Brandon Semenuk rides at Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah, USA on 15 October, 2021
© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool
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8 moments from Red Bull Rampage 2021 you might've missed

Red Bull Rampage 2021 was worth the wait. From firsts to the return of old favourites, it all went down in the desert. Here are some moments from this year's finals that will live long in the memory.
Written by Charlie Allenby
5 min readUpdated on
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

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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.

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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.
Jaxson Riddle competes at Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah, USA on 15 October, 2021.

You never knew what trick Riddle had up his sleeve during his run

© Paris Gore/Red Bull Content Pool

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.

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Constructing lines in Utah

Szymon Godziek, Thomas Genon, Jaxson Riddle and more get busy constructing the perfect lines in Virgin, Utah.

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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.

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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.

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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.
Tom Van Steenbergen rides at Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah, USA on 15 October, 2021.

Tom van Steenbergen threw down a huge Flat Drop Front Flip before crashing

© Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

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.
Reed Boggs competes at Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah, USA on 15 October, 2021.

Boggs's big 360 off his signature drop was a crowd-pleaser

© Paris Gore/Red Bull Content Pool

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.

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First practice session

Watch Brandon Semenuk, Jaxson Riddle and more as the riders build and practice their lines for the 2021 event.

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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
Brandon Semenuk performs at Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah USA on October 11, 2021.

Brandon Semenuk had been practising his spins all week

© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

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.

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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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Red Bull Rampage

In the 20th anniversary of the MTB event, riders chase the most coveted title in freeride mountain biking.

United States

Brandon Semenuk

One of the best freeride mountain bikers ever, Brandon Semenuk is the most successful rider ever at both Red Bull Joyride and Red Bull Rampage.

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Carson Storch

A stylish freerider, the USA's Carson Storch regularly appears on the cover of Bike magazine and has worked on a number of film projects.

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Jaxson Riddle

Competing in slopestyle and freeride events, Jaxson Riddle is a hugely talented American who rides with a composure that far exceeds his young age.

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Thomas Genon

As an unknown teenager Thomas Genon won Red Bull Joyride, and now the Belgian is one of the world's best mountain bike slopestyle riders.

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Hannah Bergemann

Excelling in both slopestyle and freeride, American Hannah Bergemann is one of mountain biking's most promising new talents.

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