2025 Gravity Season (races, freeride events, etc.)

Putting it here for lack of a specific thread...

Red Bull Rampage, has it gone too far? Two great riders airlifted minutes from each other...I do enjoy watching it but I now kind of feel guilty knowing the type of risks these guys are taking for our enjoyment...not sure what to think really.
 
I don't think it's gone too far. The venues are the same and the risk of falling and getting seriously hurt has always been there. The risks they are taking now are all their own. No one is forcing them to do a double backflip off a huge cliff or tailwhip a drop onto a narrow exposed ridge with cliffs on either side. They're pushing themselves too far.
 
gmb3 said:
I don't think it's gone too far. The venues are the same and the risk of falling and getting seriously hurt has always been there. The risks they are taking now are all their own. No one is forcing them to do a double backflip off a huge cliff or tailwhip a drop onto a narrow exposed ridge with cliffs on either side. They're pushing themselves too far.
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Forcing no....but they are under alot of pressure to go bigger and crazier every year...or lose their spot. So I would say that red bull is at least facilitating them to whatever no matter how insane it is.....That said...these guys are going to insane things anyway...put it on youtube if they have too...so not sure it would change anything.
 
Some food for thought…

During the 2014 Olympics a bunch of snowboarders boycotted the slope style event because Russia tried to make it way too big and riders didn’t trust the course. Shaun White was among those saying it was poorly constructed and not worth the risk. They had zero input on the course and were expected to just show up and ride whatever sketchy nonsense the Russians came up with.

That said…

Riders dig their own lines at rampage. It’s a huge part of the event. There isn’t some promoter saying “hey I think we should add a 90’ drop this year!” Each of those riders went out there, looked at the mountain, and said “yo I bet if I build a lip here I can fucking send it…” It’s entirely their decision to go that big and they’d probably be pushing these limits with or without rampage…that’s just the progression of the sport.
 
These guys do it for progressing themselves, however, winning rampage is career defining and you come out with some serious $$$.

The way Emil’s bike flew was nuts, it flew like 100’ feet.
 
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I mean, my God… between the men and women, I think that was the most bad crashes I've seen in a single MTB event.

Rampage has gone off the rails. The risk/reward is too great. There were some seriously sick lines this year but also some really bad injuries. Emil trying to trick a precise ridge line with such high consequence proved to be too risky. Silva, pulling a double backflip when he had trouble landing a single in practice was a really bad decision. I hope that dude can walk again.
 
A
UtahJoe said:
Forcing no....but they are under alot of pressure to go bigger and crazier every year...or lose their spot. So I would say that red bull is at least facilitating them to whatever no matter how insane it is.....That said...these guys are going to insane things anyway...put it on youtube if they have too...so not sure it would change anything.
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Also seems like the bikes are a lot more capable. They can allow the rider to ride away from some crazy shit but also puts them there in the first place, kind of like F1 used to be...
 
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