Todd, you are one of the inventors of the Rampage and have been organising the super competition since 2001. This year the Rampage is taking place for the 12th time and you think it will be more spectacular than ever. Why is that?
Last year we moved to a new location. Still in Virgin, Utah, but away from the cliffs where the Rampage has been held all these years. I think the riders know the terrain better now than they did last year. They don't have to build the courses from scratch, they can fine-tune them. This will make the athletes even more confident and they will ride better than ever. In addition, we have included a new ridge, which will also increase the excitement. Yes, I believe that we are in for the most spectacular of all ramps.
Some believe that stunts built in the past, such as the legendary Oakley Sender (a 17 metre drop) and the 25 metre wide Canyon Gap, made the Rampage a super competition in the first place. Even non-experts immediately realised that such stunts were extreme. But the built stunts have been banned since last year. Was it the right decision?
In any case. Everyone involved with the Rampage is glad that we made this decision. Because it's clarified the athletes' view of the terrain. Since last year, they can go anywhere in the terrain, build their downhill and show off their skills in the best possible way. In the past, the athletes felt under pressure to focus their downhill runs on the super stunts because they knew that they would score a lot of points. Our new rule really inspired the athletes and I could see them and their construction crews getting down to work with much more enthusiasm.
At the last Rampage it was said: no more built wooden stunts. Are there any other changes for this year?
This year, there will be no qualifying competition at a different location; instead, all runs will be built for the final. Apart from the new ridge, everything is the same - it allows some riders to let off steam even more creatively.
The young Frenchman Vincent Tupin benefited from the fact that favourite Graham Agassiz was injured and unable to compete. He took Aggy's place. But otherwise new talents rarely manage to be allowed to start at the Rampage. A pity, really.
I'm delighted that Vinny-T is there. But I agree with you, it's difficult to let new talent start and have all the favourites there at the same time. That's why we decided to organise a separate qualification event in 2018, a small Rampage so to speak. After all, there are no other big mountain competitions in the world. We want to give the new talents a chance.
Who decides who is allowed to take part in the Rampage?
We have a Rampage committee. It consists of former Rampage riders and insiders from the scene. They decide who gets a wildcard. Specifically, it's Nico Vink, Aaron Chase, Cam McCaul, Randy Spangler and myself. We spend a lot of time assessing all the applications and voting on who should and shouldn't be there. At the moment, the top 10 from last year are allowed to start plus 11 wildcard riders.
A few years ago, you set out in search of an alternative Rampage site somewhere in the world. The search took you as far as the Gobi Desert, but the Rampage always takes place in Utah. Have you given up the search?
No, the search is still on. We've even found something and have a few exciting places up our sleeve. But if anyone knows anything and thinks they know the ideal location, then let us know! We are open to suggestions. Nevertheless: the requirements are very specific, after all we don't want to take a step backwards, progress must continue.
Is it true that no other mountain bike event generates as much media interest as the Rampage?
Yes, our media data beats all other mountain bike events. They are impressive for any sport, and not just in comparison to other bike events. But unfortunately I'm not allowed to give you the specific figures.
Do you have any impressive facts in retrospect. For example: How high was the highest drop?
The canyon gap in 2015 was 25 metres wide - that's hair-raising to see live on site. Only then can you begin to imagine how much determination and courage it takes to jump over there. Nevertheless, the technical downhill lines in the almost vertical terrain impress me even more. Skiing there is so incredibly difficult. I'm thinking of the steep descents by Graham Agassiz and James Doerfling last year. Only when you stand up there and look over the cliff can you realise what bad-ass riders these guys are. It shows that these guys are on a completely different level.
What are your top moments from 11 years of Rampage?
Cam Zink's backflip in 2010 is forever etched on my hard drive. Just thinking about it makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and gives me goose bumps. That moment changed my perception of what is possible on a bike.
Then of course there's the first Rampage in 2001, which makes me smile when I think about how raw and improvised the event was, and yet we sensed back then that this was the future of freeriding.
Steve Peat's appearance in 2002 was also a very daring act. He had won the qualification, but then decided to watch Supercross in Las Vegas rather than do his final run. How badass is that?
In 2003 I had watched the Canyon Gap that Cedric Gracia was talking about. I was sure: That's impossible! But he did it and ended up in 1st place.
And then I remember Kyle Strait's Suicide No Hander over the Bender Sender, a monstrous step-down jump. It was Halloween that day and Kyle was on the podium in a bear costume!
Find out more about the Rampage and the coolest moments from 11 years of Rampage (selected by Rampage participant Guido Tschugg) in the new FREERIDE. On newsstands from 17 October!
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
