Jeff Herbertson is NOT looking forward to the landing. Photo: John Gibson via Red Bull
“We’re the exact opposite of soccer players, man. We don’t fake injury — we fake that we’re okay.” – Geoff Gulevich
This hurts to watch. A lot. Even with the countless crash reels I’ve seen over the years, crash reels involving mountain bikers tend to be the most painful to sit through. It is a palpable pain, however vicarious it might be.
You see, mountain bikers don’t fall into the ocean or onto powder fields. They fall off cliffs. Into ravines. Onto rock fields. That isn’t to say surfers and snowboarders and skiers don’t face outrageous danger — avalanches scare the shit out of me and big-wave hold downs are the things of nightmares, overshot landings make my knees wobbly and reef makes me cringe. But that doesn’t change the way crash reels involving mountain bikers make me feel; they make me feel bad. And that is precisely how this crash reel of Rampage’s Craziest Crashes of All Time made me feel: really, really BAD.
All that being said and now seen, Red Bull Rampage is one of my favorite mountain biking events to watch year-in and year-out — crashes and all. Last year was no exception.
And this year’s show looks to be as exciting and nail-biting as any before, especially as the 10th Edition is returning to Utah after 14 years and three venues.
We know we’re tuning in. And to all the mountain bikers participating, stay safe out there.
For more information on how to tune into Red Bull Rampage on October 17, head on over to RedBull.com.
