This blog is a bit different from our normal Hiplok Rider Blogs – in that our Hiplok Rider Ben Deakin isn’t actually riding! With The Deakinator at Red Bull Rampage, and Hiplok Co-Founder Ben being a huge mountain bike fan and having attended the event previously, we thought we should give you the lowdown so you’re ready for Rampage! Here’s a message from Hiplok Co-Founder Ben about what makes the event so special; Today (or tonight depending on your timezone) the 2018 Red Bull Rampage will be taking place. ‘Rampage’ is the premier event in the Freeride Mountain Biking calendar and is quite unlike anything else you will see involving bicycles. Having been to the event myself, I can vouch for just how incredibly mind blowing it is. More akin to Extreme Freeride Skiing, the danger level and skills required for this event are off the chart and as such there are only a small number of mountain bikers worldwide ( 21 in total ) that are invited, and qualified, to attend. The unique combination of soil type and steep terrain at Rampage’s location (Virgin, Utah – USA) allows riders to push the limits of their bodies, their bikes and, it seems at times, the laws of gravity. Riders are scored on a combination of factors including how technical their run is, the complexity of their tricks, and the speed and style in which they execute them.
Riders each build there own course down the mountain, which allows them to express their style of riding and decide just how far to push the envelope. However, building your own track down an incredibly steep desert landscape, in the blazing heat, is a massive challenge in itself. In order to get the job done each competitor is allowed a ‘build team’ to help them construct their run and this ‘team’ is normally comprised of the competitors best friends, who are usually gifted professional riders themselves. One such rider is Ben Deakin (AKA the Deakinator), who is part of Brendan Fairclough’s build team alongside another of his best mates, Olly Wilkins. If you follow any of these guys across social media you’ll know that they are akin to a comedy version of the Three Musketeer – absolutely loving life riding their bikes around the world. As a Hiplok brand ambassador Ben takes his Hiplok products around the world using them to protect his gear on his travels. We’re really proud to see these guys using our products and making sure they keep their bikes and equipment secure – it also is awesome to see the Hiplok logo out in the desert, cheers Ben! If you have access to RedBull TV you’ll be able to watch Rampage 2018 go down live tonight. If you miss it we’ll have a round up for you next week. You can learn more at: https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/red-bull-rampage-2018-event-announcement Happy Riding! Ben Smith Hiplok Co Founder.