The Truth About Red Bull Rampage: Freeride is Evolving
Diving into the history, progression, and the criticism behind the biggest freeride mountain bike competition in the world — Red Bull Rampage.
Some think Red Bull Rampage has lost its appeal, the truth is the sport of freeride is simply evolving.
Freeride mountain biking has many definitions. Much like the discipline itself, the definition is very broad and can encompass a lot. By definition, freeride mountain biking is a style of riding that focuses not on fast times, but tricks, style, and technical features. It might come as a shock to some people to hear this, slopestyle is a sub-discipline of freeride.
The original Red Bull Rampage from 2001 to 2004 was a raw and unpolished event compared to what it is today. After 2004, Rampage went quiet for three years. It returned in 2008 at a new venue with a new identity. From then on, Rampage continued to grow and evolve as the invite list slowly got longer. The first start list consisted of 10 riders with an $8,000 prize purse. By 2024, the start list had grown to 17 riders with a $100,000 purse.
The biggest critique from fans is that Rampage is too overbuilt and has turned into a slopestyle competition — yet a lot of that stems from people’s resistance to change. Features have gotten bigger and bike setups are changing, because that’s what evolution of the sport demands. Let’s also not forget the inaugural Rampage in 2001 preceded and inspired the first Joyride, three years later. Several riders such as Brandon Semenuk started in Rampage then moved to slopestyle. Slopestyle grew out of freeride, not the other way around.
Semenuk’s win in 2024 sparked much debate within the mountain bike community, with some suggesting that his run blurred the line between slopestyle and freeride. Viewers thought that his run relied heavily on tricks and less on technical freeride lines. While this might have some truth to it, it overlooks where Semenuk came from and his roots in freeride. In 2008, Semenuk won in his Red Bull Rampage debut. Then in 2011, he entered his first Joyride slopestyle event, winning that as well. Brandon Semenuk started his freeride career in Rampage, winning 5 titles: the most of any competitor. He is levels above the rest and can lay down a run many cannot rival.
Rampage is such a core event because it allows riders to use their own creativity. Riders get to carve their own lines and even collaborate with other riders. The most authentic part of Rampage isn’t the broadcasted competition, it occurs the week before when riders and their crews, by hand, transform the rocky cliffs and arid landscape into the most mind boggling lines to ever be ridden on two wheels. This pushes riders that much further. It inspires newer and crazier lines each year. Rampage has long been pushing the progression of the heaviest hitters of freeride. Rampage is able to push the limits of progression because of all the challenges it forces riders to face. The venue itself is steep, raw, and unforgiving. The crashes are heavy and the consequences demand more than just physical strength. Since each rider digs their own line, the progression comes from their creativity just as much as their skill.
Many longtime fans feel that the event has become repetitive and doesn’t have the same energy it did 10 years ago. This is a fair take. While the site does change every few years, it’s still based in Virgin, Utah. Maybe fans want to see a whole new venue. Maybe big features and lines should be destroyed to avoid that repetitive feeling. While some still choose to focus on what might be going “wrong” in the event, they lose sight of the what’s happening right in front of them — the new generation of riders is taking over.
A huge part of the event which proves progression beats repetitiveness are the rookies. Riders like Hayden Zablotny and Utah locals Aiden Parish and Finley Kirschemann have stepped up to prove themselves, and prove themselves they did. Zablotny cemented himself into Red Bull Rampage history as the second rookie to win his debut, behind Semenuk. There has been the addition of a women’s category, featuring riders like Robin Goomes and Hannah Bergemann who absolutely killed it this year. But, like always, fans were not thrilled with the judges’ decisions. Most people forget how many factors affect scoring and the criteria riders are judged on. These criteria include line difficulty, amplitude, control and fluidity, and tricks and style.
Rampage hasn’t just evolved; it has revolutionized the world of freeride. Events like Red Bull Hardline would not have been possible without the influence of Rampage. Downhill veteran Gee Atherton used his knowledge of competing at Rampage for 5 years to build what is now Red Bull Hardline. Hardline is a topic for another day but no one can refute that Rampage has inspired plenty of freeride competitions around the world.
Rampage has not only shaped the discipline of freeride, but also mountain biking as a whole. The lines are bigger, and the risk is real. The chaos of the early years has led to real progression, forcing the sport to evolve, but the purpose hasn’t shifted. Over 20 years later, Red Bull Rampage has not lost its appeal, it’s simply evolving.
