By Katie Babino, TOGETHXR Staff Writer
I never imagined I would find myself hiking up the side of a mountain in rural Utah to watch women’s free-ride mountain biking. But here I was, squinting to make out the riders at the top of the mountain, who were so high up that even the 8x zoom on my phone’s camera couldn’t quite bring them into focus.
I'd seen clips from the first two years of the Red Bull Rampage women's competition before making my way down to Virgin, a small town in Utah not far from Zion National Park’s breathtaking views. I thought I knew what to expect — but seeing the event up close and personal was more awe-inspiring than I could’ve imagined.
From my perch in the red dirt, seeing the mountain up close for the first time, it was hard to fathom how athletes can make it down a slope like this on two wheels — much less while pulling off envelope-pushing tricks.
But that's exactly what the riders do at Red Bull Rampage, a free-ride mountain biking competition that has pushed the sport's limits since its debut in Virgin, Utah in 2001. It’s been 25 years since Red Bull and a group of male riders trekked up this very mountain and carved their place in free-ride history. Women riders had to wait, though; the event didn't introduce a women's division until 2024.
Now, just three editions later, the women riders are already pushing the sport forward at a remarkable pace. Hannah Bergemann, the second-place finisher in both the 2025 and 2026 competitions, said, “It's honestly so mind-blowing to be at this level with the women's field already, after just three years.” As we chatted in the shade, a hot commodity in the dry, desert terrain, Bergemann shared, “Seeing the category become a reality, and then seeing it grow so quickly, is unbelievable and indescribable.”
Compared to the men’s competition, the women’s Red Bull Rampage event is still in its infancy — but it won’t stay that way for long. Women riders are already testing the limits, going after more difficult tricks and bigger drops than ever before. Eighth-place finisher Georgia Astle, who has competed at all three women’s Rampage events, said, “We've learned so much about digging and riding. Even from the 2024 Rampage, I can see how much we've all improved. Now, seeing the girls coming up, I feel like they would have nearly blown our doors off in 2024.”
Each year, the riders venture out to the competition site and descend on the chosen mountain in its natural state. The riders informed me they had eight days before the competition to dig their own lines (rider terminology for “route”), jumps, and plan of attack with only two diggers helping them carve their path. I caught up with three-time winner Robin Goomes, who said, “This one was a blank canvas again, so we had to dig everything from scratch. The hill was bigger; nothing was built yet.”
Riders and their dig crews faced a challenge, with the highest start gate (4,350 feet) and longest descent (678 feet of vertical drop) in competition history. Bergemann also added, “I came [to Utah] about three weeks ago. We spent a week warming up, riding other stuff here to get comfortable and acclimated to the desert, and then we started digging. We've been digging every day since then.”
A SPIRIT OF CAMARADERIE
I hiked partway up the mountain to the Premium Viewing space just before the event began. Chelsea Kimball, the first rider of the day, was gunning for the top spot and taking on the biggest drop in the women’s competition at about 40 feet. (The drop was affectionately named “Clifford, the Big Red Drop” by the event announcers.) On her first run, she nearly landed it — but her back wheel slid out, and a plume of dust erupted as she slid through the red dirt. Everyone held their breath until they could exhale a collective sigh of relief when Kimball got back up, mounted her bike, and rode down to the finish corral, where rider friends, family, and fans all waited.
The inherent danger in this event isn’t lost on riders. That’s partially why you won’t find any trash talk at Red Bull Rampage, or really, any contention between the competitors at all. In more traditional sports, like basketball or soccer, it’s not uncommon for athletes to adopt a killer mentality when the whistle blows. From the first horn to the final seconds, their job on that court, pitch, or field is to get under their opponents’ skin, exploit weaknesses, and do whatever it takes to gain a competitive advantage.
Not here, though.
“We all know the risks, and no one wants to see their friends get hurt. So, our main hope and goal is that everyone makes it down safely… Everyone knows how hard it is and how much time we've all put into it. We have a crew fully supporting us, and we're supporting each other,” said Astle.
Rampage’s only rookie on the women's side this year, Mikayla Parton, added, “There's so much support on the hill, and at the end of the day, everyone wants everyone to have a run they're proud of and get down safely. It made me feel so much more relaxed during my run. We all watched the screen while everyone else rode and cheered them on. I think that's so special. I'm really happy to be part of it.”
After Kimball finished up hugs and interviews in the corral, the next rider dropped in. With each run, my heart felt like it was in my throat. I held my breath and hoped each rider landed safely. And when they finished a flawless run, the crowd roared with excitement, as if we were in a packed stadium, not on a mountainside in the desert.
FREEDOM ON THE MOUNTAIN
The riders’ joy and camaraderie seem connected to what they repeatedly described as their favorite part of Rampage: the freedom.
Goomes (the only rider, man or woman, to win the event three times in a row) said, “It's just a true free-ride. It's up to you to do whatever you want with a blank canvas.” When I asked Goomes how she keeps stepping up her game after three victories, she paused and reflected for a moment before sharing, “Honestly, I guess I'm just inspired. I love the sport, and I love watching other people ride and learning from what they're doing on the bike. I always want to get better and keep progressing.”
Bergemann added, “[Rampage] lets riders fully express themselves and show the world how they want to ride. There's no other event where you get to start with a raw mountainside, design your line, build it, test it, and ride it in a competition. There's nothing like it in the world.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Women’s free-ride mountain biking has evolved significantly through its three iterations at Red Bull Rampage, yet the riders still struggle to picture what a future with more experience, opportunities, and resources could look like.
“I think we can't even imagine what's coming or how soon it's going to happen. Young girls will be watching us, with the singular goal of riding Rampage or competing in slopestyle. For us, that wasn't even an option; we weren't training for this 10 years ago,” said Astle.
She’s right — throughout the day, young girls of all ages, some with their families, others huddled close with friends, cheered their hearts out. I even saw clips of a few young riders out on the mountains building their own jumps, emulating the women they came here to see.
Parton added, “It's so sick to see all these girls out here, and I'm so glad there's a women's Rampage where we can show what's possible. I feel like the sport is growing so much, and I'm sure the girls in the crowd will be up there themselves one day, too.”
Thanks to the women who built their free-ride careers without a clear path to this mountain, the next generation gets to start with something they didn't have: a vision of what's possible. And if the past three editions are any indication, the next generation might take the sport even further than anyone can imagine.