Red Bull thank you so much for all this footy........I honestly can't get enough of this stuff and could not be more excited to get to watch the practice tomorrow live! THANK YOU!
I really don't get people bitching about this being a slopestyle competition now and not freeride. This is absolutely freeride. They're hitting crazy drops and jumps they scope out and build themselves. Of course there are gonna be tricks. It's what pushes the event to evolve. When the event started people were just getting their heads around drops and jumps of this size. But soon enough all the top riders knew how to hit the lines. Then someone stepped up and did a no hander here or a 360 there. It's called pushing it. If 20 guys hit the same drop, the one that tricks it will likely win. Here they're not only tricking shit. I mean look at Zinks line. With no tricks it's already a top contender should he hit it clean. And we all know he's not just gonna hit it with no tricks. It's how they push each other and the sport.
I completely agree. But in regards to say Zink's line like you said, will they judge it the same as say the tricks that get thrown? In the past couple years it doesn't seem like that is the case. Seems like tricks are getting a better look for scores than say just a big drop or a crazy line like that chute that Strait and friends are doing. Hopefully I am wrong. I like the tricks getting added in but I think more weight needs to be given to crazy natural lines otherwise it will start to morph into a big slope event.
The drops and jumps are big but most of the trails are 6 foot wide and super buffed out. The landings are perfectly packed and completely smooth. Just cuz theres one steep line there doesn't mean its all natural gnar. Its still awesome but its a longs ways from the original vibe of the early events.
I do think it's like most of the riders just want to get from the top in the 'easiest' way possible and get to those perfect jumps to do some tricks. I'd love to see the finish moved a bit up and keep the riders higher on the slope.
@redbullbike What is missing is another format of competition, find a mountain, ride it down however you can and score points - no digging etc. like the lines we enjoyed in "Where the trails end". Such thing does exist in Ski/SNB world already
@fartymarty: What do you expect them to land on, giant boulders?? If you want a jump to go well the take off and landing has to be smooth and clear, thats just common sense. Sure people CAN huck into roots and rock gardens, but more often than not that ends poorly for bike and body.
@fartymarty: they are all sketchy lines... building a reasonable lip and landing is what these guys do. People seem to forget these are some of the foremost freeriders of the time, lets let them figure out that line.
Anyone calling this slopstyle needs to get out to Utah and check this zone out there. Person. This is as big mountain as it gets. The videos don’t do this justice. I’m afraid for every guys safety when they drop in. This is big mountain (hopefully gets judged that way)
The lines, the coverage of the event, and how smooth everyone's riding this year is really awesome to see. It seems like normally riders are getting more sketchy especially in between features but this year everything is so well built that the riders look super comfortable. Safer yet just as impressive!
So did PEF Zink and Strait just take Aggy's and Doerfling's line from last year ? I always thought taking somebodys line at rampage is very frowned upon. I know they are trying to make it even bigger and more insane but that section that we just saw is what aggy rode last year but without the sandbags right ?
I forget where I saw it, but apparently they're dropping into the middle of the fall line even earlier than agassiz & doerfling's line. follows the same contour, but starts earlier (read: even gnarlier)
@steezysam: It was on Cam McCaul's 'Risk and Reward' video. They are dropping in from the dang top, whereas Doerfling and Aggy dropped in 1/3 way down. It's not really the same at all...
honestly i am stoked, i cant wait for it to start! But what cedric said he might be right, this event is eventually turning into slopestyle contest. I hope riders gonna get back to the roots of freeriding style
I seriously don't understand people complaining about this.... Is the Zink / PEF / Straight line not freeride enough? And I would argue that "freeride" has evolved a LOT since when Rampage started. With the FEST series being a prime example of what guys are doing now. It used to be about trying not to fall of a 20ft tall skinny, now it's about motherf*cking speed on big arse jumps that maybe .1% of riders worldwide would even consider hitting. Shut the f*ck up and enjoy the show.
@redbullbike
What is missing is another format of competition, find a mountain, ride it down however you can and score points - no digging etc. like the lines we enjoyed in "Where the trails end". Such thing does exist in Ski/SNB world already