Rampage Live on nsmb!

you all need to remember how the judges score this event,

1 Line score - who hard is your line the higher the score the harder the line, the rest of your run is affected by your line choice
2 Fluidity - how well you moved down the course, did you have to slow down alot to hit your line? did you fumble a bit and have to recover?
2 Style/Technique - how good did you look shredding your line? did you make things look "easy"? Did you throw tricks in?
3 Air/Amplitude - did you send the biggest senders? also did you toss tricks in?

all those scores are based off your line score, you can have a low line score and absoluty kill it on everything else like Brendan did at last Rampage, but if you take a more difficult line but look sketchy your other scores will be lower, its all about balance at Rampage and rider smarts…."do I go for the hardest line that I think I will run clean and maybe sketch out on a few spots or go for an easier line that I know I can look good on and still go big?" I did not watch the event but this is usually how events like this play out…..

I just finished reading all 16 pages in a row. I didn't know the result, so figured I'd let NSMB supply me with the play by play.

A few highlights: Everyone's anger at the live feed; a few people trying to put it into perspective; Brad Ewan comments; 888s suck for freeriding; and the reaction to Zink's big move.

brad ewan commentating sucks balls. HOLY MOTHERTRUCKER.

Gee's run was pretty smooth and fast like his dh racing skills but like mentioned billion times before, DB should've taken the 2nd at the least. Gee did have fluidity, line was ok, he did get some good airs and that last transfer was awesome. he however, lacked a lot of style.

I guess the judges are sucking some dick

monster energy live feed [HTML_REMOVED] redbull live feed.

you all need to remember how the judges score this event,

1 Line score - who hard is your line the higher the score the harder the line, the rest of your run is affected by your line choice
2 Fluidity - how well you moved down the course, did you have to slow down alot to hit your line? did you fumble a bit and have to recover?
2 Style/Technique - how good did you look shredding your line? did you make things look "easy"? Did you throw tricks in?
3 Air/Amplitude - did you send the biggest senders? also did you toss tricks in?

all those scores are based off your line score, you can have a low line score and absoluty kill it on everything else like Brendan did at last Rampage, but if you take a more difficult line but look sketchy your other scores will be lower, its all about balance at Rampage and rider smarts…."do I go for the hardest line that I think I will run clean and maybe sketch out on a few spots or go for an easier line that I know I can look good on and still go big?" I did not watch the event but this is usually how events like this play out…..

Judging is subjective by nature, so we have to agree to disagree. I face the same issue everyday at school as a teacher: you set solid criteria, but when everyone does something different, it gets very tricky to fit their performance into the prescribed requirements. Have I ever given someone a mark that was higher or lower than it "should" have been according to someone else? Yes. But that doesn't mean that I didn't work hard to be fair. The judges at Rampage took their time with scoring, so I'll assume they took their job (which would be quite stressful me thinks) seriously and really thought about how one run compared to the next.

I also wouldn't feel too bad for a rider that recieved what we (the mtb community) believes was a low score. One, they wake up the next morning and they are still professional bike riders being paid to ride. Second, fans who understand mountain biking (people reading this) will express their opinions about who should have placed where, and to a pro rider I'd bet these are the opinions that matter. For example, when Bearclaw hears that many in the mtb community think he should have placed 1 or 2, I'm sure his 3rd will be easier to take. (^only an example, see above for my opinion on judging) :)

Aside from the broadcasting issues, I thought the event was fantastic; rider pushing themselves to the limit and exhibiting massive skills and courage. And no one was seriously hurt. Two thumbs up from me :coo:

^ This. I just watched the highlights vid on Red Bull USA dot com - unreal. Sad that I had to go to bed before the second runs were up.

brad ewan commentating sucks balls. HOLY MOTHERTRUCKER.

Gee's run was pretty smooth and fast like his dh racing skills but like mentioned billion times before, DB should've taken the 2nd at the least. Gee did have fluidity, line was ok, he did get some good airs and that last transfer was awesome. he however, lacked a lot of style.

I guess the judges are sucking some dick

Eh? I just watched the finals vid on the site and Gee makes everyone I saw look like hacks.

Gee was smooth and NAILED the step down to hip but his line was uneventful and no tricks. Opting out of second run with the lead is weak as well. That cat can flow though!

Gee was smooth and NAILED the step down to hip but his line was uneventful and no tricks. Opting out of second run with the lead is weak as well. That cat can flow though!

I dont agree at all regarding not taking a second run. Gee made a smart move. He already had a killer run in the bag and obviously felt he couldnt improve on it. Why bother?

If you recall Zink`s second run at Crankworx was merely a victory lap and he skipped all the big lines. These guys have more than glory on the line; they want to get paid again and again.

Risk vs. Reward.

Rampage is all about the glory. When you see former podiums, you aren't thinking dollars or sponsorships. You read those names with reverence and awe. Pure glory.
I am more of a Bourdon style fan I suppose. The guy just hucks because he loves it and the fans. The whole reason this exists is because there is a market (fans) that are interested in it.
I could give Gee a pass due to gnar factor but on the other coin, this is your primary sponsors show and you can't sack up for a second run? I was just as disappointed with Zink's victory lap at C-worx as well. Not even a X up or anything. More of a flaw in the Crankworx format than anything.
Maybe Rampage could move to a combined two run score to win. I am sure some other competitors were thinking "primadonna" when Gee opted out. The guy is fast, smooth and ballsy as they come.I just think on that stage, you find another run for the crowd if anything.

That is your opinion and you are entitled to it.

However these guys are professionals, they got to the top on talent and perseverance and will stay there by making smart decisions.

Rampage is all about the glory. When you see former podiums, you aren't thinking dollars or sponsorships. You read those names with reverence and awe. Pure glory.
I am more of a Bourdon style fan I suppose. The guy just hucks because he loves it and the fans. The whole reason this exists is because there is a market (fans) that are interested in it.
I could give Gee a pass due to gnar factor but on the other coin, this is your primary sponsors show and you can't sack up for a second run? I was just as disappointed with Zink's victory lap at C-worx as well. Not even a X up or anything. More of a flaw in the Crankworx format than anything.
Maybe Rampage could move to a combined two run score to win. I am sure some other competitors were thinking "primadonna" when Gee opted out. The guy is fast, smooth and ballsy as they come.I just think on that stage, you find another run for the crowd if anything.

Just won the World Overall Title, 25 years old and alot of riding in him. Would I take the chance and potentially mess up a long and prosperous future in racing? On a competition that happens maybe twice a year (although it sounds like it now going to be a yearly event). Not a bad choice by a smart rider. As far as the "primadonna" thing, how many other World Cup guys showed up, much less got invited. As far as I'm concerned, it's just cool to see the different disciplines that can be found within the downhill spectrum alone. You got a guy who can race World Cup courses all over the world and then show up to a freeride event and hold 1st place till the last few runs. Slopestyle, big mountain, pro-freeriders etc. Everyones lines down through the same zone were all different,…………fast, flowly, tech, steeze, you name it, the Rampage had it all. And that was the coolest part for me.

I have not watched all the Rampages in full so am not familiar with whether or not this has happened before. Has this been common in previous Rampages? (barring injuries or mechanicals of course)

It seems to me though that it is a prestige event. You are invited because you are awesome and will throw the fuck down. I was totally surprised when he opted out. Surprised to the point that barring injury or mechanical, it was even an option.

As I mentioned before, the fact that its his main rides party, and he does that is strange as well. If you were that worried about your other career pursuits, why take the first run and politely decline instead. Leave the spot to someone who wants it bad enough to fully commit? I understand that a second run is tempting fate but is that not why you are there in the first place?

He is an awesome rider with a bright future no question. His first run was so nice that I was really looking forward to a follow up. I will still follow his career with interest and stay a fan of course, was just a little disappointed that at that particular event any rider would opt out on a second run. There are plenty of riders that didn't make qualifying that would have killed for that second run he threw away, much less ones that didn't get an invite or were injured.

The fact that Zink went back up and tried that monster 3 after grenading the first time embody what that event is all about. Bourdons ridiculous huck when he knew he was out to please the fans. Claws changing my perspective on whats possible on a bike. Gulevich hanging it all out after being dissatisfied with his previous Rampage. Young McCaul with his crazy line and moto whipping over that huge boulder. This all embodies Rampage to me and why it stands alone as the premier hang yer sack out huckfest. This is why it is called Rampage.

Regardless of my opinion on that one transgression (in my eyes), I will continue to be in awe of Gee's skill on two wheels and respect him and what he brings to the sport. The rest of the show was fantastic and I would be stoked if it became an annual.

If he accomplished everything he wanted to do in his first run, then why do another run identical to the first for little if any improvement? The big hip transfer was super ballsy and he stuck it. He knows what he is capable of and probably achieved what he wanted so shut it down.