Red Bull Rampage was first brought about to showcase the absolute pinnacle of Freeride Mountain Bike talent on some of the world's most rugged and wild natural terrain.

CamMcCaul hits the canyon gap way back in 2012. Photo by Christian Pondella | Red Bull Content Pool.

The event takes place annually on the otherworldly landscapes of Southern Utah, where the dry sandstone dirt and natural layering of the desert hillsides provide the perfect natural canvas for ultimate mountain bike creativity.

Rampage combines downhill, slopestyle, and big mountain riding, challenging some of the biggest names in mountain biking to build and compete on the most spectacular lines possible, pushing the boundaries of the sport as far as possible in the process.

Southern Utah's natural terrain lends itself perfectly to Freeride.

Unlike downhill racing, it's not about how fast riders can get to the bottom of the mountain; instead, Rampage encourages creativity, innovation, and progression, setting itself apart from other Freeride events by the freedom it offers its competitors for individual expression.

Each year, the event attracts some of mountain biking's top talents, all looking to showcase their unique riding abilities on the ultimate platform, but only a select few are granted the golden ticket to the prestige invite-only event.

Local boy Jaxson Riddle going big at last years event. Photo by Bartek Wolinski | Red Bull Content Pool.

The chosen few will spend a week under the Utah sun, crafting their lines and getting to grips with any monstrosities that are birthed in the process before piecing it all together for not one but two competition runs, judged by a variety of factors, including line choice, technical skill, and amplitude.

Over the years, Rampage has grown to be the biggest, most anticipated mountain bike event in the world, with a prize purse in the six figures, but where did it all begin?

Kurt Sorge sends into the sunset - Photo by Garth Milan | Red Bull Content Pool.

Early Days

Rampage was initially dreamed up to bring raw Freeride talent to the world, offering the sport a platform to express itself in a competitive environment.

Things looked a little different in 2001, but the values haven't changed much. Photo by Christian Pondella | Red Bull Content Pool.

At the time of the event's birth in 2001, the Freeride Mountain Bike scene was already beginning to take off. Uninterested in how fast you could go or who you could beat in a race, Freeride was all about pushing boundaries and creative expression on the bike.

Red Bull Rampage was a showcase of just that, and the inaugural edition of the series was held near Zion National Park, with a mixed bag of Freeriders, Dirt Jumpers, and Downhill Racers, with a prize purse of just $8,000, which has risen to the hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the event's evolution.

Way back when... 2002 to be exact. Photo by Christian Pondella | Red Bull Content Pool.

"There were downhill timed races and the freeride scene was burgeoning with the Rocky Mountain Froriders and some films like "New World Disorder" that were coming out, and it was like, why can’t we make a judged event around this type of mountain biking?"
- Todd Barber | H5 Events & Co-Founder of Red Bull Rampage

During its initial years, Rampage remained relatively low-key, and back then, riders were only really beginning to understand the limits of the bikes and what they could ride. The first year was relatively barebones, with little building work - it was essentially a ride from the top to the bottom of the mountain, with an entirely mixed bag of riders, and nobody knew who would excel at the event or if it would take off at all.

Still only at its second year, Rampage was starting to attract a cult-like fan base. Photo by Christian Pondella | Content Pool.

"When the original event happened, there were very low expectations. It was more of a test event. We didn’t know if the guys would be falling down the mountain or what. But everyone went off the big cliffs, which were probably 15 to 20 feet at that time, and it was a really cool scene. But we knew that at that particular location, there were only a few years left in it."
- Todd Barber | H5 Events & Co-Founder of Red Bull Rampage

Rampage played out annually for a few years. After the fourth edition, the event went on hiatus due to the limitations of the venue and safety concerns, during which time Freeride only continued to evolve.

Darren Berrecloth into the abyss. Photo by Christian Pondella | Red Bull Content Pool.

Hiatus

Nobody knew if Rampage would ever return until 2008 when Todd devised a plan for its revival.

Cam Zink, pictured here in 2008, would take the win at Rampage two years later. Photo by John Gibson | Red Bull Content Pool.

As you might imagine, finding a location which ticks all the boxes for an event like Rampage is no easy feat, and since 2004, Freeride had come a long way. The event had outgrown the original site, which had pretty straightforward ridges, and with the sports boundaries growing quickly, they needed to find somewhere that could keep up with its progression.

"I went to Alaska; we went to Montana, Wyoming. Nothing quite worked. Then, before 2008, I spent basically six months researching maps and Google Earth and put together 15 locations from Salt Lake all the way down into New Mexico, and Darren Berrecoth joined me for a trip in February 2008. I think we drove something like 1,400 miles in eight days."
- Todd Barber | H5 Events & Co-Founder of Red Bull Rampage

Darren Berrecloth at the 2008 event. Photo by John Gibson | Content Pool.

One thing led to another, and Todd found himself in Virgin, Utah, where he met with Freeride Vet Josh Bender, who introduced Todd to the iconic red ridges we associate with Red Bull Rampage today... and just like that, the resurrection of Red Bull Rampage was on the horizon.

The mountains surrounding Virgin ticked pretty much every box imaginable - big valleys, endless ledges, and soft dirt... the perfect recipe. The new site was far more advanced than its predecessor and saw three different start gates, allowing the riders to spread themselves out across the mountainside as they pleased. During the hiatus, slopestyle had become a big part of the scene, and the course was adapted to cater for those riders, with features that allowed them to really bring their tricks to the table.

2011, James Doerfling hits the iconic Oakley Sender. Photo by Christian Pondella | Red Bull Content Pool

"The main ingredient is the topography. You want lots of ledges - like a series of drops. If it’s one gradient with no cliffs, that’s pretty boring. So we needed multiple cliffs, with really big valleys, so we could have interesting lines. And you need nice, soft dirt without a lot of rocks; if it’s all rocky, we can’t control our speed or manoeuvre on the steep stuff, and dirt lets you shape the earth into a line where you can make lips and jumps so you can do tricks and stick the landings."
- Darren Berrecloth | Professional Freeride Moutain Biker

Freeride had come a long way during the four-year hiatus, and when Rampage returned in 2008, it had a whole new level of riding to cater to. Ever since, along with the sport, the event has only grown, and over the years, it's played host to some of mountain biking's most iconic moments.

The Return of Gee

This year's riders list sees a stacked field stretching across a range of disciplines and ages, and one rider with a particularly notable and longstanding history at this event is the UK's two-time Downhill World Champion, Gee Atherton.

Twenty years ago, an 18-year-old Gee took on Rampage for the first time and since has tackled the Utah desert four times through 2004, 2008, 2010, and 2012. The infamous event has treated him to a spectrum of outcomes over the years, with two silver medals to his name and some nasty slams, too, including his infamous cliff face encounter.

The iconic gap to wall ride. Photo by Sven Martin.

Hailing from downhill racing, Gee had already been making a name for himself on the scene, taking the silver medal in the Junior World Championships in Lugano, Switzerland, just a month before his first encounter with Rampage in 2003.

Still early in its evolution, Gee took to Rampage in 2003 at the original site, close to Zion National Park. His first attempt at Rampage didn't quite go to plan, and a particularly spectacular crash would result in a trip to the hospital and the end of his Rampage journey experience for the time being.

Big fan turnout at the '03 site. Photo by Christian Pondella | Red Bull Content Pool.

A year later, after claiming victory in Schladming, Austria earlier in the season, Gee would return to Rampage, this time with an Elite Downhill World Cup win under the belt - something that lit a fire in him, as we would later go and put down a run worthy of second place, right behind Kyle Strait.

After the fourth edition, the Rampage went on hiatus due to the limitations of the venue and safety concerns, during which time mountain biking only continued to evolve. Four years later, in 2008, Rampage returned, and as did Gee, now quite a ways further along in his career and with the rainbow stripes on his sleeve.

Dusty days... not much has changed at Rampage. Photo by Sven Martin.

Following a World Champs victory at Val di Sole, Gee headed out to Rampage, but his good luck didn't follow him. A crash right before finals resulted in a separated shoulder, putting him out of the competition, and it wouldn't be until 2010 that he'd return.

In 2010, now seven years into his Rampage journey, with a World Cup overall win to carry momentum off, Gee's iconic wall ride gap would help him place second behind Cam Zink, but that's not to say the same feature would be so merciful next time around.

Yep... doesn't look any smaller from here.

2012 brought one of Rampage's most memorable moments, but unfortunately, not for the right reasons. Anybody familiar with Rampage will have seen Gee's iconic cliff face crash - after going off-line on his wall ride gap, he’d find himself a little too up close and personal with a rock face, and that would be the end of his Rampage run for the time being.

Gee has a rollercoaster history at the event, but despite this, in the times he has been able to keep things rubber side down, he's always managed to place himself in second. Currently, Gee sits as Rampage's 10th most successful rider, alongside Antoine Bizet, and after an 11-year hiatus from the event, Gee returns to Rampage later this month, and a lot has changed in those years.

He was due to return to Rampage in 2019 before a crash in training meant he had to pull out, but the way he's steered his direction towards Freeride and big mountain riding over the last few years, it will be interesting to see how his approach towards the event has changed.

Gee amongst the dust... a sight we would become rather familiar with.

Build Week

One of the most exciting parts of Red Bull Rampage, setting it apart from other freeride events, is that competitors dream up and create their own lines for competition. Riders arrive in Virgin, Utah, with two designated builders who will put in long hours under the sun, helping to craft their line in time for event day.

"Building week is very hard. You can be in 35-degree heat for 10 hours a day, and it's punishing. Plus, things get pretty insane when you're stood on a rock, a foot and a half wide, with a huge drop on either side."
- Alf Raynor | Gee's Dig Crew

There are four build days in the first week, during which no bike time is permitted. This time is spent vigorously trying to make as much progress as possible to have the best chance of a complete, polished line before event day.

Many lines at this year's venue still stand from 2022, and some are even older. There are no rules to say you can't use sections from previous years, and doing so can save a lot of build time, as it becomes more of repair job than starting from scratch.

There's nothing wrong with getting creative and putting your own spin on previous riders' work, but if you want to make a real impression on the fans and judges, there's much to say about getting creative and building something a little more outside the box.

Gee gravitated towards the lesser touched, right side of the mountain.

Red Bull Rampage judge Chris Lawrence says riders who "make the best use of the mountain terrain out there will ultimately impress the judges the most". While much of Virgin's mountain terrain lends itself to freeride, making the best use of it is a fine art that requires a lot of experience, not just on the bike, but with building too.

Riders are limited to two members on their dig crew, and any other outside assistance crafting your line will disqualify you. At the start of the week, each team is assigned 75 sandbags before being sent out to scout their lines.

You can use tools, water, rocks, and anything else found naturally on the mountain, but no power tools. The number of dig days and meagre resources mean riders and their small teams have to work hard and equally smart to ensure their lines are finished in time. During scouting, it's vital teams don't bite off more than they can chew. It's a delicate balance, making things as spectacular and impressive as possible while remaining realistic with the time they have.

Despite not being allowed additional assistance, riders and their dig crew can collaborate with others to work on features, sharing the load and cutting down the time needed to bring their ideas to life. Typically, these discussions will be had during the scouting day, after which the teams are launched head-first into build week.

Eyeing up things that at first glance look anything but rideable.

The desert is ruthless and without mercy; there's little time or energy for anything during the week besides eating, sleeping, and digging. Most days begin at first light and stretch into the evening, and if the heavy work on the tools isn't enough to write you off, the sun and heat will sap your energy.

On day five, there's a mandatory rest day, where the site is fully closed. After four 12-hour days under the ruthless Utah sun, nobody is complaining.

"Rest day was incredible. I woke up at 7 am and was so pleased that I could stay in bed - I didn't have to go and mattock rocks all day in 35-degree heat."
- Gee Atherton

Event Week

Following Sunday's rest day, riders and their teams are ready to get back to work for week two, when the real fun begins.

"The main features are done, so now it just needs fine-tuning, which will continue as the week progresses. We'll do as much as possible to take the pressure off of Gee and preserve his energy so he can be in the best shape to ride."
- Bence Kuli | Gee's Dig Crew

For most riders, although there is still work to do on the lines, a large chunk of what they've built in week one is now ready to ride.

Putting tyres to dirt for the first time can be an intimidating prospect at Rampage, and for good reason.

Practice officially started on Monday, and riders used the time to work through their lines feature by feature. Given that the terrain is super gnarly, they won't typically session any more than they need to. Instead, it's a case of testing their lines, making sure they work, and getting comfortable with them before moving on to the next section.

It's also a balancing act between fine-tuning features and bike time while conserving energy ahead of finals. Most riders will go heavy on the build in the first week, while there's still a rest day and time to recover, and go easier the following week as they conserve their energy for finals.

Meet the Build Crew

A good dig crew goes far beyond a work ethic and a knowledge of how to dig.

On Gee's build team this year are two lads from the Dyfi Bike Park dig crew back in Wales. Bence Kuli and Alf Raynor work at the bike park year-round, and both have supported Gee with his Ridgeline projects and the Red Bull Hardline builds over the last few years. They're also pretty handy on a bike themselves; experience that's vital when understanding how to craft a line that flows well.

Break time meant looking for any chance of shade possible... usually unsuccessfully.

"When you're building stuff at this scale, you're building stuff on the edge of possibility," says Alf. "Having a second opinion you know you can trust makes a massive difference. It's not just a job - we have a genuine love for Gee, and we're here as a team."

The crew arrived a week early with Gee to acclimatise to the jetlag and spend some time working with the unfamiliar terrain.

Hot with a high chance of... you guessed it, dust.

"I've spent a lot of time on the bike in the run-up to Red Bull Rampage. Lots of riding, technical bike park stuff, big sends, a bit of Red Bull Hardline action, just being comfortable on the bike in many different scenarios... I should have just spent two weeks digging!"
- Gee Atherton

"It's entirely different from Dyfi, that's for sure," says Bence. "I took a little while to figure out how to work with the dirt in the quickest and most efficient way."

The Build Process

With the limited time the teams have, there's pressure to make the right decisions during scouting. If one feature doesn't work out, it can jeopardise the entire line and leave a rider stuck halfway down the mountain.

After four long, hard days, the bulk of the work is out of the way. Gee is now practising while the team finish the final features.

"We tried to prioritise the big, energy-sapping stuff first, so we could give ourselves time to recover before riding week."
- Gee Atherton

"The main features are done," says Bence. "The line just needs a bit of touching up, which will continue as the week goes on. Once Gee's ridden stuff, we'll have a much better idea of what needs to be done and changed, but for the most part, it'll be a case of getting things dialled."

Without water, building is practically impossible in the desert.

All 75 sandbags have been put to work, playing a massive role in structural support for jumps and landings, particularly on a mega-feature that has caused a buzz this week. Nicknamed 'The Widow-Maker', it's a lander for a 60ft vertical drop and something that has understandably swallowed up a lot of the crew's time.

The work has provided some unfamiliar challenges for Alf and Bence.

"Back home the ground is mostly wet," says Alf. "Here you're fighting the sun. It's a learning curve, figuring out how to work with the dirt, and what's good and bad, but we're definitely getting the hang of it."

Working on the side of cliff faces isn’t easy either, but the on-site rope crew are available to get workers into their harnesses and up and where they need to be. That’s not to say every moment is rope-assisted, though. It's vital the crew keep their wits about them at all times, with cliffs and canyons around every corner.

The Line

As soon as you see Gee's line, there's little doubt who designed it. It's fast, technical, and full of big sends. Starting from the top, Gee drops riders right down a narrow ridgeline before gapping up onto a huge piece of exposed cliff that's separate from the rest of the mountain. The gap up is impressive in its own right, and the fall off on either side of the knife-edge landing only adds to its gnar factor.

Gee will share 'The Pirate Ship' feature with Polish freeride boss Szymon Godziek and fellow Brit and Red Bull Rampage veteran Brendan Fairclough. Sharing the their teams' time, energy, and sandbags meant 'The Pirate Ship' could actually come to fruition. Otherwise, the level of work needed to make it happen would have been too much of an undertaking for one team.

Dropping off, it's straight into a flat-out knife-edge ridge leading into a huge 65-foot step down, made wilder by the fact that the takeoff and landing don't completely line up. It's also completely exposed, and the landing requires pinpoint precision, so no doubt Gee's downhill experience will come into play here.

Staying aligned with those downhill roots, there's a fast, rough pedal section across the top traverse, carrying him over to the furthest right side of the mountain - further along than any other line at this year's event. Time on the ground is short-lived, though, as there's then a drop into a series of step-downs, one after the other, offering little time between for respite.

At this stage, Gee will already be thinking about the next feature... one that's been gaining a lot of attention this week as one of the wildest, most spectacular features on the hill. Unofficially named 'The Widow Maker', this colossal 60ft vertical drop has been the topic of a lot of conversation this week, for good or bad. One of, if not the biggest feature of the mountain, dropping onto the pinprick landing at the bottom of the cliff face will require every ounce of Gee's considerable skill.

"Injuries have always happened when I've rushed through things and not given myself time to build it properly, or paid attention to details."
- Gee Atherton

Gee and the crew have certainly put a lot of time into this behemoth of a feature. The landing alone took the best part of three days to finish.

Nearing the bottom of his run, the fun isn't over just yet… right out of the drop, still at full speed Gee is launched onto a lilypad, sending him right into a 70-foot step down - something he's become very familiar with on his big mountain projects over the last few years.

Ultimately, the line screams Gee Atherton. It's fast, technical, and features some huge features which are sure to grab attention this coming week. With the bulk of the build out the way, the team are working hard to polish things off while Gee tests each feature, one by one.

"Digging a line for Red Bull Rampage is very much an art, balancing a lot of different aspects," says Gee. "Conserving energy, building a line that’s possible to ride, and giving yourself time to actually complete it is very hard. Obviously, we have managed none of these things, and it’s been a brutal week, but we're loving every minute of it out here, and I'm very lucky to have a strong team behind me."

- Gee Atherton

Chipping away at "The Widowmaker" - not looking any smaller.

Ride Week

Day 1

Soon enough, ride week came around, and it was time to begin the daunting process of ticking off features one by one.

Even the "laidback" features were monsters.

There was one particular feature on Gee's mind, "The Widowmaker"... but that would wait for now. First, he would take on some of the "easier", less intimidating features, getting to grips with his line and getting comfortable on the bike before diving into the bigger stuff.

"We came up with a bit of a plan on what would be good to hit first, and we decided on the two middle step-downs. They're still gnarly but easy to read and relatively safe."
Alf Raynor | Gee's Dig Crew

Best land heavy on the brakes... another step-down comes up hot after this one.

Rampage being such an exposed environment, it's vital there's minimal wind when it comes to riding. The wind picks up after lunch, meaning most sessions start as early as possible, shortly after first light, when the wind is at its calmest. You'll find most riders on the hill at this time of day, trying to get as much practice as possible on their lines before finals day, which comes up quickly once you're amongst it all.

That said, to say "as much practice as possible" isn't strictly true, as it's a delicate balancing act between getting "enough" practice while not exposing yourself to any more risk than necessary. For most riders, once or twice through a feature is enough to know they have it on lock for finals before it's on to the next, and many won't even complete a top-to-bottom run until finals day.

Things got technical right out the start.

Gee's approach was calculated in this sense, relying on his decades of wisdom and prior Rampage experience to figure out how best to play his cards. Starting on the two middle step-downs made the most sense, as although massive, they were easy to read and relatively safe options.

The first hits went smoothly, excluding a brief and uninvited meeting between Gee's rear tyre and his crown jewels, but nothing he wouldn't walk away from. Next, it was onto the big step-down at the top - a sensible option given that it wasn't too dissimilar from those in his Ridgeline projects and, although sizeable, was something Gee knew he'd be comfortable with.

The top step-down measured in at pretty damn sizeable.

"Gee also wanted to tick off the long step-down at the top as he rides those kind of features well, and it was something he knew he'd be comfortable with."
- Alf Raynor | Gee's Dig Crew

At this point, there weren't many other riders practising, which meant a lot of curious eyes gravitating towards Gee's line, eager to get a glimpse of the action. Gee is no stranger to performance under pressure, but tried to keep things low-key to eliminate distraction and allow himself to focus on the job at hand with his small team nearby to support.

Bence & Alf moving dirt - a common scene.

"When you're taking on things this big, you get to a point where you begin to question it, and there's a lot at stake, so it helps to have people around you that you can trust for a second opinion."
- Gee Atherton

Later that morning, as anticipated, the wind came in, ending the day's practice. The features tested had worked well, leaving little to be amended, and after lunch, the boys began the monster job of building the landing for the final step down... Gee's had ticked off a good chunk of his line, but the "The Widowmaker" remained untamed.

Day 2

When riding on the edge of what's possible, there will always be a higher degree of risk. Rampage allows riders to manage that risk for themselves, deciding how far they're willing to push themselves and how big they want to go.

For Gee, it's always been a case of going big and beyond what's been done before, and this year's line was no exception. "The Widowmaker" was built with these values in mind - to take things further than he and possibly anybody else had done with a vertical drop at Rampage before.

On Tuesday morning, there was tension in the air. After several sleepless nights, the haunting anticipation had reached a head, and Gee knew it was time to get it over with. After a warm-up on the step-downs, he headed down to "The Widow” peering cautiously off the edge as he did his best to gauge wind, speed, trajectory, and every other factor that would determine success or disaster.

"We spent a lot of time looking at it and talking through it. Gee had asked a lot of other people for opinions, too... there was a lot of uncertainty, but we didn't leave a stone unturned."
- Alf Raynor | Gee's Dig Crew

Tuesday morning - final prep on the landing.

As speculation ensued, you could hear a pin drop as Gee went further into flow state, studying his creation with a laser-like focus as onlookers watched in silent anticipation. After what felt like an eternity, knowing there was nothing left to consider and no more stones to turn, Gee made his final mock run-in before pushing back up one last time.

Goggles on... a final windcheck... "three, two, one... dropping."

Aftermath

"Sorry, boys." was the first sentence to come out of Gee's mouth after regaining consciousness. From take-off to landing, he'd travelled 75 vertical feet, and a combination of being too deep and an unexpected wind gust blowing him off-axis had meant the force on landing was just too much to hold onto.

"The position I landed in was not great to hold up a heavy hit. From there, I ripped across the landing and high-sided onto my head. It was about 75 feet vertical by the time I touched down."
- Gee Atherton

Highsiding from mid-way down the landing, right to the bottom, Gee lay motionless for a short while, and there was a sigh of relief as he began to come around and confirm sensation throughout his extremities. After a thorough head-to-toe from the medical crew, they were confident there were no major breakages or injuries, but nobody would know for sure until the hospital scans had confirmed.

All the crew could do at this stage was be there.

"Lightweight Baby." Gee chirped as we stretchered him to the heli before saying our farewells until we met him at the hospital later.

Scans at the hospital confirmed a few fractures to the vertebrae and his skull, and to this news, Gee responded in true Gee fashion - "Oh, not too bad then." The injuries were not ideal, but a miracle considering the intensity of the crash, and they'll only see him out of action for a couple of months.

**“I'm a bit sore, but what hurts most is missing the event, especially after the dig crew had put in such an effort on the line.”**

With still a week until we were due to fly home and Gee still concussed and sore, the final few days in Utah saw a change in pace. Watching from the sidelines, event day was bittersweet for Gee, grateful to be walking about and watching the other riders slam runs but equally gutted and frustrated not to be up there riding himself.

Rampage has been an experience, even if it wasn't the outcome we had hoped for, and if we know Gee, there's no doubt he's already fired up and hungry to get back here for redemption.

Event day... Gee & Alf discussing what could have been.

"I'm a bit sore, but what hurts most is missing the event, especially after the dig crew had put in such an effort on the line. A huge thanks to the medical crew on site and Alf Raynor, Bence Kuli and Dan Griffiths for helping me create this beast... we'll be back."