Red Bull Rampage 2022: All winners, info and riders of the freeride spectacle

It is the most dangerous and spectacular competition in mountain biking: the Red Bull Rampage. The 16th edition of the Red Bull Rampage takes place on 21 October. And once again, the world's best freeriders will gather in the rocky desert of Utah to crown their champion. At the first Rampage in 2001, there were neither shaped landings nor construction teams. Trial and error was the motto of the first so-called big mountain competition, which was inspired by super dropper and Utah local Josh Bender.

Click through the most spectacular Rampage moments

The Red Bull Rampage has taken place 15 times so far, with a long break after the 2004 event. Why the break? At that time, the organisers decided that the risk to life and limb of the athletes was too high and therefore stopped the event. The Rampage was not revived until 2008. It is not known what changed the minds of the organisers led by American Todd Barber. However, gigantic wooden stunts were placed on the Utah cliffs for the first time at the new edition. They were designed to enable spectacular tricks, but keep the risk manageable. For example: the Oakley transmitter, a supposedly 17 metre high wooden scaffold from which the athletes dropped 20 metres into the landing. Or the legendary Canyon Gap, a super ramp that gave riders so much airtime that they could sail 25 metres over a gorge.

Back to the roots from the Red Bull Rampage 2014

It wasn't until 2014 that the Red Bull Rampage became more "natural" again. Well, the competition never became as natural as it was in the early days, which is why critics, above all Rampage winner and freeride pioneer Wade Simmons, repeatedly accused the contest of mutating into a "big mountain slopestyle". This was due to the regulations, which allowed the riders to set out with construction teams, who spent days rasping downhill tracks into the mountain flanks with shovels and sandbags and modelling landings. Although the construction time was limited at some point, the concept remained unchanged: Everyone gets the chance to shape a downhill line in the competition terrain. The scoring of the runs also remained unchanged: Competition judges inspect two runs of each athlete.

The runs at the Red Bull Rampage are then judged:

• Difficulty of the descent (difficulty of line)
• Airtime (air amplitude)
• Control
• Liquid (fluidity)
• Tricks & Style

18 riders will compete at the Red Bull Rampage 2022. The top 10 from the previous year and eight selected new riders. They have to convince a jury with video edits and competition results that they are worthy of one of the coveted wildcards for the Rampage.

Qualified riders for the Red Bull Rampage 2022 (previous year's top 10):

• Brandon Semenuk (CAN)
• Kurt Sorge (CAN)
• Reed Boggs (USA)
• Cam Zink (USA)
• Tyler McCaul (USA)
• Kyle Strait (USA)
• Thomas Genon (BEL)
• Ethan Nell (USA)
• Jaxson Riddle (USA)
• Szymon Godziek (POL)

Red Bull Rampage starter with wildcard:

• Alex Volokhov (CAN)
• Andreu Lacondeguy (SPA)
• Brett Rheeder (CAN)
• Carson Storch (USA)
• DJ Brandt (USA)
• Dylan Stark (USA)
• Tom Van Steenbergen (CAN)
• William Robert (FRA)

Also highly coveted: the successor places. They include:

• Vincent Tupin (FRA)
• Bienvenido Aguado Alba (SPA)
• Adolf Silva (SPA)
• Johny Salido (MEX)
• Ryan McNulty (USA)

Red Bull will broadcast the Rampage 2022 live, as will the major US broadcaster ESPN - making the Red Bull Rampage the most media-effective spectacle in mountain biking. The deadline is 21 October. Click here for the livestream >> redbull.com

All winners of the Red Bull Rampage

1st Wade Simmons (2001)

At the time, the Canadian was considered the best freerider in the world. His fans literally expected the freeride pioneer from Vancouver to win the premiere of this new, rough competition format. And Wade delivers, although he falls in his winning run, he ends up in first place. "That would be unthinkable today," says Wade Simmons himself.

2nd Tyler Klassen (2002):

The young bike mechanic from B.C. had already made headlines when he jumped Josh Bender's XXL drops in Utah all in one day. At the 2nd edition of the Rampage, he manages a 12-metre super drop. The impact is so powerful that Tyler and his bike are thrown back into the air and for a split second it looks like he is going to fall. But Klassen manages to master the rodeo ride. From that moment on, Tyler is known as "Super-T". From today's perspective, the stunt is considered particularly extreme, as the landing was barely prepared at the time.

3rd Cedric Gracia (2003):

The South Frenchman is a multi-talent: fourcross, DH, freeride - Cedric can do it all. He demonstrates this at the Rampage with a backflip on his Cannondale Gemini big bike - the trick era begins! At the time, he had no idea that a year later he would put on a huge show at the 4th edition of the Rampage with his Captain America outfit, but would also crash hard on the so-called Bender transmitter, a monstrous step-down. But 2003 is the year of Cedric Gracia. He finished second overall in the DH World Cup and made it into the top 5 in the Fourcross.

4 Kyle Strait (2004, 2013):

The Yank is just 17 years old - and has already taken part in all three Rampage events. He demonstrates his skills with a no-hander over the giant Bender transmitter - the super stunt of the year at the time! Seven years later he wins with the same trick via the biggest drop in Rampage history. In 2004, Kyle was hailed as the wonderchild of gravity sports, because Kyle has style, can do tricks and dares to do almost anything. This year, the shy American also won the now legendary urban slopestyle competition Ride to the Lake in Meersburg on Lake Constance, the predecessor to the Red Bull District Ride.

5th Brandon Semenuk (2008, 2016, 2019, 2012):

The hype surrounding Semenuk is huge. Everyone sees the cagey Canadian as an absolute mega-talent. His Rampage victories fit in well with his long list of successes. No other freerider has managed to win the prestigious competition four times. Last year, Semenuk competed on a Trek Session with a single bridge fork. This made slopestyle tricks such as tailwhips possible. Semenuk then actually incorporated a monstrous tailwhip drop into his run, as well as a flipwhip. Semenuk no longer competes in mountain bike competitions, instead focussing on car rallies. However, "Mister Enigma" Semenuk doesn't miss out on the Rampage. This year, he is the firm favourite because, like Emil Johansson, he is known for his perfectionism. Semenuk only enters a competition if he is pretty sure of winning. Pictures are already circulating on the internet showing him jumping tailwhips over even higher drops than last year.

6 Cam Zink (2010):

With his monstrous 360 drop, Zink not only won the Rampage in 2010, but also the world's first FMB World Tour. Cam is known as Mister Rampage, because the US boy from Nevada focusses on the super competition like no other. His Rampage story is a long one. In 2004, Zink was the first to attempt a 360 drop (unfortunately he fell and tore his cruciate ligament). He jumped the highest 360 drop, the highest creek flip, rode the steepest line, took an unbelievable fall over the canyon gap and attempted the first big bike cash roll in the history of the Rampage.

7 Kurt Sorge (2012, 2015, 2017):

The Rampage is his event! Hardly anyone is as fearless as the Canadian big mountain rider. Sorge led the Rampage Heroes rankings for a long time, but now the big-hitter from Nelson, B.C. has to admit defeat to Semenuk. However, in an interview with FREERIDE, Kurt appeared combative and determined to win the Rampage 2022 and draw level with Semenuk. Very worth seeing: the YouTube clip with concern "This is Home".

8 Andreu Lacondeguy (2014):

The Spaniard is one of the wildest Rampage riders. His motto is all or nothing. It worked in 2014. His record is impressive. Often not much is missing for victory. Everything seems clear, then he makes a small mistake after all the difficulties have been overcome. Impressive: the speed that Lacondeguy during his Rampage runs. No one else races down the mountain as fast as the little Catalan. In the FREERIDE interview (4/22), Andreu talks about his determination to give his all in the 16th edition of the competition, because: "this is exactly my format," says Andreu.

9 Brett Rheeder (2018):

The calm, likeable Canadian is Semenuk's great adversary. Not only in slopestyle, but also at the Rampage. His repertoire of tricks seems inexhaustible, his precision spot-on. Insiders speculate that he will also appear at the Rampage on a Trek Session with a single crown fork. Rheeder proved that he is in top form with a victory at the Big Mountain Slopestyle Proving Grounds in Oregon in September. Rheeder is regarded as the second big favourite in the battle for the freeride crown.