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MTB
Red Bull Hardline BC: The essential guide to the riders and race
For the first time, Red Bull Hardline - the world’s toughest downhill mountain bike race - arrives in Canada on October 16. Here's everything you need to know about the event.
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Red Bull Hardline, the toughest downhill MTB event on the planet, is gearing up for a bold new chapter with the announcement of Red Bull Hardline British Columbia. Expanding the Red Bull Hardline legacy beyond Wales and Tasmania – uniting three events under one vision – Red Bull Hardline BC is set to take place on October 15-16, 2026. The event will bring the world’s toughest downhill race format to Cypress Mountain, located just north of Vancouver.
The event brings the same uncompromising Red Bull Hardline spirit to a new stage. Expect steep descents, massive features and a dramatic West Coast backdrop as riders push the boundaries of what’s possible – this time, on Canadian soil. Here is what you need to know:
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How to watch Red Bull Hardline British Columbia
Red Bull Hardline British Columbia 2026 livestream
The world’s toughest MTB race pushes riders to their absolute limits on the most extreme, unforgiving terrain.
The combination of Cypress Mountain’s terrain and Canadian mountain biking heritage promises to deliver one of the most spectacular editions of Red Bull Hardline to date. Red Bull Hardline BC will be broadcast live in the player above, or on Red Bull TV and the Red Bull Bike YouTube channel on Friday, October 16.
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What will the course look like at Red Bull Hardline British Columbia?
The riders are set to face a brutal, technical track carved into the steep, rocky terrain of Cypress Mountain. At around 2km long, the course combines gnarly rock gardens, off-camber corners, huge gaps, massive drops and fast, steep descents, demanding pinpoint precision and total commitment from every rider. With drops of over 10m in height and jumps stretching beyond 30m, there’s little room for error.
You can get a closer look at it in Jackson Goldstone's preview above, see how the build came together in the video below, or read an interview with the Atherton brothers here.
The final track in numbers:
- The course is approximately 2.08km long
- The top of the course is located at 1,426m and the bottom at 934m
- Top speeds recorded so far are between 70 and 72kph
- Largest drop on course is 35ft vertically (approximately 10.7m)
- Largest jump on hill is 80-100ft (24.4-30.5m)
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Key facts
Riders have been getting to grips with the new track
© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
Brandon Semenuk puts some of the features to the test
© Bartek Woliński/Red Bull Content Pool
- Since its creation by Dan Atherton in Wales in 2014, Red Bull Hardline has built a reputation as the ultimate proving ground in downhill mountain biking, blending top-level speed with freeride‐style ingenuity on some of the toughest terrain in the sport. Over the past decade, it has redefined what’s possible on two wheels and inspired awe across the global MTB community.
- The Red Bull Hardline BC course is designed by founder Dan Atherton and Gee Atherton, and built in close collaboration by an experienced team of trail builders and riders, ensuring the technical legacy of Red Bull Hardline is carried into a completely new landscape.
- As with all Red Bull Hardlines events, BC will feature a select roster of elite downhill and freeride athletes from across the globe, each invited to take on a course that combines high‐speed sections, massive jumps and natural technical features. This time, those will be carved into the mountains of Vancouver’s North Shore, often hailed as one of the birthplaces of freeride MTB.
- The unforgettable course at Cypress Mountain will be incomparable to other downhill bike courses, with elements borrowed from dirt jumping and BMX that aren't allowed in the World Cup and other UCI races. These include massive jumps and gaps, steep drops of 10m plus, 'rock gardens' and steep descents.
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Which riders will compete at Red Bull Hardline British Columbia?
Please note, the rider list may be subject to change.
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What riders say
Dan Atherton
Red Bull Hardline creator Dan Atherton and Jackson Goldstone on the course
© Tyler Ravelle
“When you think of Red Bull Hardline in British Columbia, everyone has their own vision of how it should be. So, the bar is set so high in everyone’s expectations," said the creator of Red Bull Hardline.
"When you think of BC riding, you think of huge rock slabs, massive trees, amazing dirt and kind of first-generation growth – so to find a location that ticked all those boxes was insanely difficult. Luckily we had local riders like Jackson there on the ground, and even then, it took two years of searching to finally find a location. The guys did amazingly and it’s going to be pretty special.”
Gracey Hemstreet
Gracey Hemstreet is competing on home soil
© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
A native of British Columbia, Gracey Hemstreet is pretty excited about the series coming to BC. “After walking the future Red Bull Hardline track, I’m pretty intimidated but excited. I think this will be the best one yet," she said. "Everyone’s going to be so stoked, and the crowd is going to be huge. Bringing Red Bull Hardline to Canada is something everyone has wanted, and it’s super exciting that it’s finally happening.”
Jackson Goldstone
Jackson Goldstone is excited about the track in British Columbia
© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool
A lot of this track is screaming BC – a few tight little janky sections and some stuff that's going to take a lot of bike skill
A former Red Bull Hardline winner, and BC native, Goldstone said it will be a special moment to see one of his all-time favourite events take place in his backyard. “It’s going to be crazy to have the ‘full circle moment’ of coming back to race a massive event at home, as we haven’t really had that before," he said.
Upon seeing the completed track, he said: "A lot of this track is screaming BC – a few tight little janky sections and some stuff that's going to take a lot of bike skill which I think this place lives and breathes; janky, technical, skinnies and all that stuff. It's good that they paid a little homage to that."
Get more reaction in the first hits video below, and follow Red Bull Bike for the latest from the hill:
Watch: Red Bull Hardline highlights
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Red Bull Hardline Wales will return in 2027
Rónán Dunne takes on Red Bull Hardline at Dinas Mawddwy, Wales 2025
© Dan Griffiths / Red Bull Content Pool
While Red Bull Hardline British Columbia will make its debut in 2026, Red Bull Hardline Wales will return in 2027 with a completely new track, continuing the event’s evolution and building on more than a decade of progression. Can't wait? Rewatch Red Bull Hardline Wales 2025.
Asa Vermette – winner in Wales in 2025
© Nathan Hughes / Red Bull Content Pool
Gracey Hemstreet sends it in Australia
© Graeme Murray / Red Bull Content Pool
Hannah Bergemann enjoys riding the Welsh landscape
© Dan Griffiths / Red Bull Content Pool
Gee and Dan Atherton celebrate a win
© Saskia Dugon / Red Bull Content Pool
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