10 years after his first win, Cam Zink is back on top of the Red Bull Rampage podium. The 37-year-old’s winning run was highlighted by linking together a high-speed trio of massive features, including the “Grandfather Drop,” a 55-step up and a 63-foot step-down, which he backflipped. That earned the U.S. freeride icon a score of 95 points and a second win to add to his 2013 victory.
“It takes a lot for a run to line up, and after I cased that jump (run 1), my jitters and nervousness switched to competitiveness. I was ready to go again and tackle my second run, and I knew the wind wouldn’t ruin this for me,” Zink said after his win. “I’m glad I reached for the stars and got the win. The original Sender was ten years ago, and my last win was 13 years ago; it was still the biggest step-down flip I’ve ever done, and here we are again. It’s still just as intimidating and scary. I’ve put in a lot of work and feel fortunate to still push it at 37 – the oldest to compete here.”
Canada’s Tom van Steenbergen capped off his remarkable recovery from a serious injury at Rampage two years ago by earning silver in Utah. A caveman drop and a huge flat drop backflip elevated the Canuck’s run to a podium finish. Carson Storch placed third.
No women were on the start list for the invite-only freeride competition.
Another rider bringing home hardware was Bienvenido Aguado Alba, whose 70+-foot front flip over a canyon gap earned him Best Trick, People’s Choice and the Kelly McGarry Spirit Award.
“I’ve been thinking about the front flip for the whole year,” Alba said. “The speed required is so scary, and that was the big challenge for pulling it off. And it worked twice! Since 2019, when I made my rookie mistake, I’ve been working to get back here.”
Brendan Fairclough finished fourth, just off the podium, after opening up a new “Battleship” line, shared with Szymon Godziek, and connecting that to a new,…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…