Rampage Day One 2003
The drama begins
Cam McRae
Imagine watching the World Series from a specially designated viewing area right behind 2nd base. For hockey fans how about a booth just above the players' heads that allows you to move with the play and catch all the action from the perfect vantage point - close enough to experience the emotion and intensity of the best players in the world. A few people I know are in Moab riding and I have been trying to lure them here by expressing just how special this event is. Another analogy would be like seeing your favourite band in a small, intimate venue before they become jaded, stadium-playing rockstars accompanied by agents, bodyguards and mini skirt-wearing groupies. Freeride remains a fringe sport followed by a small (but intensely cool!) portion of the population. It's hard to know where it will be in five years but it is clear as the night sky in Utah that this is a special time.

Lance Canfield in training. He nailed this line on the second try.

The process of finding the right line is a fascinating dance. Competitors must consider how the line will look to the judges - who will be seated on a neighbouring ridge - whether their route is original enough to be memorable and then they have to weigh their odds of riding the line cleanly and staying healthy for the finals.

Day one of training is over. Today a few riders worked on lines with Macloed tools, shovels and picks. Bender had a crew roughing in a line below a massive, sketchy drop. Maybe this will be Josh's year - the folks at Banshee have their fingers crossed for their number one rider. The man from Virgin has yet to make the finals in an event that is held in his own backyard. There are a couple of notable scratches from the start list. Tyler Klassen slipped a pedal riding in Whistler and did a number on his calf. At Interbike he was hobbling around with a cane but today he was able to help Chris Glew build some lines but he will not be defending his title. The word is that Shaums March hurt himself riding at Woodward camp in California and will apparently be unable to compete. Darren Berrecloth has been limping but expect to see him in the starting gate despite nagging shoulder and knee injuries.

Josh Bender working on a line.
Gareth Dyer's humerous is healing well thanks to surgery but he is scheduled to be sitting on the judges couch along with Brett Tippie, Myles Rockwell, Tim Conway and Chris Lawrence.

It was very tough to get into the Rampage this year and there will be no shortage of up and comers from reserve list to fill those spots and bring the number of competitors close to 30.

Mike Kinrade has been back on his bike for two weeks after breaking his collarbone this summer and he will be vying for a spot in the finals on Saturday. He was fine-tuning his billy goat line from last year.

There is a fairly good chance this could be the year of the teenager. There are 9 riders who have yet to reach the legal drinking age here in Utah. The old man of the competition - Richie Schley - is very nearly 20 years older than Kyle Ritchie from Squamish who is the youngest competitor at 15 years of age.

Wade Simmons returns after missing last year's competition after breaking his femur on Mount Fromme. All reports indicate that he's been charging and has returned to the form that allowed him to take 1st in the very first Rampage in 2001.

 Joe Schwartz discusses his line with Randy Spangler who will not be riding this year.

Before the scratches there were 12 Canadians entered, 11 Americans, two Czechs and one rider each from France, Ireland, South Africa and Australia. I will get back to you with a final start list as soon as I can.

For more information on the event check out RedBullRampage.com