# 5 Worst crashes of 2021 Redbull Rampage



## r-rocket (Jun 23, 2014)

What were the 5 Best crashes?


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## Sir kayakalot (Jul 23, 2017)

Those guys are tremendous athletes. Healing vibes to all, we appreciate the incredible show y’all put on


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

These guys are tough! Hope they all heal up.

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## mtnbkrmike (Mar 26, 2015)

I am worried sick about TVS. I check his IG regularly for updates.

*unpopular opinion below…

I wish he would get married and ratchet things back a bit. He won’t, but this last one may force his hand. Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise. He has given the world enough of himself.

I don’t know whether I can watch Rampage anymore. I am as much a part of the problem as anything else. Squid Game.

And yes. I get that he does this for himself. It doesn’t make things any less painful to observe though.

I pray he is able to recover as best as possible under the circumstances. What a beast. A super human athletic being. He will heal more quickly than mere mortals, but these are very serious injuries. And I am not convinced that they aren’t worse than reported.

PS - his fronty is now posted on his IG, in all its beautiful slo-mo glory.








Tom van Steenbergen (@tvansteenbergen) • Instagram photos and videos


195K Followers, 951 Following, 1,243 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Tom van Steenbergen (@tvansteenbergen)




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## Nostromo (Sep 22, 2005)

mtnbkrmike said:


> I am worried sick about TVS. I check his IG regularly for updates.
> 
> *unpopular opinion below…
> 
> ...


I'm gonna vote for 'popular opinion'. That is a shocking list of major bones broken.


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## 2021Mach6 (Jan 19, 2021)

Seems like this year the crashes were worse then any I remember. Absolutely love the event, but it's only a matter of time before one of these guys breaks their neck or kills themselves. Not sure what, but maybe they can work on increasing rider safety next year. Gonna be dangerous regardless, but every year they're going bigger and bigger ... Eventually somethings gotta give, and that's when they'll consider different safety measures. I know they won't, but wish they got out in front of that a little.


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

There is positive info to be gleaned from publications like _Accidents in North American Mountaineering_. Substance-free gawkery like this ”top five” doesn’t serve anyone except click baiters. I can see it aiding the misconception that it’s cool to get broken up and live through it. It’s not cool or badass – it’s a fuk-up, plain and simple.


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## Sir kayakalot (Jul 23, 2017)

She&I said:


> There is positive info to be gleaned from publications like _Accidents in North American Mountaineering_. Substance-free gawkery like this ”top five” doesn’t serve anyone except click baiters. I can see it aiding the misconception that it’s cool to get broken up and live through it. It’s not cool or badass – it’s a fuk-up, plain and simple.


While I get what you’re saying, these guys that participate in Red Bull are wired way different than 99.9% of most. They know the risk, they’ve been injured before. It’s in their blood to go big. If it wasn’t mtn biking, it would be something else extreme. They need it to live, in their eyes, if there isn’t huge risks involved, their not living. Hard for mere mortals to wrap their heads around


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## J.B. Weld (Aug 13, 2012)

Sir kayakalot said:


> While I get what you’re saying, these guys that participate in Red Bull are wired way different than 99.9% of most. They know the risk, they’ve been injured before. It’s in their blood to go big. If it wasn’t mtn biking, it would be something else extreme. They need it to live, in their eyes, if there isn’t huge risks involved, their not living. Hard for mere mortals to wrap their heads around




True but most of these personalities also thrive on public adoration and the bigger the audience the bigger they'll go. Part of me loves to watch Rampage and I have mad respect for the athlete's talent but another part of me has to close one eye and cringe because I'm terrified someone will break their neck on live tv while attempting a 100 ft gap.


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## 63expert (Jun 4, 2020)

Sir kayakalot said:


> While I get what you’re saying, these guys that participate in Red Bull are wired way different than 99.9% of most. They know the risk, they’ve been injured before. It’s in their blood to go big. If it wasn’t mtn biking, it would be something else extreme. They need it to live, in their eyes, if there isn’t huge risks involved, their not living. Hard for mere mortals to wrap their heads around


This^^^

These guys know they can get done what others can’t, or won’t.

Dragbikes, Top Fuel Hydro, etc.

The edge is a magnet for those with the right metal.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Sir kayakalot said:


> They know the risk


Do they really? Male brain isn't even fully formed until about 26 and there's really no way you could understand the scope of having to live paralyzed until you actually are paralyzed. I say knowing or understanding the risk is completely false. You simply can't begin to fully comprehend events like that until after they have occurred.


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## WHALENARD (Feb 21, 2010)

J.B. Weld said:


> True but most of these personalities also thrive on public adoration and the bigger the audience the bigger they'll go. Part of me loves to watch Rampage and I have mad respect for the athlete's talent but another part of me has to close one eye and cringe because I'm terrified someone will break their neck on live tv while attempting a 100 ft gap.


That and to make any money in "extreme sports". Just take a good look at Honnold's life before and after free soloing El Cap. He speaks to that aspect himself. 

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## Sir kayakalot (Jul 23, 2017)

Jayem said:


> Do they really? Male brain isn't even fully formed until about 26 and there's really no way you could understand the scope of having to live paralyzed until you actually are paralyzed. I say knowing or understanding the risk is completely false. You simply can't begin to fully comprehend events like that until after they have occurred.


They’ve seen it first hand. Every one of them have been hurt and know people with life changing injuries.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Jayem said:


> Do they really? Male brain isn't even fully formed until about 26


A good number of the competitors are older than that.


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## Monty219 (Oct 26, 2020)

Sir kayakalot said:


> They’ve seen it first hand. Every one of them have been hurt and know people with life changing injuries.


Another comparison can be made to kayakers dropping 100’ waterfalls: some claiming its irresponsible and others chalking it up to personal choice to broadly summarize a very nuanced discussion. 

And not necessarily in reference to kayaking, but at least these guys’ risks are not putting anyone else in danger. There may be consequences for loved ones but the risk for safety/ rescue personnel is low so its hard to argue against their personal choices. 

Lastly, i can see where Semenuk won because he probably could have ridden any other riders line (maybe not the TVS front flip) but no one else could have ridden his line with his tricks. But i still prefer the big mountain aesthetic that came with the riders who opted for the lookers right chute instead of the knobblin entrance. In any case, every run was sick and it is incredibly impressive to see how far things have progressed in 20 years.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

These guys are making the choice to do this. Just like other athletes in some professional sports that have high risks.

99.9% of people do not want to do a flip off a cliff, and choose not to.

These guys do want to. They know the risks.

Stop trying to put a pillow over anything hard.

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## cycloholic (Dec 27, 2015)

Stupid people!


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## Francis Cebedo (Aug 1, 1996)

r-rocket said:


> What were the 5 Best crashes?


Unfortunately, the best are often the worst.


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## r-rocket (Jun 23, 2014)

Shark said:


> 99.9% of people do not want to do a flip off a cliff, and choose not to.


I WANT to do a flip off a cliff. But I still choose not to. 😸


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## TraxFactory (Sep 10, 1999)

Some parallels here to 90's "extreme skiing".....the cliff drops got bigger and bigger until our best athletes (stunt men) started to suffer massive injuries and even loss of life. RIP Paul Ruff. There was pressure of camera's (aka Warren Miller) and so forth similar to pressures of the Rampage event.

It will be amazing to see how far the progression will go at Rampage.


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## Jayem (Jul 16, 2005)

Sir kayakalot said:


> They’ve seen it first hand. Every one of them have been hurt and know people with life changing injuries.


Well, I'd seen poor people too before I got student loans, doesn't mean I understood the scope of the effects and true impact.


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## Whiterabbitt (May 16, 2020)

MEROCA Official Store said:


> In China, there is a saying that all dangerous sports are sponsored by Red Bull.


LOL

China is wrong about so many things.. But not this one.


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## Monty219 (Oct 26, 2020)

Francis Cebedo said:


> When one sees Brandon Semenuk's winning run, it masks the dangers of the event as Brandon does everything so cleanly. He masks the perils of those cliffs as he makes it looks easy like a manicured slopestyle course at Whistler's signature slopestyle event. But these are the cliffs of Utah. The elements are unpredictable especially the wind and the dirt conditions. And the winning lines usually entail the riskiest tricks with runways that may not have optimal speed to clear those jumps.
> 
> Of course Redbull is not going to make glamorous edits of these crashes but we found a few clips on youtube that reveal biggest crashes of the 2021 event.
> 
> ...


If i suffered those injuries but won best trick i would not be looking as happy as TVS does there. I think that speaks to the difference in mindset of rampage contestants vs the rest of us.

Edit: we should also consider the pain killers he was probably on when considering his state but my point remains the same


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

I feel like the first time I watched this event there were more big fast gap jumps where they could do some really big tricks. Now it’s fall five stories and try to land it five times in a row. And then do a flip.

I remember learning not too long ago in the trail building forum about minimum fall height. All the work was related to skiing, but it applies to mountain bikes. The slope style ski jumps have a big arc to them allowing the jumper to be airborne for a long time but never very far from the ground so that when he hits he doesn’t hit like this. I guess that’s what separates this from Slopestyle. But that seems to be adding risk for its own sake, not any demonstration of skill.


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

Sir kayakalot said:


> While I get what you’re saying, these guys that participate in Red Bull are wired way different than 99.9% of most.


The time I’ve spent around people who run the edge hard gives me the distinct impression they’re mostly like everyone else. By and large skilled, natural athletes that have a high tolerance to endorphins and that go for it. That’s about it. Nothing to qualify them as another type of human. Or whatever red bull would love you to buy into and armchair warriors use to assuage their own lack of motivation.


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## Darth Lefty (Sep 29, 2014)

I just found this year's Audi Nines MTB coverage, which I somehow missed back in August. The energy is so much more positive and the tricks are better. I think I'm going to skip watching Rampage from now on.


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## RickBullottaPA (Mar 4, 2015)

The fact that this thread exists says a lot about how the risk/reward curve for Rampage has crossed into a bad place...


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## Picard (Apr 5, 2005)

Are those bikers doing this for free?

They should be paid for taking high risks

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## Sir kayakalot (Jul 23, 2017)

Picard said:


> Are those bikers doing this for free?
> 
> They should be paid for taking high risks
> 
> Sent from my SM-G965W using Tapatalk


Some do it for a free engine flush


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

If I rode off those cliffs, my engine would be flushed as well!


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## Old school dude (Sep 29, 2021)

I tried watching rampage live. It's very hard when your working and trying to watch too, lol. I want to sit down at home when I get time and watchthe whole thing on the big screen tv. I could jump off the cliff, but the landing would be result in extreme body damage or death. I have no desire to even think of attempting jumping, flipping or any stunts.


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## nhodge (Jul 6, 2004)

No word on Tom Van Steens surgery results?


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## Monty219 (Oct 26, 2020)

There’s rampage, then there’s swamp fest: 




Thoughts?


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Monty219 said:


> There’s rampage, then there’s swamp fest:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


BMX fucking rules.


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## Picard (Apr 5, 2005)

How do these people pay for medical costs for injuries? They get serious hurt 

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## Sparticus (Dec 28, 1999)

Picard said:


> How do these people pay for medical costs for injuries? They get serious hurt


Their girlfriends take care of them.


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## Picard (Apr 5, 2005)

Does anyone know how these guys pay for medical costs? 

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## *OneSpeed* (Oct 18, 2013)

This is not a topic to be celebrated. It's disappointing to see it being highlighted here like this, clickbait. @Francis Cebedo 

There were some pretty awful crashes and too many riders are getting serious injuries, career threatening injuries. The risks are not on par with the pay for these events. 

The Pinkbike blurb really sums up the carnage and puts it into perspective. It's disturbing to me that this is an acceptable level of danger. 

*"Bones at Rampage*

Injured bodies littered the Rampage site

We couldn't celebrate Brandon Semenuk's achievement at Rampage without also acknowledging the bodies that littered the same hillside at this year's event. In the run-up to finals, Brage Vestavik picked up a dislocated shoulder and humerus fractures, Carson Storch broke his collar bone and Andreu Lacondeguy also suffered undisclosed broken bones. Camz Zink also took a slam in training but opted to compete anyway with a bruised lung.

Unfortunately, the list of casualties doesn't stop there and Tom Van Steenbergen had to be transported off the hillside on a backboard with multiple injuries after a crash during his finals run including breaking his left and right hip sockets into multiple pieces, breaking a piece off the top of his femur, breaking a piece of his lower vertebrae, and separating his shoulder.

Yes, Rampage is a great show but it often comes at the cost of the bodies the world's best freeriders who sometimes find themselves on the wrong side of the risk vs reward seesaw."


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## Wheelspeed (Jan 12, 2006)

I swear one day this stuff will be classified as a mental disorder in the ability of evaluating fame vs reward. I can't imagine any of these guys would do this if no crowds or cameras were there. A neighborhood jump park is one thing for these tricks but for these guys to fly into some location, and have to start trying this stuff cold and then want to throw in some backflips is just dumb. A lot of these gap jumps look like you'd be screwed if off by 3 mph either way (too fast or too slow). That's not enough leeway for throwing in tricks also. I hope all the riders get well, but something isn't right with this sport at this point. It's like people tuning in to watch a contest of which parachutist is willing to pull their cord last. With enough crowds and tv coverage, the sponsor would get guys signing up for that contest. It's messed up.


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## slapheadmofo (Jun 9, 2006)

Wheelspeed said:


> A neighborhood jump park is one thing for these tricks but for these guys to fly into some location, and have to start trying this stuff cold and then want to throw in some backflips is just dumb. A lot of these gap jumps look like you'd be screwed if off by 3 mph either way (too fast or too slow). That's not enough leeway for throwing in tricks also



"have to start trying this stuff cold""

Not even close. They practice for years and years on an almost daily basis. Since it sounds like you don't know how Rampage works; the riders themselves design and build their own lines, and even after that, there are always some who decide not to complete. Nobody 'has to" do anything, and nobody is doing anything '"cold". 


"A neighborhood jump park is one thing for these tricks but for these guys to fly into some location"

And the winter Olympics should be held on a neighborhood pond and sledding hill. 

" then want to throw in some backflips is just dumb."

Inverted tricks are risky as hell no matter where you do them. I know kids that throw them regularly at the local jump parks and they're taking their health and lives into their hands every time, and they don't have near the experience and skill these guys do. They're not out there to trying to impress people they don't know, they're just playing a different game at a different level from most of us. Don't like it, don't watch. They're going to be going hard regardless.


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