New Breed of Athletes Attack Red Bull Rampage Course
Local rider Binggeli Leads Pack of Mountain Bikers Qualifying for Sunday’s Final
10/2/10 - After a month of digging, shoveling and shaping, the Red Bull Rampage course was primed and ready for action. Twenty-one of mountain biking’s up and coming athletes sent it down the picturesque Utah landscape, vying for 10 open spots in the event Finals. Riders from around the world from New Zealand to Spain to Canada dropped in, but it was a rider from just down the road that topped them all.
photo credit Christian Pondella/Red Bull Photofiles
Anyone’s Game on Natural Terrain
On a dangerous network of ridges near Zion National Park, riders had free reign to navigate their descent between a designated starting gate and a finish line more than 1,000 vertical feet below. Utah resident Logan Binggeli qualified first with his confident and strong domination of the course. He joins Alex Prochazka and Chris Van Dine who cruised their way into the top 3. They are also joined by slopestyle madman Andreu Lacondeguy of Spain, who took his wild style to the cliffs for the first time with a huge backflip off the step-up jump. Of the 10 qualifying athletes, five were Red Bull Rampage rookies and now will get to display their creative lines to an international audience come Sunday. Several athletes outside the bubble also got the crowds talking, including 16-year-old Wil White who fearlessly charged down the mountain in his Red Bull Rampage debut, and Steve Romaniuk who was a favorite but washed out towards the bottom of his run on a wallride transfer.
photo credit Christian Pondella/Red Bull Photofiles
Today’s action was just a preview for Sunday, with the athletes strategizing about how to qualify without showing the competition too much. As Van Dine puts it, “It’s like a high stakes poker match. It couldn’t be any better. I’m stoked because I still have my tricks up my sleeve.”
It will take big tricks, creativity and style to impress the judges. Scott Hart laid it out “The guys that were mining out the big, creative lines are what we are here to see. Everyone knows what a slopestyle contest is and how to do a 360. Let’s see if the guys can do it off some natural terrain. There were some really unique lines out there. I think stuff like that is going to be really prevalent on Sunday, so I think we are really in for a show.”
Countdown to Showdown
Today’s qualifiers will have a day to determine their lines and practice for the final on Sunday, where they will join 11 athletes who were pre-qualifed based on their 2008 Red Bull Rampage results. This is where the heavy hitters will take the stage and spread out to a choice of three start gates across the vast landscape. There will be a mix of challenging obstacles returning from the ’08 contest like the 60 foot canyon gap, and new items like the Oakley Icon Sender - complete with a signature skull and plank that will send riders more than 30 feet down – which is sure to spook anyone who dares approach.
On the line is the Red Bull Rampage title, and the FMB World Tour overall crown as this event is the last stop to earn points for the season long title. While there is plenty on the line, today’s top qualifier Binggeli knows at the heart this event is about simply enjoying a sport he loves, “I’m just having fun out here, it’s what it’s all about, just riding my bike.” Come Sunday, he could be just riding away with the biggest bragging rights in freeride mountain biking.
Top 10 Qulaifiers that move to the finals.
photo credit Ian Hylands/Red Bull Photofiles
Watch the event live online, beginning at 1pm MST (12pm PST/3pm EST) on Sunday, October 3rd at www.redbullusa.com/rampage and www.pinkbike.com. Highlights will air on NBC’s World of Adventure Sports on Sunday, November 14th at 3pm ES
Qualification Results- Top 10 move on to Final
1. Logan Binggeli 74.4
2. Alex Prochazka 72.2
3. Chris Van Dine 71.0
4. Geoff Gulevich 70.0
5. Tyler McCaul 69.6
6. James Doerfling 69.4
7. Greg Watts 68.4
8. Andreu Lacondeguy 65.4
9. Jamie Goldman 64.0
10. Curtis Robinson 63.6
11. Kenny Smith 60.4
12. Wil White 60.2
13. Yannick Granieri 59.8
14. Mike Montgomery 59.4
15. Steve Romaniuk 57.8
16. Kyle Norbraten 54.4
17. Andrew Taylor 52.6
18. Kelly McGarry 52.2
19. Ryan Berrecloth 52.0
20. Jordie Lunn 48.8
21. Garett Beuhler DSQ
