Results: Semenuk Slays Rampage

Brandon Semenuk with the no hander to seal the deal on first place. Colin Meagher

On his first run, Brandon Semenuk crashed while attempting a 360 on one of the final drops on the Red Bull Rampage course. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. On his second run, Semenuk sped along a ridge high above the course, dropped into a tight, technical line, unleashed two massive airs, threw in a no-hander and no-foot can, and nailed the 360 at the bottom. The run sealed the victory for 17-year-old Semenuk.

"It was wild," Semenuk said. "Coming in here, I wasn't sure what it would be like. I had only seen Rampage on videos and in pictures. But the contest was ridiculous. It means a lot to compete in Rampage. The legends of the sport have competed here."

Semenuk was followed closely by Kurt Sorge, who held the lead after the first run, and Thomas Vanderham, who also scored well in the first run. Both Vanderham and Sorge chose a line that included the course's biggest and most intimidating feature—a 60-foot gap across a canyon.

Those huge airs brought cheers from the crowds and signaled a new era for Rampage, the event often credited with igniting the freeride movement in mountain biking. It was held annually in Virgin, Utah, but was cancelled after the 2004 contest. In its absence, slopestyle contests have gained in popularity, and organizers hoped to incorporate more of those elements into this new event, which they dubbed Rampage: The Evolution.

The resurrected event was held just several miles from the previous site and offered riders multiple line choices over a series of ridges, spines, cliffs and washes. Course organizers built several man-made stunts, including the canyon gap, that allow riders to add more progressive tricks to the big-mountain lines.

Riders didn't disappoint. Cameron Zink, Kyle Strait, Paul Basagoitia and Darren Berrecloth also attempted 360s during their runs, and a handful of riders threw no-handers, superman seat grabs or no-footed cans. Still, the event held true to Rampage's big-mountain roots: Steep, technical lines riddled with big drops and step-downs littered the top half of the course.

This year's event would prove to be a barometer for how far riding has progressed in the past four years. Riders weren't just making it down steep lines with big drops, but this year they were attacking lines that were steeper, faster and bigger than at previous Rampages, and doing it with more style and fluidity, while also unleashing a bigger bag of tricks.

"This is where mountain biking should be," said Zink, who finished fifth. "This event takes advantage of our skill, it does justice to our riding and it's the best playground ever."

Mike Kinrade, known for his big-mountain riding, delivered a surprise performance, working a fast, high-speed line with a few sizeable airs to finish fourth. Mike Hopkins, a relatively unknown rider out of Rossland, British Columbia, also surprised spectators with a solid run that included the canyon gap and a few airs further down, securing a sixth-place finish. Cedric Gracia finished seventh, followed by Graham Agassiz, Kyle Strait and Darren Berrecloth.

Two riders expected to finish highly crashed hard. Reigning World Cup DH Champion Gee Atherton, who qualified in third, dislocated his shoulder during practice and could not compete. Cam McCaul, many people's favorite to win, crashed during both runs. The second left him crumpled on the ground for a few moments, but his injuries were not serious.

If there were any complaints about the event, they centered on the short time riders had to practice before the finals. The contest used separate areas for qualifying and finals, and the first chance many riders had to ride their finals line was during the first run of the contest. The lack of practice showed. Only four of fifteen riders—Sorge, Vanderham, Gracia and Strait—delivered clean first runs. Everyone else crashed.

Most riders registered cleaner runs their second time down the course as they became more comfortable with their lines. Speeds increased, as did the size of the airs and the number of tricks. Nearly everyone walked away impressed at how high the level of riding has increased since the last Rampage.

Kurt Sorge sends the 60-footer to finish second Colin Meagher