Red Bull Rampage 2025: The massacre - the super competition has become too extreme!
Dimitri Lehner
· 24.10.2025
The danger
We can't remember a broadcast of the Red Bull Rampage ever lasting so long.
Over 5 hours, because there were repeated breaks due to heavy crashes: Riders whirled through the air like crash test dummies. It may seem strange to start a story about the Red Bull Rampage with the crashes, but in our eyes the discussion about the ever-increasing risk is necessary. What happened?
- Super flipper Bienvenido Alba (the Spaniard caused a stir at Rampage 2023 with a monstrous front flip over the canyon gap) literally collapsed over his bike when the head tube broke off when landing an XXL drop.
- Szymon Godziek skidded metres through the air after he "caste" a front flip, i.e. landed with his rear wheel in front of the landing slope. He was thrown from the saddle as if from an ejector seat. The fact that the Pole "took" the fall and got up again with a bleeding face was nothing short of a miracle - thanks to consistent strength and fitness training; Szymon is a muscle man.
- The heaviest fall of Rampage 2025 (and probably of all rampages so far) was taken by Spaniard Adolf Silva. The Spaniard messed up in Run 1, where he almost lost his trousers and sailed through the air bare-bottomed, only to attempt the almost impossible in Run 2: a double backflip over a cliff. Unfortunately, exactly what should never happen in a double flip happened: Silva underrotated, got stuck with his front wheel and crashed into the ground like a swimming pool diving headfirst. It is still unclear how serious Silva's injuries are. All we know so far is that the 28-year-old has regained consciousness.
- In his second run, slopestyle ace Emil Johansson attempted a tailwhip drop way up into the rocks. On landing, the Swede was levered out and spun down the slope. At the last moment, Emil managed to claw his way to the ground; he came to rest on a ledge just above a 10-metre cliff. The competition had to be stopped to evacuate Emil from the ledge. However, Emil's injuries do not appear to be serious.
Is all this going too far?
The Red Bull Rampage has always been a scary thing to watch, because the riders risk everything in this super competition. A good placing brings fame and honour, sponsorship contracts and worldwide attention. As spectators, we are torn between excitement, fascination and thrills. A thrill that no longer titillates, but now "scratches" and turns into dismay. The Rampage has always been dangerous and risky, but this year the stunt spectacle turned into a massacre that we as spectators no longer enjoyed. People were whirling through the air like crash test dummies, falling down cliffs and crashing so hard that they might not recover from their injuries. Extreme sport is extreme, but it makes a difference whether athletes are pushing themselves to the limit or having to give their all under time pressure, in windy conditions and at the push of a button. Especially when the show is broadcast live and the whole world is watching. The fact that we in the media accelerate this vicious spiral of "extreme, extreme, extreme" makes us even more concerned.
Conclusion: it's gone too far! We don't want victory or sarcasm.
The valuation
The Rampage is a jury competition. A panel of former Rampage riders judge each run according to the criteria:
- Difficulty of the downhill line
- Tricks & Style
- Fluid and control
- Size of the stunts
Critics claim that point 4 in particular in the list of criteria is responsible for the immense risk: amplitude, i.e. the size and danger of the stunts. To score points here, the riders give their all according to the motto: trophy or hospital. As a result, the stunts and dares are becoming more and more blatant and the question arises: Do we want to continue like this and possibly see a fatal crash on the livestream? Because in our eyes, this scenario is only a matter of time.
Nevertheless, even a knowledgeable spectator finds it difficult to recognise which run is scored and how. You could also roll the dice. And apparently it's not just the layman who finds this difficult, even former rampage rider and local jury reporter Geoff Gulevich was often way off the mark with his judgements. The best example: Tom Isted. We had expected the Brit to finish at least on the podium with his run, if not in first place, but Gulevich said: "at least 5th place". But the jury placed "Ice-T" in 10th place.
The drivers: our highlights!
Cam Zink: the veteran
The Yank is a phenomenon when it comes to courage and determination. Zink celebrated his Rampage debut in 2004 and was the first to jump a 360 over a drop. Now 39 years old and the oldest athlete in the field, Zink still goes for the win and takes full risks. Zink was the first rider to start on his own bike (Zink Bikes). He made it to the finish line, but with a few minor mishaps. Despite all the delays and crashes, Zink showed nerves of steel and made the most of his second run, which many riders decided not to do. Unfortunately, Zink failed the Superman over the final jump. In the end 7th place.
Finley Kirschenmann: the player
We were thrilled by the 18-year-old freerider from Utah. No other rider embodied more riding fun and the joy of freeriding than the Rampage rookie with his Pumuckl hairstyle. Finley certainly packed banger tricks into his run. We were particularly impressed when Finley jumped onto the saddle with both feet and flew over a high drop. Even presenter and slopestyle ace Nicholi Rogatkin hadn't seen this trick before and didn't know the name. Fun fact: Finley was riding in baggy jeans, a longsleeve and slip-on shoes. If the youngster had stood the bigbike 720 in the first run, he would probably have finished way up front. In the end: 8th place. Remember the name, we will certainly be hearing more about Finley Kirschenmann in the future.
Tom Isted: the betrayed
The Brit from Cornwall made a name for himself as a slopestyler and has been focussing on XXL jumps for some time now. For example, Tom is one of the few freeriders in the world to jump and even flip the 110 footer superjump at Darkfest. Last year at his Rampage debut, he proved that he is also one of the favourites here and dares to make the sickest drops. This year he showed a run that had everything that makes the Rampage special. Particularly impressive: his barrel roll from a sharkfin jump. We found it positively remarkable when, after a monstrous flatspin, he went off course, went sideways and made it back on course - that's also Rampage and shows bike control. Despite this irritation, Tom did a backflip over the flatdrop and spun a cashroll with the bigbike over the final jump, something only very few riders in the world can do. Our reaction after the run: podium for sure! Jury judgement: only 84 points. WHAT? To be fair, it has to be said that his trail builder was so emotionally calm in the interview immediately afterwards and described the spectacular run as a safety run. Could that have influenced the judges? But then the shocker: Tom rides the second run, this time fast and smooth - even the trio of commentators Cam and Tyler McCaul plus Nicholi Rogatkin are sure: big improvement. Jury reporter Gulevich says: "5th place at worst". But the jury decides: 10th place, hardly any improvement. In our eyes, this is incomprehensible. Conclusion: Tom Isted "got robbed"!
Adolf Silva: the danger seeker
There doesn't seem to be any fear in the Spaniard's emotional palette. No wonder: his mum is a wingsuit base jumper. The search for danger is in the Silvas' DNA. Legendary: Adolf's double flips, which he likes to show off at the Darkfest in South Africa over XXL distances or with the E-Enduro. Silva had always been a little unlucky at the Rampage in the past, but this year Silva seemed determined to do anything. The Spaniard caused a laugh in the first run. His trousers burst and slipped down his bum in the air, sending him sailing through the air with his bare bum. In the second run, however, everything went smoothly and he seemed to be right on course for a podium when he went for a double flip over a high drop. A world première! Never before had there been a double flip over a cliff drop. A little more traction on the handlebars and Silva would have been celebrated as the beaming winner. Instead, the Rampage hero flew to hospital in a helicopter. We can only keep our fingers crossed that the fearless Spaniard survives this monster fall without any consequences.
Hayden Zablotny: the rookie winner
We first heard about the 22-year-old Canadian from Vernon, British Columbia, when he showed off his crazy stunts at Cam Zink's Freeride Festival and Zink announced that Hayden would be one of the stars of the future. Zink was right. What was particularly impressive about Haden's run was that the Candian pulled his Rocky Mountain Slayer onto the rear wheel long before the edge of the cliff, almost surfing into the depths in the manual before turning into a backflip. We didn't necessarily recognise the winner in this run, but the jury did.
Thomas Genon: Drama King
The Belgian is a Rampage veteran. Tommy G reliably finishes in the top 10, but Genon has never made it to the top. That's why he amazed the freeride scene with his stunts. First and foremost: a 360 drop as a prelude with blatant consequences. One small mistake and Tommy G would plummet into the depths like Emil Johansson later did. In the first run, Genon landed so close that all the spectators held their breath. But then he fluffed it. Would Tommy G dare a second run and take the risk again? Yes, the Rampage veteran proved to have nerves of steel and pulled off the second run, this time peppered with super stunts and another crazy 360 from the summit cliff. 2nd place for Tommy G - the Belgian, usually rather emotionally calm, could hardly believe his luck
The results
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
