Anne-Marije Rook

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Watching Red Bull Rampage is a visceral experience—a fear that grips your throat and sends a nauseating knot of anxiety into your stomach as you witness riders drop into the jagged cliffs of Utah’s barren mountains. It’s terrifying, it’s beautiful, and I couldn’t tear my eyes away, even though I knew that at any moment, disaster could strike. For years, Rampage has been teetering on a razor-thin edge between thrilling spectacle and life-threatening danger. Like watching a car crash or a true crime series, Rampage is something we know we perhaps shouldn’t be drawn to, but yet we watch again and again. The danger as captivating as the display of skill and sheer audacity. For its 18th edition, fans who trekked to the remote desert were treated to double the adrenaline and twice the emotional rollercoaster. After 23 years of waiting, women freeriders took their rightful place on the stage they’d long fought for. Grabbing the (Red) bull by the horns, their debut was awe-inspiring. Yet, when they finished their runs, the collective sigh of relief was not missed among the jubilance. I stood among the spectators, neck craned toward the wooden starting ramp perched some 4,700 feet above me. The scorching Utah sun baked the desert floor beneath us and dust swirled in the wind like a warning sign. The air thick with tension. And as the riders dropped in, the venue was silent. Where I expected cowbells, cheers and music, it remained eerily quiet. Just the whop-whop-whop of the helicopter overhead, the high-pitched whirr of a drone, the rapid-fire shutter of cameras, and the wind whipping through the canyon. We all held our breath, waiting as though exhaling too soon might disturb the delicate balance between success and catastrophe. Rocky Beginnings No other bike event inspires as much awe as it does terror. Dating back to 2001, the Red Bull Rampage is the truest test of skill, focus and mental toughness on a mountain bike and touted as one of the most challenging sporting events in the world. It’s unique, not just because of the perilous terrain, but also because the athletes design their runs themselves, spending the days leading up to the competition in the unforgiven desert, visualising, crafting and building their own line down the mountain with nothing but hand tools, water and 75 bags of sand. While some riders may share features, no two lines are the same. There are no pre-built features and no safety nets. And Rampage isn’t just about getting down the mountain either—it’s about pushing the sport to its absolute limit, and so riders throw in flips, tricks and massive drops in an effort to impress the judges. Each rider is judged on their creativity, innovation and skill with higher scores given to those who take bigger risks. Yet, at the end of 2004, organisers recognised that the limits were perhaps being pushed a tad too far and hit pause on the event for several years. When the event returned in …Continue reading »

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