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8 times city centres got transformed into MTB and BMX paradises
From thrilling downhill MTB runs to BMX madness, here are the best Red Bull events that have transformed major metropolises across the globe.
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If there’s one thing you can count on from a new Red Bull event it’s that you’re unlikely to have seen it anywhere else.
They’re unique, ground-breaking, and, occasionally they even bring the biggest action directly to city centres, turning mundane high streets into a concrete playground for a raft of top sporting talent – from motorsports to adventure sports, and everything in between.
The latest being Red Bull Copenride, a fresh MTB event coming to Copenhagen on August 13-14; and to mark the occasion we’ve compiled a list of the most adrenaline-soaked two-wheeled Red Bull showpieces to happen in the middle of major cities, both past and present.
Kicking things off in Copenhagen, it might even make you rethink your commute...
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1. Red Bull Copenride
3 min
What is Copenride?
We have the full lowdown as the world’s best MTB slopestyle riders take on an urban 'mountain' in Copenhagen.
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
If you’re in the vicinity of the Danish capital on August 13-14 then you’re in for a treat. Red Bull Copenride will invite 20 MTB slopestyle stars to take on an ‘urban mountain’ in front of the city's harbour. While each rider will no doubt be looking to bring their A-game to the inaugural event, chances are that the biggest showstopper could well be course itself: reflecting both the stylish-yet-playful architecture of the Danes while offering plenty of airtime, the 275m track begins on top of the iconic BLOX Building – home to the Danish Architecture Centre – with riders then hitting eight dizzying jumps, including one section of the track suspended by a crane above a canal. Let’s hope they’re all dry runs, so to speak…
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2. Red Bull Valparaíso Cerro Abajo
3 min
Winning Run Red Bull Valparaiso Cerro Abajo 2019
A POV like no other
Where: Valparaíso, Chile
An annual extreme urban MTB downhill race in the heart of Chile’s World Heritage port city Valparaíso, riders must navigate tight streets and cobblestones, whizz past front doors and rattle over rooftops on their way to the finish line. Cheered on by thousands of spectators cramming themselves into the narrowest alleyways for a glimpse of the action, it covers over 2km of downhill track and finishes up at the fountain of Neptune at Plaza Aníbal Pinto. In 2019, at the 17th edition of the race, those roars were a little louder than usual as local rider Pedro Ferreira became the first Chilean to take the title in seven years, fending off some tough competition from Czech star Tomáš Slavík who’d won the previous two races there. You can watch a POV of Ferreira's insane run in the video above. And if mind-bending DH courses are your thing, you may also want to check out Red Bull Monserrate Cerro Abajo in Colombia: featuring 1,605 steps across 2.4km of slopes, it’s officially the world’s longest downhill race.
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3. Red Bull District Ride
2 min
Best of Red Bull District Ride
Catch all the highlights from the Red Bull District Ride 2017 urban slopestyle MTB contest.
Where: Nuremberg, Germany
The only thing you’ll see dropping faster than jaws at Red Bull District Ride are the MTB riders whose spectacular mid-air tricks punctuate this urban obstacle course in the centre of Nuremberg. After a three-year hiatus, in September 2017 it returned to the city’s main Hauptmarkt square – only this time with a new course designed by American pro Aaron Chase, the first Red Bull District Ride champion way back in 2005. “There is an excitement that can’t be duplicated because we are in a city with so many people everywhere, hanging out the windows and getting wild,” he said of this urban freeride paradise which saw an 80,000 strong crowd come out to watch the slopestyle elite. Broken up into five districts – Castle Drop, Box, Jeep The Rhythm, Tech and Big Air – each with their own distinct features and obstacles, and backdropped by gothic architecture including Frauenkirche (the Church of Our Lady), attendees are always left praying for more.
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4. Red Bull Holy Ride
1 min
Red Bull Holy Ride 2016 - Onomichi, Japan
Watch the action from Red Bull Holy Ride 2016, as 150 riders race down 320 steps over a course of 1.1 km. Witness chilling crashes and the excitement of downhill mountain biking.
Where: Various cities across Japan
Take hundreds of steep stone steps, treacherously tight corners and narrow backstreets in an adrenaline-fuelled battle, and you've got the Takeshi's Castle of downhill mountain biking. Now add the four-cross (4X) format into the mix, where competitors not only have to watch out for the twists and turns, but each other, and it's crash carnage.
Red Bull Holy Ride, an annual event which ran from 2010-2017, featured breathtaking locations across Japan such as the Katsuo-Ji Temple in Minoo City (2013), the Iwashimizu Shrine in Kyoto (2014), and the Senko-Ji Temple in Onomichi (2015-2017). Watch the highlights from the 2016 event as 150 competitors compete for the top step of the podium, and join the thousands of spectators as they cheer helmet-clad mountain bikers over a 1,000m course across some of Japan's most sacred and ancient city sites in a game of 'how close to crashing can you get?'
Unlike Fort William and Snowdonia's famous forest trails, these ancient streets weren't designed for bikes. In fact, having stood for over a millennium, they were considered ancient hundreds of years before the invention of the bicycle. But in a bid to challenge tradition, Red Bull created one of the most exciting downhill mountain biking events of all time.
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5. Red Bull Desafio no Morro
2 min
Red Bull Desafio do Morro highlights
Highlights action from the urban downhill race at Red Bull Desafio no Morro in 2009
Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The sprawling metropolis of Rio de Janeiro, nestled between the mountains and the sea, is renowned for its world-famous landmarks and panoramic views. The Sugarloaf Mountain, which towers above its harbour, the crescent beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, and favelas built into the hillsides beneath the gaze of Christ the Redeemer.
Red Bull Desafio was an annual event that ran from 2009-2017 and featured some of the biggest names in mountain biking, including legendary British brothers Dan and Gee Atherton, and Slovakia's Filip Polc (2009 winner) as they competed against the clock through one of the steepest favelas in the city. Competitors' skills were put to the test as they flew down stairways, off rooftops, over jumps up to 8m high, and down stomach-churning descents at speeds over 50 km/h amidst the maze of stacked houses that tumbled to the city below.
And, as if the course wasn't challenging enough, they had additional unexpected obstacles of the winged and four-legged kind to contend with. If you think you can handle it, check out Gee Atherton's helmet cam footage as he takes you through the colourful streets and snaking alleyways lined with thousands of fans.
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6. Red Bull R.Evolution
3 min
Red Bull R.Evolution Highlights - Mellow Park, Berlin 2013
Watch some of the worlds best BMX athletes race at Berlin's Mellow Park.
Where: Berlin, Germany
During its two year run from 2012-2013, Red Bull R.Evolution made a huge impact on the BMX world. It was spectacular. It was progressive. It was a BMX supercross evolution that suspended the typically rigid rules of BMX racing by combining peddling fury with freestyle elements to bring some necessary steaze to the track.
BMX Supercross isn't for the faint-hearted. In groups of up to 8, some of the world's top international riders battled it out at speeds of up to 60 km/h, racing down from the starting ramp and over magnificent jumps and banks on a track with features that had never been seen before, all while executing some of their most technically demanding moves.
Over 5,000 spectators watched in awe in its first year as competitors performed wallrides, box jumps, and even vaulted over a 13-metre double on just the first strait. They rode the track backwards, executed transfers, and discovered almost impossible lines as Red Bull allowed them to escape from the rules and strict regulations of most competitions, bringing back the joy, freedom and creativity of the origins of BMX.
The event hasn't run for almost a decade, but since its construction in 2012, the track remains as the perfect venue for pros and amateurs alike to train, play, and continue to pursue their biking passions.
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7. Red Bull Empire of Dirt
2 min
The top 5 biggest jumps and crashes of Empire of Dirt, 2012
Watch the top 5 jumps and also the top 5 crashes at Red Bull Empire of Dirt, 2012
Where: London, England
Empire of Dirt – developed by BMX legend Kye Forte – was a BMX slopestyle contest that ran in 2008 and 2012, aiming to find the most well-rounded rider across the various BMX disciplines.
In 2012, 20,000 spectators descended upon London's Alexandra Palace to watch 32 top international riders including Ryan Nyquist, Mike Clark, and a young Kriss Kyle take on the most demanding course of the event to date.
It took roughly 25,200 tonnes of dirt and a total of 23,192 combined man-hours to create the 435m long course with motocross-style jumps and oversized features, resulting in a fast and challenging track that pushed the progression of BMX freestyle to the next level.
The 2012 champion was the UK's own Ben Wallace, throwing a clean – easier said than done – backflip and a 360 double downside whip to take the gold ahead of Ryan Nyquist in second-place and Drew Bezanson in third. Watch the highlights above to see some of the biggest names pull off front-flips, backflips and 720s against London's iconic skyline in the grounds of the 19th-century palace.
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8. Crankworx, with Red Bull Joyride
1 min
The return of Red Bull Joyride
The return of Red Bull Joyride
Where: Rotorua, New Zealand. Innsbruck, Austria. Whistler, BC Canada.
Onto the final stop of our worldwide bike tour and it's a good one. It's the Superbowl of the mountain biking world, and while only two (Rotorua and Innsbruck) of the host locations are cities, with Whistler being a kind of large resort town, Crankworx is too epic to be ignored.
The events differ depending on the location, with typical competitions including downhill, enduro, pump track and fan-favourite whip off. But the most highly anticipated event of the series is Red Bull Joyride, affectionately (or perhaps accurately) known as "The Bone Yard". It's the biggest and toughest slopestyle course in the world and the ultimate test of speed, style and endurance. As one of the original Crankworx events, Joyride was first held in 2004 and has been won by riders including Emil Johansson (2019) and five-time champion Brandon Semenuk. And, while the track might be complicated, the event itself is simple. Fourteen riders and a crowd of more than 30,000 come together each year for a gravity-defying showdown.
Since their conception, Crankworx and Red Bull Joyride have pioneered progression in mountain biking – discovering new tricks and new riders that'll live for a long time not only in fan's memories but also in the history books.
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