Red Bull Rampage Diary 2: A Changing Soundtrack

Yesterday’s percussive accompaniment of the slapping of shovels picked up a different rhythm today at Red Bull Rampage, for the second day of practice …

By stwhannah

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Red Bull Rampage Diary 2: A Changing Soundtrack

Wow. Excellent write-up of the day, thank you (despite the camera shenanigans)!

Can’t wait for the next day’s reporting.

Really enjoying these diaries, Hannah!

Some really cool insights and things we don’t often get to see!

Great write up Hannah. Really cool stuff and awesome photos.

Loving it. 🙂

If it’s hot enough to make both your camera and phone overheat, it makes me curious how they manage this with the main cameras for the live feed. Presumably they are much bigger and use more power (therefore more likely to overheat?) plus they are sitting in the open all day. What stops them from melting?

Cami went big and very deep, thankfully relatively ok, broken nose and cleared to participate apparently, although with that much energy I’m surprised concussion isn’t a concern:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA2QcbQp1x8/?igsh=MW9nYWI0amVqamJodw==

Nobody mentioning Clemens Kaudela being airlifted to hospital after a similar crash to last year?

@steamtb don’t worry, nobody’s forcing them and anyway, they make their own lines and know what they’re doing. </s>

@steamtb I think it is a concern among the riders. There is some chat that she should be pulled, rather than left to make the choice, because it was such a hit to the head but there’s obviously going to be a huge desire to take part. Her team was still digging, but she wasn’t on the hill when I was there today. Will try and find out more about the protocol from the organisers’ perspective.

@squirrelking I’ve mentioned it at the end but didn’t have any more to say at the point of writing – hoping to hear more info today. Will keep you posted with what I can find out.

Riders also need to be capable of making the decision and they often are not after that kind of accident. It’s up to the medical professionals there to make the right decision and occasionally they don’t… I just hope all the riders stay as safe as they can, no one wants life changing injuries. Sad to hear about Clemens Kaudela  🙁

Loving the writing Hannah! So descriptive and emotive. Cannot wait to see the gals runs goosebumps thinking about it and what year for women with slopestyle at Crankworx and Rampage – the future looks good for women in freeride

I don’t like this event. It just seems the levels of risk are so high, just to provide entertainment. I fully accept that riders want to do it and I wouldnt stop them.  I just hope everyone rides away and no one has a career ending or life changing accident.

But then, just a few days ago

Jess Blewitt Broke T1 Transverse Process & T12 Vertebrae in Semi-Finals Crash – Mont-Sainte-Anne DH World Cup 2024

It’s all pretty unsafe, it’s fast, dangerous and crazy. But that’s how the sport works

@chrismac it doesn’t feel like entertainment, or doing it for entertainment. It’s more like ‘what can I achieve’. The big show you see on tv is kinda the byproduct of it all, perhaps the means to make the rest of it possible. I’ll probably try and get into the motivation stuff in another article, it needs more thought than I can muster here (on a shuttle on the way to the site!)

With Clemens Kaudela having had a nasty crash in an awkward location, the medivac had to wait while a second helicopter, equipped with a winch, came to hoist him out of a high spot up in a canyon

Thats one of the things I find worrying about this event (and others) is that an organisation is making profit out of people putting their physical health on the line, but they haven’t put sensible safety measures in in advance ie the ability to extract people off the hillside if needed. Just make sure you only crash at the bottom….

Good to see the womens event happening though !

I’ll probably try and get into the motivation stuff in another article,

That would be great if you can. I used to jump off cliffs on skis for the fun and challenge of it so I can see the attraction. Indeed having watched Brenda Faircloughs, Ben Deakins and Olly Wilkins YouTube vids I get that in some ways the biking is a small part of it.

However it still does worry me that some people would be prepared to push further than they would otherwise if it wasnt for sponsorship and TV etc.

Plus I am not mad keen on this raping and pillaging a mountain to make it rideable on a bike. Would much prefer it if they had to pick a natural line, or to be fair just got a bulldozer and built a slope style course

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@steamtb Cami passed the hospital’s concussion tests and is riding. The event relies on the hospital assessment – if a rider passes that they’re cleared to ride if they want to. She’s pretty beat up around the face but hiked up last night and is planning to ride today. Obviously a secondary hit would be very worrying, but right now she’s passed the tests and is clear to ride.

@ossify they have Mylar heat shields for wrapping the cameras in. I want one for me!

@stwhannah fingers crossed she is ok, thanks for the update!

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The big show you see on tv is kinda the byproduct of it al

I disagree. The product is the show. That’s what makes it commercially viable. Without the tv and broadcast line it wouldn’t happen

But then, just a few days ago

Jess Blewitt Broke T1 Transverse Process & T12 Vertebrae in Semi-Finals Crash – Mont-Sainte-Anne DH World Cup 2024

Completely agree. I would suggest wcdh is far safer and less risky than rampage.

Chelsea hit the monster drop nicely, mind boggling really, there can’t be many people who could do that well:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA6nvesJ-gR/?igsh=MWF0djMybXFoczF5Zg==

@steamtb Yup, she took a long while to think about it! Then she screamed with delight all the way to the finish. Amazing to see.

Great job, Hannah. I’m enjoying your reporting style.

It sounds like the medical team are following up with riders who have big crashes and pulling them from the competition if needed. Cami won’t be competing now this year, hopefully it won’t be too long and she will be well and back on a bike, she is an amazing rider!

Many thanks for the great style of reporting love it @stwhannah

 

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These boys are what Rampage is all about.

I thought it was about riding the landscape, not smashing it up.