In the arid wilds of Utah, elite mountain bikers clear 20-metre canyon gaps and fly down sheer cliff sides at the Red Bull Rampage, a competition widely regarded as the most dangerous in the sport. The event, held near the town of Virgin, challenges riders to tread a precarious line between glory and disaster, with points awarded for speed, airtime, tricks, and style.
Founded in 2001 by Todd Barber, who drew inspiration from big-mountain skiing and snowboarding, the Rampage brings together a mix of dirt jumpers, slopestylers and downhill racers. Unlike traditional races, each competitor builds their own unique line within the site boundaries, working with a two-man dig team over roughly eight days to carve out and practise their route.
Brendan Fairclough, a 30-year-old freerider from Surrey who has competed six times, describes the distorted normality of the event. “You’re scared, but everyone is scared,” he says. “And it’s kind of normal.” The runs last just a couple of minutes, but the preparation is intense, with teams enduring freezing desert winds before sunrise and scorching 40°C heat later in the day.
Accidents are not uncommon. Californian rider Cam McCaul explains the danger of a “blind take-off”, where the first sight of the landing comes too late to adjust speed. “Two miles per hour too fast and the rider will land halfway down and explode upon impact,” he says. “Two miles per hour too slow will put the rider before the landing – and cause them to get catapulted off the bike.”
Despite the risks, the event attracts only the best riders, who must be invited by a committee of veterans. Fairclough’s dig team includes his childhood friend and fellow pro Olly Wilkins, plus former Royal Marine Ben Deakin. “At the end of these tough 10 days, you’ve got this intensely physical and mentally demanding task,” Fairclough says. “On that day, you can’t be at your lowest point. You’ve got to be ready to go.”
