On a gusty day in Southern Utah, a group of 25 daring mountain bikers blew the doors off what is possible on two wheels, unleashing some of the biggest moments the sport has ever seen. While mother nature only allowed for one full run before the conditions made it impossible to ride, that was all that was needed for event veteran Kyle Strait, who won the event for the second time – eight years after his first Red Bull Rampage title.
Red Bull Rampage is a unique contest that determines the best overall mountain bike rider – one who can combine skills from downhill freeride, slopestyle, dirt jumping and racing. Strait put all the elements together combining a fluid and quick style at the top with a huge technical no-hander off the signature Oakley Icon Sender feature – dropping over 70 feet and landing clean. He impressed judge and mountain bike pro Aaron Chase, “Strait’s run was everything a Red Bull Rampage run should be. He rolled the dice but also rode with 100% confidence. He rode really strong, looked really good and there weren’t any flaws in his run. He earned it.” Strait first competed in the event at only 14 years old, and won it when he was 17 in 2004.
There was a barrage of amazing moments, including two backflips that had the 1,500 plus spectators going mental. Cam Zink backflipped the Oakley Icon Sender – a trick he had been planning for months and required him to build his own kicker ramp to get the angle needed to attempt it. The vision paid off, soaring him to a 78-foot backflip and earning the Utah Sports Commission Best Trick award. Zink’s line also earned him a third place finish in what is sure to be a big week in his life – in attendance was his girlfriend who is due to give birth to their child any day. Competing for the jaw-dropping moment of the day was New Zealand native Kelly McGarry who backflipped the treacherous 73-foot canyon gap, then stuck the rest of his line with a corked-out flip up high that easily put him into second place. His run also garnered the praise of the 400,000 fans watching online around the world who voted him as the recipient of the first-ever Red Bull Bike People’s Choice Award. Although nervous about his big trick, his decision to do it paid off. “Last night I was freaking out, wondering if I should do it. But I had the speed, it felt right, so I just sent it!” said a jubilant McGarry after the event.
FROM ALL ANGLES
The terrain that hosts Red Bull Rampage is like none other in the world. Because only 1,500 lucky fans get to attend the event in-person, Red Bull Media House in partnership with Microsoft Internet Explorer, is bringing this amazing experience to millions around the world via the Web. Visitors will feel like they’re right there with the riders and will have access to a ton of content straight from the event. The updated website will showcase a new immersive and interactive web experience in the coming days. Be sure to check back at www.redbull.com/rampage <www.redbull.com/rampage> for more updates all week long.
In addition to the online experience, fans can tune in on December 21st to the broadcast of Red Bull Rampage on NBC at 2:30 pm ET, presented by Casio G’zOne Commando 4G LTE and brought to you in partnership with Dodge Dart, GoPro, the Utah Sports Commission, Specialized and Oakley. The show airs as part of the Red Bull Signature Series, the most progressive action sports property in the world, featuring some of Red Bull’s top events including Crashed Ice, Wake Open, Dreamline and Joyride. For more information, please visit www.redbullsignatureseries.com.
RED BULL RAMPAGE FINAL RESULTS
1. Kyle Strait USA – 87.50
2. Kelly McGarry NZL – 86.75
3. Cameron Zink USA – 84.75
4. Andreu Lacondeguy ESP – 84.25
5. Tyler McCaul USA – 80.50
6. Pierre Edouard Ferry FRA – 76.50
7. Cam McCaul USA – 75.75
8. Brendan Fairclough GBR – 75.50
9. Garett Buehler CAN – 74.50
10. Thomas Genon BEL – 72.50
11. Ramon Hunziker SUI – 71.50
12. Mike Montgomery USA – 66.75
13. Logan Binggeli USA – 66.25
14. Wil White USA – 64.75
15. Geoff Gulevich CAN – 64.25
16. Nico Vink BEL – 63.75
17. Graham Agassiz CAN – 56.25
18. Kyle Norbraten CAN – 53.75
19. Brendan Howey CAN – 52.00
The following riders had a score of 0.00 because they did not complete their run: Mike Hopkins (CAN), Brandon Semenuk (CAN), James Doerfling (CAN), Antoine Bizet (FRA), Paul Basagoitia (USA), Mitch Chubey (CAN)
Utah Sports Commission Best Trick: Cam Zink, Backflip off the Oakley Icon Sender
Red Bull Bike People’s Choice Award: Kelly McGarry
Each rider was judged solely on their first run as second runs were unable to be completed for all riders due to high wind conditions. Competitors are judged on style, amplitude, fluidity, and difficulty of line.
FMB World Tour Final Standings*
1. Sam Pilgrim, 2. Martin Soderstrom, 3. Brett Rheeder
* Red Bull Rampage serves of the final stop of the World Tour
Photo by Ian Hylands/Red Bull content pool
