ZINK EARNS HIS SECOND RED BULL RAMPAGE TITLE IN UTAH

Posted by Corriendo la Vida on October 17, 2023 in red bull rampage, trail running spain | Leave a comment

ZINK EARNS HIS SECOND RED BULL RAMPAGE TITLE IN UTAH. Our BIKE section bring us the second Red Bull Rampage title of Cam Zink 13 years after his initial win.

In a contest where even a 70ft front flip over a canyon gap is par for the course, American Cam Zink truly turned heads with a massive backflip off a 63-foot cliff. The 17th edition of this pinnacle freeride mountain bike event saw riders from all corners of the globe executing awe-inspiring tricks against the backdrop of some of the sport’s most challenging terrains.

Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool

________________________________________

RED BULL RAMPAGE 2023

Seventeen of the world’s elite riders recently showcased their extraordinary skills in the captivating landscape of the Southwest Utah desert during the 2023 Red Bull Rampage. The star-studded event near the town of Virgin witnessed mind-bending tricks and daring maneuvers on challenging terrains.

The spotlight of the event undoubtedly belonged to Cam Zink, who claimed the 2023 title with a phenomenal winning run. Zink, the only athlete to drop the fall line into the incredibly steep “Grandfather drop“, then sticking a 55-foot jump leading into a massive backflip on a 63-foot step down – recreated from his iconic 2013 Rampage run – to see him score 95 points.

Christian Pondella / Red Bull Content Pool

In a post-event interview, the 37-year-old Zink shared his thoughts: “It takes a lot for a run to line up, and after I cased that jump (run 1), my jitters and nervousness switched to competitiveness. I was ready to go again and tackle my second run, and I knew the wind wouldn’t ruin this for me. I’m glad I reached for the stars and got the win. The original Sender was ten years ago, and my last win was 13 years ago; it was still the biggest step-down flip I’ve ever done, and here we are again. It’s still just as intimidating and scary. I’ve put in a lot of work and feel fortunate to still push it at 37 – the oldest to compete here.”

Canadian rider Tom van Steenbergen crafted a stunning runner-up run, marking a two-year comeback story. Starting with a with a caveman drop and kept the momentum going by throwing a big 360 and a highly technical flat drop backflip on his biggest feature to bank a deserved podium spot.

Sharing the same line, American Carson Storch closely trailed behind his good friend in third with an impressive run featuring a backflip and two of his signature 360 spins. The duo then skipped their second runs for the first Red Bull Rampage party train down to the finish corral.

Among the notable performances was Spanish rider Bienvenido Aguado Alba, who earned three different awards. His massive 70+ foot front flip over the canyon gap took home the Utah Sports Commission Best Trick Award, the T-Mobile People’s Choice Award and the Kelly McGarry Spirit Award.

Christian Pondella / Red Bull Content Pool

Reflecting on his accomplishment, Alba stated, “I’ve been thinking about the front flip for the whole year. The speed required is so scary, and that was the big challenge for pulling it off. And it worked twice! Since 2019, when I made my rookie mistake, I’ve been working to get back here.”

Two-time winner Kyle Strait won the BFGoodrich Tires Toughness Award after conquering the same line where he injured his back last year, while Swede Emil Johansson won the Michelin Style Award for his fluidity and flow on the course, as well as his unique trick combinations. The Carvana Digger Award went to the team of local rider Reed Boggs.

_________________________

2023 Red Bull Rampage result

1. Cam Zink USA 95.00
2. Tom Van Steenbergen CAN 89.00
3. Carson Storch USA 87.00
4. Brendan Fairclough GBR 86.66
5. Talus Turk USA 84.00
6. Kyle Strait USA 83.58
7. Emil Johansson SWE 82.83
8. Bienvenido Aguado Alba ESP 79.44
9. Thomas Genon BEL 77.41Reed Boggs USA 76.73
10. DJ Brandt USA 73.51
11. Alex Volokhov CAN 72.00
12. Kurt Sorge CAN 69.66
13. Jaxson Riddle USA 68.00
14. Adolf Silva ESP 51.33
15. Szymon Godziek POL 0.00
16. Clemens Kaudela AUT 0.00

Colin Kerrigan / Red Bull Content Pool