Red Bull Rampage finally allows women to compete

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For the first time since its inception in 2001, Red Bull Rampage, the most prestigious freeride mountain bike competition, will feature women. Eight of the world's best female freeriders will compete on a rocky outcropping in Virgin, Utah, just outside Zion National Park, on Thursday, October 10th. The riders, who hail from the US, Canada, UK, Argentina and New Zealand, have been on site since September 30th, setting up their lines for the big day.

“It means so much to be a part of the first women’s Rampage,” said Casey Brown, a Canadian standout who took part in the event Outside. “When I heard the news that the women's Rampage would be taking place this year, I was over the moon. I was so excited to start training.”

In 2018 Outside wrote about Brown's long-time dream of getting the coveted invitation to Rampage. For years she tried to compete with the men and even came close in 2019 when she became the first woman to be invited to what was then Rampage's qualifying event, Proving Grounds. But she didn't make it after she fell on the track in strong winds and sustained an injury.

In “Rampage,” athletes climb death-defying lines, perform massive drops, jumps, and precipices, and generally take high risks. For Red Bull it is a major undertaking lasting several weeks. The athletes each build their own line, train on it for several days and finally have a competition day.

Organizers have cited this cumbersome event format in the past as a main reason for not including women – there simply wasn't enough time to get everyone down safely in nice weather. Over the past two decades, there has been a lot of talk about women's ability from professionals and spectators alike, and debate about whether female riders have the skills needed to compete on this terrain.

Brown wasn't the only person who wanted to prove the naysayers wrong and see women take part in Rampage. In 2019, a group of women led by legendary mountain biker Rebecca Rusch and professional athlete Katie Holden decided to take matters into their own hands. If they couldn't join the men, they would ride the same terrain with a format specifically designed to help women advance to Rampage-level riding. This year they organized the first formation with the support of Red Bull. It wasn't a competition, but rather a collaborative riding session where women came to Virgin for a week to develop their big mountain freeride skills. All eight women participating in Rampage this year have participated in the formation in the past.

By 2022, the size of the formation had doubled to 12 athletes. Organizers and participants hoped that the success would prompt Rampage organizers to finally create a women's category. Then, in 2023, Red Bull canceled Formation – which many people in the industry took as a sign that women could receive the invitation to Rampage. When Red Bull hosted this year's event – the 17th edition of Rampage – for men only, the outrage reached peak levels of outrage. The move received plenty of criticism and a flood of social media posts under the hashtag #letthemride.

Finally, on June 3, 2024, Red Bull announced that women would be included in this year's Rampage and would receive equal prize money.

The women's course is adjacent to the men's course and starts a little lower down. In contrast to the men's route, which served as the venue in 2018 and 2019, the women's route has never been raced. “It’s a blank canvas,” Holden says. “They stand at the starting gate and see the finish corral, and they have to build something from top to bottom.”

Outside the venue, the competition format is the same for men and women. Athletes have six days to scout and create their competition line. A three-person team of trail builders helps them transform the red rock landscape into a rideable line that showcases their skills. During the competition, riders are given two runs, and a panel of judges evaluates them based on a number of criteria: amplitude (or time of flight), fluidity and control, tricks and style, and line choice. A winning run is typically characterized by a technical, creative line with big features that are run smoothly and quickly and with tricks such as supermans, 360s and backflips.

“The format is super unique because you can build your own line, test it and do a full run,” Brown said. “But it’s also like any other event in that you have to train so many different skills over the ten days.”

The roster of athletes wasn't the only glass ceiling broken at Rampage – there has never been a woman on the jury. But this year, professional athletes Claire Buchar and Blake Hansen are joining the jury to judge both the men's and women's events, according to Holden, who is on site and assisting Red Bull with communications.

Brown is one of the favorites for the first top prize, but she has stiff competition from New Zealand's Vinny Armstrong, who has won multiple Whip-Offs at Crankworx and rides huge jumps in style; Camila Nogueira, an Aspen, Colorado-based Argentine known for her appetite for bold, exposed runs; and Canadian Vaea Verbeeck, who brings ten years of experience in the Downhill World Cup and multiple Crankworx overall titles.

The first women's event will not be broadcast live, but fans can follow the action on Pinkbike.com. A delayed broadcast of the event will be shown Thursday evening at 9:00 p.m. EST on ESPN+, RedBull TV and Red Bull's YouTube channel.

For her part, Brown is most excited about the long-term impact of including women. “Hosting an event like this is vital to getting more women on bikes, particularly the younger girls getting into the sport,” she said. “Now they are targeting a top event and the trickle-down effect will reach both beginners and amateurs.”