Sport And Biking Talk: Photo epic: Kurt Sorge wins Red Bull Rampage

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Photo epic: Kurt Sorge wins Red Bull Rampage

Kurt Sorge landed one of the biggest backflips in bicycling history to win the 2017 Red Bull Rampage. Photo by Paris Gore/Red Bull Content Pool

With arguably the best ride in his storied Red Bull Rampage history, Kurt Sorge took home gold at the 12th edition of the most extreme mountain biking event in the world. Rounding out the Red Bull Rampage podium were Cameron Zink and rookie Ethan Nell, a 20-old Utah local who was competing in the event for the first time.

Newcomer Ethan Nell put down a blistering run to grab the third spot on the podium. Photo by Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

Voted on by the fans, French phenom Antoine Bizet was awarded the People’s Choice Award presented by Utah Sports Commission. This was small consolation for Bizet, who felt his first run was severely underscored by the judges. He ended up 12th, after taking a casual approach to his second run.

Cam Zink’s line was that steep… Photo by Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

The participating athletes awarded Pierre Edouard Ferry the Kelly McGarry Spirit Award, presented to the rider that most embodied the spirit of the mountain biking legend.

Two-time Rampage winner Kyle Strait ended up 8th this year. Photo by Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

Sorge, Zink, and Brandon Semenuk were all battling it out for the first ever Red Bull Rampage hat trick. At the end of the day, with a score of 92.66 in his first run, Sorge came out on top and not only became the 2017 champion but the first athlete to take home three golds, making him as the winningest athlete in Red Bull Rampage history.

Last year’s champ Brandon Semenuk settled for fourth this year. Photo by Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool

Semenuk, winner from Red Bull Rampage 2016, and Brett Rheeder both fell in their first run and then took on their second redemption run with confidence, putting together solid performances to claim fourth and fifth place respectively.

Sorge is the event’s first three-time winner. Photo by Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

“I am speechless. I can’t believe it. It was a lot of work out here for a couple of weeks, and to make my diggers, everyone back home and the fans proud, is out of this world,” said Sorge, who rides for Polygon.

Spain’s Andreu Lacondeguy lost track of his bike on this jump, but walked away relatively unscathed. Photo by Christian Pondella/Red Bull Content Pool

Fans from around the world tuned in live on Red Bull TV to watch 18 of the world’s top riders compete to claim their place atop the Red Bull Rampage podium, and this year’s finals didn’t disappoint with remarkable runs down the mountain. Judged on four sets of criteria, including difficulty of line, air amplitude, control and fluidity, tricks and style, all athletes worked to impress the judges as they rode down the other-worldly terrain of Virgin, Utah, just outside of Zion National Park.

Kurt Sorge drops into the steepest section of his insane line. Photo by Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

“Everyone going huge and doing technical tricks off all of the big features – putting together really technical flowy lines,” added Sorge.

Carson Storch on the move. He finished 7th overall. Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

Building upon the success of last year’s format changes, the elite group of 18 riders and their two-person build crews created their own manmade lines down the mountain without the use of power tools. As a result, no two riders’ paths down the near-vertical sandstone ridges were the same.

Your 2017 top 3: Cam Zink, Kurt Sorge and Ethan Nell. Photo by Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull Rampage 2017 Final Results

1. Kurt Sorge (CAN) – 92.66
2. Cameron Zink (USA) – 90.33
3. Ethan Nell (USA) – 90.00
4. Brandon Semenuk (CAN) – 89.66
5. Brett Rheeder (CAN) – 89.33
6. Thomas Genon (BEL) – 89.00
7. Carson Storch (USA) – 87.66
8. Kyle Strait (USA) – 87.33
9. Tyler McCaul (USA) – 87.00
10. Tom Van Steenbergen (CAN) – 84.33
11. Andreu Lacondeguy (SPN) – 83.00
12. Antoine Bizet (FRA) – 81.66
13. Darren Berrecloth (CAN) – 81.00
14. Vincent Tupin (FRA) – 78.00
15. Pierre Edouard Ferry (FRA) – 76.33
16. Logan Binggeli (USA) – 69.66
17. Bas Van Steenbergen (CAN) – 68.66
18. Ryan Howard (USA) – 67.66

Ethan Nell lives near the venue and had been coming to Rampage for years. But this was the first time he got to compete. Photo by Garth Milan/Red Bull Content Pool