Confirmed: Red Bull Rampage will return to its original Utah site

2001 Redbull Rampage: Photo: Christian Pondella

Today, Red Bull officially announced that the “world’s toughest action sports event” will be “going back to where it all began.” Rampage will return to the original zone where the freeride competition was held from 2001 to 2004, outside of Virgin, Utah.

A BLM public comment invitation in June spilled the beans

In June, before Red Bull announced the location or even the rider selection, Singletracks broke the news that the 2026 event was hoping to return to the original site. A June 26 notice posted to the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) website sought “public comments on a Special Recreation Permit application from H5 Events, Inc., to hold the Red Bull Rampage mountain bike competition on public lands near Virgin in Washington County.”

Those first few years of Red Bull Rampage pushed freeride mountain biking further than most thought possible. However, the event used only natural terrain — no wooden or “man-made” features like the ladder drops and huge jumps incorporated into the lines in later years. To push the event even further, Red Bull sought a new location where it could incorporate these features into the hillside.

This meant a break from the event before it returned in 2008 on nearby Utah Trust Lands. It would later jump to yet another venue in 2016.

Photo: Christian Pondella

Will the 2026 Rampage go back to using only natural terrain?

That is a good question. In our original reporting, we noted that the preliminary Environmental Analysis (EA) mentions that “the event would involve temporary construction and use of single-track routes on steep, natural terrain. Each athlete would select and design a route from a designated start point at the top of the mountain to the finish line at the base.”

While the BLM may not have provided much leniency for athletes to “design a route” in 2001, it is also worth noting that freeride mountain biking has evolved tremendously in 25 years. During the first few years of Rampage, making it down the terrain in one piece was a feat in and of itself.

Then, riders began taking their hands off the bars. And flipping, and spinning. The event progressed to a level likely unimaginable in the early days.

With Red Bull Rampage setting the standard for freeride, it seems unlikely that event organizers would choose a venue that severely limited what riders could build. The EA also mentions that “infrastructure on BLM-administered lands would be minimal and temporary, limited to course features, spectator access, and event delineation fencing or flagging. The majority of event infrastructure, including staging, broadcasting, and spectator facilities, would occur on adjacent private lands.”

In a press release, Red Bull athlete and 2026 competitor Thomas Genon said: “There’s something special about taking Red Bull Rampage back to where it all began. Fans are going to recognize the terrain, but they’re going to see it through a completely different lens. It’s going to be amazing to have the chance to compete on the terrain where freeride started.”

A view of the site as seen from the road via Google Street View.

The “OG site,” as the riders are calling it, is roughly 90 acres with a nearly 700-foot vertical drop. Red Bull also notes that they will have a “new start gate that’s roughly one-third higher than the 2001-2004” site.

Who is competing?

In the men’s field, 18 riders will compete, with the top eight (pre-qualified) riders from last year automatically getting a spot. The men also have five alternate riders.

Pre-Qualified:

Hayden Zablotny (CAN)
Thomas Genon (BEL)
Tom Van Steenbergen (CAN)
Tomas Lemoine (FRA)
Reed Boggs (USA)
Talus Turk (USA)
Cam Zink (USA)
Finley Kirschenmann (USA)

Wildcard:

Bienvenido Aguado Alba (ESP)
Carson Storch (USA)
Connor Gallart (USA)
Jaxson Riddle (USA)
Johny Salido (MEX)
Kade Edwards (GBR)
Kaidan Ingersoll (USA)
Paul Couderc (FRA)
Szymon Godziek (POL)
Tom Isted (GBR)

Alternates:

Ryan McNulty (USA) [First Alternate]
Aiden Howe (USA) [Second Alternate]
Ondra Slez (CZ)
Louis Reboul (FRA)
Nicholi Rogatkin (USA)

Georgia Astle, Robin Goomes and Casey Brown celebrate at Red Bull Rampage in St. George, Utah, USA on October 10, 2024. // Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202410110005 // Usage for editorial use only //

The women use the same format but with 12 riders and 5 alternates.

Pre-Qualified: