There are a lot of contests in the world that set one’s jaw agape. Of all of them, the Red Bull Rampage may be the one that compels a viewer’s jaws to drop widest. Huge cliffs, enormous jumps, gaps that feel bigger than the Grand Canyon. It’s a scary event — and probably one that the competitors absolutely love.
Those competitors don’t just show up and blow up, though. That would be suicidal. They come early, stay late, grab the shovels, and test their speeds. The event itself takes place on October 15, but the weather report is calling for strong winds and rain in the upcoming days.
The Rampage is going down in Virgin, Utah — the same place as 2016 and 2017 — so it’s familiar territory to a few of the seasoned riders. For the rookies, it was a wonderfully blank canvas, ready for their brushstrokes. It’s steep. It’s exposed. And it’s full of potential.
The rain in the forecast meant that the riders were out in full force a few days ago to make sure they had their lines dialed by Friday. “Excited, the riders hastily got to work, dispersing across the venue,” a Red Bull rep wrote. “In no time, many of the dilapidated run outs and jumps were brought back to life and nearly rideable in many sections.”
