Well hello there Dirt webber. This is Cunny in charge of the god damn buttons from the crazy world of Utah in the old place of America. I’m here for the Red Bull Rampage and what a bloody event it is and I don’t mean as in actual blood luckily, so far anyway. I’ll be keeping you up to date here on the happenings and then producing a big lovely article for the gorgeous physical embodiment of Dirt that is our monthly printed delicacy of a magazine.
After flying in to St George via L.A., without my bags thanks to good ol’ BA, it’s an hours drive out into the sticks. Most of the riders and crew are staying in a little town called Springdale and the site is a short drive down the road, near to the town Virgin. It’s all proper Mormon country round here so don’t know if that’s anything to do with the naming of the place. The event site is up a rough dusty dirt track away from the main road and feels like the middle of nowhere. From the top of the mountain you can’t really see much in the way of anything except riders and mountains.
And them mountains are amazing and them riders sure have been riding. Thursday and Friday have been digging and practice days. There’s some lines and obstacles already put in but it is left to the riders themselves to decide where to go and what to do. So they’ve all been up there scoping out their own unique lines and digging away at them with the help of their friends.
The stand out riders so far for me have to be Cedric Gracia, Chris Van Dine, Robbie Bourdon and definitely Gee Atherton. The lad has got some well cool lines going on, he’s picked out some mega tech and precise routes down the hill. The jumps he’s been hitting are big, the same as everyone else but also require some tight riding.
The event so far has been relaxed with people hitting up what they want when they want and it has a definite vibe that it’s building up to going nuts. You’ll just be watching people hit some lines together then someone will just blitz down and fire off something completely new. When the competition runs start it’s gonna be colossal….
Cedric Gracia, table on the step up.
Kurt Sorge hitting up the big hip at the bottom of the mountain.
Rolling into one of the steepest lines.
Everyone knows it’s gonna be dangerous!!
Dirtmag’s report from Friday’s practice session at ‘Red Bull Rampage, The Evolution’ in Utah.
