Returning to the red rock desert of Virgin, Utah, for its 18th edition this year’s Rampage is set to be a huge one. For the first time ever, the top women freeriders will be joining the men on the biggest stage in freeride. For many female riders this dream has taken decades. On October 10, the women will drop in for their historic debut, followed by the men’s competition on October 12. Also huge for the sport, there will be two women working on the judging panel; Blake Hansen and Claire Buchar will be amongst the male judges.
Why watch?
Red Bull Rampage isn’t just another mountain bike event—it’s the ultimate test of skill, creativity and mental toughness. Riders don’t just show up and compete; they spend eight days with their hand-picked dig teams building their dream lines. Armed with shovels, pickaxes, sandbags and limited water, they carve out massive jumps, terrifying drops and creative lines, all while battling the harsh desert heat.
The women have been digging for nearly a week now, preparing, testing (and crashing) right along with the men.
Who to watch
Canadians have always done well at Rampage and in both the men and women’s categories, there are some serious contenders. In the women’s category, Casey Brown has been on a tear all season long. Her career is really starting to pick up and she first dreamed of riding in this event nearly 20 years ago. She’ll be going big for sure and is definitely one of the favourites. Vaea Verbeeck is the other Canadian female in the field of eight. Unfortunately she broke her finger awhile back, but is still eager to compete. Georgia Aslte is also in the mix of eight.
On the men’s side, Canadians Tom Van Steenbergen, Kurt Sorge and multi Rampage winner Brandon Semenuk will be dropping in this weekend.
Where is it?
As always, Rampage is held just outside of Virgin, Utah, not far from Zion National Park. The exact location shifts every few years to give the riders a fresh landscape to create their lines, but the breathtaking red rock cliffs always provide the perfect backdrop for the wildest drops, gaps and tricks in the sport. If you want to attend it live, well, you’re too late. The tickets sold out quickly, especially when the women’s category was announced.
When and where to watch
The women’s event takes…
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