Interview with Cam Zink: Red Bull Rampage winner and many advise him: "Don't do it!"

FREERIDE: You had to cancel your first run. And you seemed very annoyed.

Cam Zink: I was really angry. Like a teenager. But then I switched into killer mode because I wanted to win. The result: ultimate focus and no thought of safety or risk. I wanted to give it my all - this competitive mindset feels great.

So only one more chance, immense pressure for the second run. What was going through your head?

My backflip drop, of course. I originally wanted to do a backflip can, but I messed up the jump. That's the way it is, nothing goes as planned. This Rampage made that particularly clear to me. But it wasn't like previous Rampage runs, where I had doubts as to whether my stunts were even possible. This time, I knew that I could do all the stunts. Still, I was nervous and still I was afraid of the ultimate consequences if something went wrong.

What had you originally planned?

If I had finished the first run safely, I wanted to do a toboggan over the first drop. The drop is so exposed that a mistake would have meant certain death, especially if it had carried me a little to the left. Then I wanted to do a front flip over the 55-foot jump, right in front of the Icon Sender and a cash roll further down.

Wild plan. Even your backflip looked wild. Nicholi Rogatkin called the jump "Rowdy".

This surprised me, but thanks to a lifetime of experience in flipping, I somehow managed to tame the backflip. I could hardly have come closer to falling without actually crashing. When I jumped off, I came to the edge where the earth was soft and the sandbags were lying. And I touched down very close to the edge of the landing. Todd Barber, the event organiser, was standing there and was convinced that I would never make it to the landing when he saw me flying through the air. Was it the wind pushing me back or luck or God? Who knows. I don't want to imagine what would have happened if I had missed the landing like Graham Agassiz did.

Was that the highest backflip drop you've ever done?

Yes, I think that's the highest backflip drop ever done. Hardly anyone can argue with that. What's more, the approach to it was extremely technical with a 12-metre drop and a 17-metre double directly in front of it.

Have you watched the replay again at your leisure?

I have. I don't normally do that. But this time there was so much controversy about the judging that I was interested. I know all the lines, I've seen everything and now I knew the competition judgements. I was really happy about the reactions of the judges when they saw my run. And about Nicholi Rogatkin's comments during the moderation. I know that some people claim that the judges are my friends and therefore biased. But I think the reactions speak for themselves. And the judges are friends with all the riders, not just me. We are all friends. And the judges were all Rampage riders, which is a prerequisite for this job.

What other stunts have impressed you?

Oh, difficult question. The Caveman by Tom Van Steenbergen. Brandon Semenuk may have already performed this stunt last year, but that doesn't change the fact that it's really awesome. Emil Johansson's opposite tailwhip drop over a considerable cliff is also super impressive - and that on a heavy bike with downhill tyres. This is far more than a slopestyle trick, as many had labelled his stunt.

And which riders?

Three riders impressed me, for different reasons. 1. the newcomer who flashed me the most this year and surprised everyone was without a doubt Talus Turk. We know that Talus is currently one of the best freeriders in the world - but at the Rampage it's a completely different story. Choosing the right line here, deciding what is possible and realisable in the time available and then dealing with the conditions is really tough. Talus managed it and put on a crazy show. In my eyes, he deserved 4th place. Talus is the future of freeriding along with guys like Hayden Zablotny and Aiden Parish. 2nd Kyle Strait. Kyle impressed me deeply. He had such a big crash on his Rampage line last year that he broke his back. He could have been dead or paralysed after a crash like that. And a year later he's back and doing his run. What a comeback! He is THE BOSS. 3rd Bienve's run made me super happy. His flip over the canyon wasn't that surprising for me because I know how good he is at frontys and how routinely he does front flips over fat jumps. I was more surprised by his 360 drop, because I've never seen him do a triple over a cliff on a downhill bike - and so smoothly.

Age doesn't seem to play a role at the Rampage.

I'm almost the oldest Rampage participant at 37 - I say "almost" because Gee Atherton is 38 and I count him as a Rampage participant, even though he wasn't able to compete in the final. I was often told, advised, almost ordered by friends, family and my wife that I shouldn't do it. My wife in particular is very keen and always says: "Don't do that!" (Laughs) She wants me to stop, but she also respects my decisions. I just love it too much. The time out there in the Utah desert is the best time of my life. Winning this year was the best day of my life. Also because my kids were there. They didn't get to see my earlier victories at the Rampage or Crankworx. But to answer your question: At 37, I actually feel like I'm getting even better. But of course I know that age plays a role, testosterone levels drop and so on. Maybe this year was my last Rampage, but probably not.

Hungry for a third Rampage victory?

I'm definitely hungry to win a third time. I think I should have won a few times already, but that's just my opinion. The judges saw it differently. Yes, I will be back, just as hungry as all the years before. I wouldn't show up at the Rampage if I didn't know I could win. I don't want to take a newcomer's spot just to be there and get TV time. I'm very relieved to have won this year and have found some inner peace. But I want to win a third time. See you in 2024 at the Rampage!

One more sentence about Gee Atherton. Also a badass who deserves the Toughness Award?

Oh Gee, what a sick number. It was sick to do that drop. It felt a bit like Gee had missed out on the progression of the last few years. We've got so much better at building landings now. Also thanks to running water. That's why we now build landings much longer, wider and harder. He would have had a lot more time. But he wanted to go for it, was ready and did it. But I would have spent one or two more days building the landing. Basically, the drop is possible. The wind might have pushed him a little to one side so that he landed in soft ground. Yes, hats off to Gee for attempting the drop. The drop is awesome!