Red Bull Rampage 2021 celebrated the freeride event's 20th anniversary in style. Two decades on from the formative pedal strokes of the Super Bowl of mountain biking, it was a welcome return to the iconic mountain range of Zion National Park in Utah for the world's best big mountain riders after a year’s enforced break. They certainly didn't disappoint.
Rewatch all the action from Red Bull Rampage 2021 below:
Red Bull Rampage 20-year anniversary
Watch the 20th-anniversary event as riders chase the most coveted title in freeride mountain biking.
You may have already seen the top three winning runs, but there's a lot more to 2021's Red Bull Rampage than that – scroll down for some of the stand-out moments of the event below.
01
Brandon Semenuk should just be called Mr Rampage
What else is there to say about Brandon Semenuk? The Canadian freeride and slopestyle phenomenon came into Red Bull Rampage as its joint all-time winner, the defending champion and with a point to prove after missing out on a podium spot the last time Rampage rolled into this corner of the Zion National Park back in 2017. He looked to be on a different planet throughout the week building up to finals, throwing spins into the mix with his single crown Trek Session (more of which below).
Watch Brandon Semenuk's winning run from Red Bull Rampage 2021 below
3 min
See Semenuk's winning run at Rampage's 20th anniversary
Watch the winning run from Red Bull Rampage 2021 to see Brandon Semenuk make history yet again in Utah.
An uncharacteristic fall in his first run just seemed to make Semenuk even more determined come run two, when he threw down Rampage’s first-ever Barspin, Flat Drop Tailwhip and Backflip Tailwhip to become the event's first back-to-back winner and four-time champ.
02
Jaxson Riddle brought his unique style to proceedings
If Brandon Semenuk's run was full slopestyle, then it's fair to say that debutant Jaxson Riddle’s combination of tricks could have come straight from a freestyle motocross contest.
03
The 2017 course was made even more epic
Historically, Red Bull Rampage has been held at the same course for a number of years before moving on to a new spot to break new ground. The 2021 event did something of a first, in that it returned to the course last used in 2017. A steep, raw and exposed top section would test the riders' technical ability, while further down the mountain, trick jumps were added to already epic creations from four years ago.
5 min
Constructing lines in Utah
Szymon Godziek, Thomas Genon, Jaxson Riddle and more get busy constructing the perfect lines in Virgin, Utah.
Brandon Semenuk, Kurt Sorge and Andreu Lacondeguy were just some of the competitors who were able to finesse and add to their lines from 2017, while Carson Storch decided to try something completely different.
2 min
Course preview with Carson Storch
See the course from a first-person perspective as Carson Storch takes us down some of his nail-biting lines.
04
The course took its fair share of victims
The Rampage field was reduced to 15 this year, but only 12 riders made it to finals. Carson Storch, Andreu Lacondeguy and debutant Brage Vestavik all had big crashes in practice that put them out of the competition, while Cam Zink dropped for finals in with a bruised lung sustained during an off the day before.
05
Wild cards and alternates stepped up
There are almost two different competitions at Red Bull Rampage. There's the coveted trophy, which has only ever been won by nine different riders in 15 editions. The rest of the field is competing for an all-important spot in the top 10, which guarantees qualification for the following year's event.
Despite getting last-minute calls to replace Brendan Fairclough and Brett Rheeder, both Thomas Genon and Reed Boggs put in blistering displays on the mountain – in Boggs's case landing on the podium after an epic Flat Drop 360.
06
Great conditions made for some amazing riding
The Utah desert is notorious for being an unwelcoming host. Baking hot conditions can make the dust-like dirt incredibly difficult to build with, while strong gusts of winds can lead to long delays as riders wait it out until the course is safe enough to drop in. This year's event saw only one notable delay to proceedings however. Plus, rain during the digging week allowed riders and build crews to go bigger and better than ever.
6 min
First practice session
Watch Brandon Semenuk, Jaxson Riddle and more as the riders build and practice their lines for the 2021 event.
07
Is this the start of the shift to single crown forks?
As mentioned above, Brandon Semenuk became the first rider in Rampage's history to take to the course with a single crown fork. Historically, competitors have relied on beefed-up downhill bikes with dual crown forks due to the intensity of the course, but the Canadian opted for a single crown this year, opening up the possibility to perform spin tricks that aren't possible with a dual crown fork. The tech appeared to hold out just fine, too, proving that it's tough enough to survive some of the most demanding terrain around. Expect more riders to follow suit in future editions
08
Red Bull Formation got its time in the spotlight
While Red Bull Rampage has only ever had male competitors, it was refreshing to see the female freeride scene get its time in the spotlight during the half-time show on Red Bull TV.
27 min
The female freeriders changing MTB
Learn more about the female riders who are changing the face of freeride mountain biking for the better.
Red Bull Formation was started in 2019 by Katie Holden and saw some of the world's best female mountain bikers take part in a progression session in the Utah desert. Things were stepped up a gear in 2021 and eight riders – Hannah Bergemann, Camila Nogueira, Casey Brown, Chelsea Kimball, Jess Blewitt, Sam Soriano, Vaea Verbeeck and Vinny Armstrong – attended the week-long event, sculpting lines and shredding hard while receiving mentoring from the likes of Jaxson Riddle, Carson Storch and Ethan Nell.
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