Rampage Goes Raw For 2016

Date Jun 23, 2016

Rampage was once wild, natural and unsculpted. Over the years the purest event in mountain biking began to veer toward a big mountain slopestyle course. It remained unique – and has always been the most interesting stand alone event in mountain biking, but every time a huge, branded feature was erected, the soul of the event took a hit.

This year Rampage eschews built stunts and power tools, cuts the build teams in half and does away with qualifying. And there is a new site, not far from the current site, which should provide an opportunity for renewed creativity and diversity.

Amazing shot of Andreu Lacondeguy launching huge. Photo – Christian Pondella

All of this appears to put the direction of the event more firmly in the hands of the riders, or at least the riders who have the ears of the organizers.

To sit on the judges’ ridge in 2016 you must be a former Rampage competitor. This decision surprised me some because I have often heard that Paul Rak, head judge for the FMBA, has helped bring consistency and fairness to the process. Judging at Rampage is about as difficult as it gets in mountain biking, and hopefully this change will bring some less controversial results.

Cam McRae

The uniquely demanding terrain of Virgin, Utah, once again beckons the best mountain bike riders to the desert to compete for glory in one of the biggest tests of skill and guts in the world — Red Bull Rampage.

An all-new event zone will provide more natural terrain options than recent years — returning Rampage to the roots of big mountain riding, raw and untamed.

Back to roots

For the 11th edition, riders will interact with the mountain in the same way the event’s pioneers did back in 2001 — without power tools.

As the only mountain bike contest where each competitor creates his own path down the hill, Rampage 2016 will provide a blank canvas of opportunity for each rider, and their two-member dig teams. This year, there will be four build days and four practice days before finals.

“There will be no qualifier event this year,” confirms 2015 eighth-place finisher Darren Berrecloth. “So it’s going to be a more intimate event — less riders, less controversy about line choice.”

21 riders

The contest will have 21 of the top freeride athletes: The top 12 riders from 2015 receive automatic entries to finals with nine “wild cards” chosen by the Rampage selection committee of past athletes and community leaders.

Athletes will be selected based on the following criteria: Past Rampage results, results from similar contests, current video parts, etc. Final selection will be made on August 1, 2016, at 9 a.m. PST.

Contest updates

New for the first time, the judging panel will all be previous Rampage competitors to ensure accuracy of results, as well as a two-day weather window to allow athletes the best and safest conditions possible.

Limited tickets will go on sale later this summer — find updates at redbull.com/rampage.

Watch Rampage live on Red Bull TV on Friday, Oct. 14 and as part of the Red Bull Signature Series on Nov. 12.

Good news or bad news for Rampage?

Tags: Rampage Raw, Redbull Rampage 2016
Posted in: News