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Rampage Came Back Bigger, Badder in 2008
After a three-year hiatus, Rampage returned in 2008 and revealed a new freeride icon in the process.
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Thomas Vanderham: Red Bull Rampage 2008
© Ian Hylands/Red Bull Content Pool
After 2004, Red Bull Rampage went on hiatus for three years. These were pivotal years in freeride mountain biking. Slopestyle, as a contest format and discipline, was gaining traction. Soon, the trick-oriented-style of riding exerted a heavy influence on the mountain bike community and that momentum had reached intense levels by the time the return of Rampage was announced for 2008.
The 2008 field was stacked and suddenly this fringe contest was a really big deal.
And with more tricks came more competition and competitors. Photographer John Gibson recalls seeing a change in the event compared previous years: "The 2008 field was stacked and suddenly this fringe contest was a really big deal." Watch the 2008 highlight video below.
Don't miss: Red Bull Rampage's 10th edition LIVE on Red Bull TV on Oct. 17
2 min
Best of Red Bull Rampage 2008
Watch all the best highlights from Red Bull Rampage 2008.
More: Check out the exclusive Rampage Retrospective website
Along with the new event, a fresh competitor came on the scene and he would change the landscape of Rampage forever. " Brandon Semenuk quietly went about his business all week long," says Gibson. "He showed up for the competition and really stole the show from all the other riders that year."
The event's return in 2008 also marked the first man-made course features at Rampage. Although skeptics were originally unsure of introducing non-natural elements to the raw, big mountain event, the inclusion of such features — like the infamous canyon gap — has enabled riders to access more, once-unobtainable terrain on the mountain. And nobody has looked back since.
The 17-year-old Semenuk won Rampage 2008 and would go on to become an icon in the sport — winning Red Bull Joyride and the overall Freeride Mountain Bike Tour World Championship title three times, each.
How will Semenuk fare during Rampage's 10th edition? Watch the broadcast on Oct. 17 on Red Bull TV to find out.
Can’t wait to get your gut-wrenching, nail-biting freeride fix? Head over to the official Red Bull Rampage event page to see highlights of the first nine competitions, as well as more exclusive videos, photos and stories:
• Wetter Is Better for Rampage Course Build
• Red Bull Rampage Releases Athlete List
• Teamwork Makes the Dream Work at Red Bull Rampage
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