Red Bull Rampage - the most extreme at the end
The Red Bull Rampage is not just a freeride event, it is the biggest challenge in this category. Narrow and extremely steep lines, deep drops and huge jumps have to be mastered in this demanding terrain, preferably with tricks, style and plenty of speed. There are very few athletes who can master such a course. There are even fewer riders who can do it really well, and 21 of them are invited to the Rampage - ten pre-qualified and eleven athletes who are allowed to compete thanks to a wildcard.
Red Bull Rampage athletes and favorites 2017
| Antoine Bizet | FRA | ||
| Andreu Lacondeguy | ESP | ||
| Brandon Semenuk | CAN | ||
| Carson Storch | USA | ||
| Kurt Sorge | CAN | ||
| Kyle Strait | USA | ||
| Pierre Edouard Ferry | FRA | ||
| Tom Van Steenbergen | CAN | ||
| Thomas Genon | BEL | ||
| Tyler McCaul | USA | ||
| Wildcard | |||
| Ryan Howard | USA | ||
| Brett Rheeder | CAN | ||
| Cam Zink | USA | ||
| Conor MacFarlane | NZL | ||
| Darren Berrecloth | CAN | ||
| Ethan Nell | USA | ||
| Graham Agassiz | CAN | ||
| James Doerfling | USA | ||
| Logan Binggeli | USA | ||
| Reed Boggs | USA | ||
| Vincent Tupin | FRA |
Of the 21 athletes in total, just under half of them are on our list of possible winners. However, we are paying particular attention to the Spaniard Andreu Lacondeguy and the Canadian Brandon Semenuk. We also hope that no participants will be ruled out of the competition with injuries this time, although this is the case almost every year. One rider is already on the sidelines, but not for health reasons. Frenchman Rémy Métailler, who lives in Canada, was denied entry to the USA because he was accused of wanting to pursue a professional activity without a work permit. Until recently, Métailler hoped to obtain a tourist visa after all - without success. The young Frenchman Vincent Tupin from Evian on Lake Geneva is now starting in his place.
Fans of hard freeriding will also have to do without Brendan Fairclough. The Brit with his unmistakable style has suffered a large laceration on his shin, which required 40 stitches. He will be replaced by Ryan Howard from the USA, who is all the more motivated to give his best."Scared to watch"
Swiss rider Ramon Hunziker is one of the athletes who has already thrown himself down the steep walls at the Rampage, both as a wildcard winner and as a pre-qualified athlete. No Swiss freerider has been at the start of the Red Bull Rampage since his participation in 2014. Hunziker tells us the possible reasons for this in a brief interview.
You were the only Swiss rider to take part in the Rampage so far. Do you miss being part of this crazy event since then?
I've been four times and of course I miss going back to Utah. The Rampage is really a unique event that demands everything from a rider. On the other hand, I'm also a bit happy to be watching the whole thing from home.
Would you still take part again if you were given the opportunity?
At the moment, I would rather not. But who knows what the future holds.
What do you feel as a driver when you ride through the start gate into your run?
As soon as you can drive off, everything is good. The time before the start was always pretty bad for me. I was very nervous. After dropping in, I was just focused on my run and relieved that I could finally ride!
Why are there no more Swiss riders? Is it down to ability, a willingness to take risks or a general lack of interest in applying for a wildcard?
I don't really know myself. There are a lot of great freeriders around me who have what it takes to ride a Rampage Run. But most of them don't want to ride any events or can't handle the pressure of the contest. As only a few riders are now allowed to take part, it's also very difficult to even get invited. I think a big problem in Switzerland is that a career as a professional athlete is not respected enough. As a result, a lot of talented riders do an apprenticeship instead of concentrating on biking. My advice to the young bikers out there is to get stuck in. You can still do an apprenticeship later. My apprenticeship as an automation technician is no use to me today and was a waste of time.
Who is your favorite to win the Rampage this year?
That's very difficult to say. There are so many riders who can win. But I'm really looking forward to watching the livestream. By the way, I'm almost as scared watching it as I am riding it myself.
Catch the excitement live!
The Red Bull Rampage will of course be broadcast live again. The live stream starts at 18:00 Swiss time. You can find the link here.
www.redbull.tv/live/red-bull-rampage
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.