think riding that line would be well within the skill set of Semenuk.

I do agree that Brendog’s line was great and deserved to be scored much higher, but at the same time I think riding that line would be well within the skill set of Semenuk

No doubt. I still think Brens crew were easily the most creative though but I suppose they don’t reward that.

Interestingly, it was Semanuks dig team who won the dig team award too I believe.

They moved a lot of dirt for sure but again, I feel like the sheer creativity of Bren, Deaks and Ollie should have been recognised there.

As others have said on Brens Insta, a lot of people don’t remember who won it last year, but they sure remember Brens insane and creative line on the Battleship.

I’m a fan so clearly biased but I think part of the issue is that Semenuk is so good he makes things look too easy.

That was exactly what the red-faced judge guy said on the live feed but about Brendan not Brandon.

Along with things like how they have to balance up the fact that Kyle Strait managed to **** up a trick badly but didn’t spanner himself. I mean fair play it was an incredible ‘save’ but how do you get points for that!?

Watching Semenuk again he was absolutely pinning some of it.

Yes the judge did say that about Brendan although I’m not sure I agree – his line did definitely showcase how extreme the terrain is and didn’t look easy at all. Agree last year his run was memorable but not rewarded. There’s definitely a lack of consistency – the year Bienve didn’t get rewarded for the canyon front flip they said it was because the rest of the run wasn’t exposed or extreme enough – this year they fail to reward Brendan for it.

I think the problem with run’s like Semenuk’s (and various others) is not that it’s just slopestyle, but that the bits we remember are the slopstyle bits. There is also a load of sketchy as **** terrain he also came down — the descent after his opening caveman thing a few years back was particulary insane, for example.

In contrast, techy, sketchy, exposed ground is the focus of Brendog’s run, and while I agree that he was wildly underscored the level this year was so high I’m not sure it was a podium run, probably just a top 5.

Even Pinkbike had a go at the judges this year and did a highlights reel counting down through the top 11 runs in this order:

10th. Kyle Strait
9th. Ethan Nell:
8th. Adolf Silva
7th. Carson Storch
6th. Thomas Genon
5th. Kurt Sorge
4th. Tom Van Steenbergen
11th. Brendan Fairclough
3rd. Tyler McCaul
2nd. Szymon Godziek
1st. Brandon Semenuk

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/video-mens-finals-highlights-from-red-bull-rampage-2024.html

I wonder if part of the judges’ problem is now some sort of sunk cost thing. They’ve been underscoring Brendon for so many years that if they changed now, it would be a massive omission.

No idea how much Brendon’s income comes directly or indirectly from ‘clicks’ but none on this is doing him any reputational harm. World + dog knows Rampage judging is a sham and everyone’s talking about our guy, just like last year…

I get as excited by Rampage as I do for UCI Snowbiking.

Brendan and his score is the main point of discussion, but I’d like to give a shout out for Tyler McCaul. Having shown up for years (decades?) and put in fairly conservative mid scoring runs seemingly just to pad the run time, he dropped an absolute banger this time, well worthy of his 3rd place.

Yes the judge did say that about Brendan

He wasn’t a judge as far as I know. He was a commentator embedded in the judging enclosure who recognized there was a big discrepancy and was trying to find reasons for it rather than justify it

Along with things like how they have to balance up the fact that Kyle Strait managed to **** up a trick badly but didn’t spanner himself. I mean fair play it was an incredible ‘save’ but how do you get points for that!?

That was a really odd observation, especially when you consider the first run Semenuk did this year.

No idea how much Brendon’s income comes directly or indirectly from ‘clicks’ but none on this is doing him any reputational harm.

Absolutely. Even Semenuk will forget he won it before everyone forgets Brendog getting so blatantly robbed.

This will be better for his profile than another 4th or even a 3rd.

The event is the loser. I honestly think the organisers will be in crisis management mode now deciding whether or not they put out a statement and apology.

Just watched Semenuk’s winning run.

It was like 2 different events on the same hill. One was down a bulldozed manicured slopestyle course, Brendan’s I guess what you would consider slightly more ‘freeride’

As to who interpreted the ask of the competition best, well you would have to say the winner.

Maybe though the organisers need to come out and define more what the competition is and set some vague rules of expectation and scoring around it,

The event is the loser. I honestly think the organisers will be in crisis management mode now deciding whether or not they put out a statement and apology

Na. They don’t care. Judging is subjective. The event is as successful as ever and has completely taken over social media. Job done.

Maybe though the organisers need to come out and define more what the competition is and set some vague rules of expectation and scoring around it,

Why? Brendan did a similar style run to previous years. Why would he expect a different result?

Brage doesn’t seem to have bothered…

 Why would he expect a different result?

Sums up my thoughts. It’s not like the judges just rock up on Finals and tick some boxes, they’re on site all week talking to riders and scoping out the lines. Brendan knows what the judges are looking for, and knows that a good percentage of the audience aren’t interested in slope-style, and want what he offers and does well; sublime riding down some pretty extreme terrain. It’s not going to score, but everybody does well from it anyway. The event gets some extra coverage and column inches, Brendan gets his engagement, folks that may not have bothered watching are going to see what the fuss is about. Trebles all round.

10p says that he gets an invite for next year and does more or less the exact same thing.

I’ve got to say, I found the women’s Rampage way more enjoyable to watch than the men’s this year – more fresh lines, more creativity, it was less about the tricks and more about getting down gnarly terrain and making it look sweet! They were also so hyped and seemed to have an absolutely banging time together – making it less about the outcome and more about the experience (which may not be great for a competition but still).

With the men’s the majority of them seemed to be going off the same features and just pulling different variations of tricks – not sure if that was down to the venue or trying to understand what the judges score well.

And obviously, Brendog got robbed.

Brage doesn’t seem to have bothered…

Spinal surgery isn’t the best prep for Rampage.

Brendog has a statement on PInkbike. Looks like he was happy with what he did.

Agree with 2 posters above – one who said it’s like 2 different comps. A slopestyle and a big mountain freeride.

Maybe so many people prefer Brendog’s freeride style is that the slopestyle BMX tricky stuff is in loads of videos and Brendog’s run is something you only see at Rampage. I’ve watched a few Semenuik vids and he’s totally brilliant, but the tricks are so far from any riding I’ve ever done or attempted, I can’t relate to it.

They both make what they do look so easy.

So the other things I agree with is just having it as a spectacle and paying them all!

It was great to watch again. Long may it continue and hope Zink heals well, that was quite a tumble.

ps. the photos on PInkbike are fab (Shh!) eg. How does someone ever think “Yeah I can ride down that!

He wasn’t a judge as far as I know. He was a commentator embedded in the judging enclosure

Geoff Gulevich. More than a little handy on a bicycle himself.

Geoff Gulevich. More than a little handy on a bicycle himself.

Yep, he was actually quite good with his commentary as well I thought.

Yep, he was actually quite good with his commentary as well I thought.

I thought there was a rule that said all commentators are rubbish and shouldnt be there unless they are called Rob Warner 🙂

Szymon Godziek should have won, IMO. He’s just not in the judge’s buddy club unfortunately.

I do love watching Brandon Semenuk but his run was definitely more slopestyle. I think he even was surprised he won.

Brendog definitely should have scored higher too, but I’m not sure if I would have placed him on the podium.

Szymon Godziek should have won, IMO. He’s just not in the judge’s buddy club unfortunately.

He would have won if the wind had stayed a bit higher?

The event is the loser. I honestly think the organisers will be in crisis management mode now deciding whether or not they put out a statement and apology

Nah.

Redbull got thier marketing opportunity, and the images, short videos, etc have no interest in the politics of the event, who won, or even who the competitors are.

The various bitter people saying B Semenuk is just riding sloprestyle should maybe take a look of the slomo of the tail whip onto the lily pad which was sketchy as hell. Other than Brendog and TVS mega front flip his ride was on a line similar to many other riders, just his ridiculous skills and ability to add crazy complexity made it look easier.

That said I’d favour different scoring – maybe along the lines of a combo of scores for overall run, best single trick and overall exposure / radness of the line choice (favouring natural over flattened out) to make a combined score.

I think the best way to score it would be like Strictly.

The judges give a score which gives you an indication of what the professionals think of it, but it doesn’t sway the outcome.

That is decided by the voting public who cast their votes during the event.

(Points could be awarded for the sparkliest costume too.)

I suppose though that way would make it difficult for it not to just become a case of who’s got the most mates…

He would have won if the wind had stayed a bit higher?

Didn’t feel entirely fair that several riders had to scrap a 2nd run because of the wind, while Semenuk’s second run stood.

I thought the commentators said 2nd runs would be invalid if not everyone could go, but perhaps that just meant if the organisers called it off. And perhaps they should have done that? I dunno.

Semenuk’s run was not an unworthy winner, he seemed to really up the game on the level of complexity in tricks at Rampage. I suppose the hitch is that only he can ride like that, so it’s like they’re playing different games.

But if you win because you’re doing stuff that nobody else can do, doesn’t that make you the best??
Re 2nd runs I think it’s a shame they don’t keep it running until everyone has had a chance of 2 runs. But B Semenuk decided to go ahead in the wind whilst others backed out, so fair play to him for having the balls.

I think a big part of the problem is that they talk this huge, all day event which is highly susceptible to the elements and try to make a tight, scheduled, live TV package out of it. There’s just too much opportunity for all manners of delays to effect the running and the broadcast.

I’d like to see a switch to a jam format and then broadcast the full runs with the gaps edited out. 5 days of digging and testing or something and then a full day of full runs. Let everyone ride until they’re happy and avoid the worst of the wind. Maybe sack the judges and open online voting after every full run has been broadcast.

Red Bull would still get shit-tonnes of content and clicks from it which is surely the most valuable element.

But B Semenuk decided to go ahead in the wind whilst others backed out, so fair play to him for having the balls.

I got the impression his run was more sheltered, as he wasn’t doing the huge gaps the others were.

But if you win because you’re doing stuff that nobody else can do, doesn’t that make you the best??

Perhaps, if that stuff meets the judging criteria. I’m not saying he didn’t deserve the win, but he said himself he traded amplitude for technicality.

Didn’t he seem weirdly underwhelmed by the win though? Is he always like that?

B Semenuk does always tend to be very quiet in interviews, he’s very much not like the stoked gnarl-tastic other riders. Although I wonder if he felt slightly embarrassed by winning like that when almost nobody else did a second run.

Another 100 grand in the bank? I’d be nonplussed too . lolZ

Although I wonder if he felt slightly embarrassed by winning like that when almost nobody else did a second run.

Definitely looked like he felt awkward about it for some reason, yep

The event is the loser. I honestly think the organisers will be in crisis management mode now deciding whether or not they put out a statement and apology.

I think that they are enjoying the amount of exposure the event gets by not scoring Brendan higher.

he traded amplitude for technicality.

And in the process, as you pointed out, increased his chances of still being able to ride his line “safely” in winds that stopped others doing theirs.

It was like 2 different events on the same hill. One was down a bulldozed manicured slopestyle course, Brendan’s I guess what you would consider slightly more ‘freeride’

Yeah if you watch the older runs they are completely different https://youtu.be/8dZj1EzD1jU?t=30

the narrative of the event has been taken over and i can’t see that being good for anyone involved.

I said elsewhere that the classes of amplitude and tricks is weighting it towards a slopestyle run.  If it’s a slopestyle competition then so be it.  Maybe Brendog should have realised what was needed if that is what the comp is about and just mainlined like quite a few of them.

But i think that would be robbing us of variety.  They need to rethink the categories so a run that we can all see is epic isn’t worth 10 points less than sorge and straight who were average.

Maybe Brendog should have realised what was needed if that is what the comp is about and just mainlined like quite a few of them.

By his own admission he doesn’t have a bag or tricks like the other riders so has to think differently.  I feel that his personal disappointment is less in the lack of a podium finish (in a year of banger runs), and more in the actual score being so low, regardless of where he positioned.  I wonder if he’ll be invited back having not auto qualified given that what he brings clearly does not align with the judges expectations and it clearly a different style to all the other competitors (regardless of the fact the public love it).  At the end of the day, regardless of the results, Brendan has been the most talked about rampage competitor of recent times and the exposure can only be a good thing.

Re 2nd runs I think it’s a shame they don’t keep it running until everyone has had a chance of 2 runs. But B Semenuk decided to go ahead in the wind whilst others backed out, so fair play to him for having the balls.

I think the 2nd run thing needs more scrutiny and should arguably be all or nothing in terms of scoring.  I can understand a competitor not doing a second run by choice as they are happy enough with the score they have vs the risk, but for a competitor not to be able to do a run due to the wind being too high, whilst others have had a better weather window seems unfair.  Take Isted, apart from BS he had the most ground to make up on a second run and could arguably have been a podium contender if he had stuck it (plus as a rookie, the auto invite back and all the additional exposure), he’s clearly got a huge appetite for risk (at Darkfest his first hit this year on the 100ft jump was a backflip), but there was no way he was going to send that canyon gap if the wind was blowing too much so arguable denied a second chance by conditions (and let’s get real, a serious risk of death) rather than choice.