Online Exclusive: Red Bull Rampage Returns

Super T hucks a biggin Alan Davis

It’s been four years since the dust settled on the last Red Bull Rampage, four years of unrest among riders hoping a similar event would fill the void left by this big-mountain contest, four years of searching for new venues, four years of rumors and speculation, and four years in which the sport has changed markedly.

But last week, after months of planning and scouting locations, Red Bull announced they would bring the Rampage back. Many details have yet to be finalized, but the big-mountain freeride contest that dramatically altered the freeride landscape is scheduled to return to southern Utah in early October with about two-dozen invited riders. The new contest site is near the original location, just outside the small town of Virgin, not far from Gooseberry Mesa.

The region’s steep, cliff-filled mesas should again challenge riders with steep lines and big drops. But expect a few wrinkles in the revised contest, including some man-made jumps and kickers that could allow riders to incorporate more-progressive elements than previous Rampages.

“We searched everywhere for a place to bring the Rampage back,” said Darren Berrecloth, who finished third at the event in 2002. “This new location is similar to the old one, but better. The lower section is trickier; there are mounds of dirt everywhere that we can really shape into little lips. But the idea is still to keep this a big-mountain event, not just turn it into another slopestyle contest.”

Check back to bikemag.com for photos, videos and more details as they become available.