Press Release

Historic crowds, historic city, legendary event

The greatest mountain bike happening of the year will be going down, as the fifth edition of Red Bull District Ride showcases the best talents and biggest tricks in Nuremberg on September 1-2. The gnarliest urban slopestyle event hopes to break the spectator record which lies at 70,000 and the old town of the German city will set the stage for trick combinations, which have never been seen before. The legendary event has become one of the most iconic in the world of mountain biking and went through a sensational development since the premiere in 2005.

Red Bull District Ride Big Air District, 2014

Back in 2005 the simplest Tailwhip was enough to wow the crowd and judges; nowadays the athletes would get nowhere near the start tower of any FMB Diamond Event with tricks like that. Today, Tsunami-Backflips, Triple-Tailwhips and Twisters decide who becomes the king of the court. Back then, you  would come across names of mountain bike pros, which you would never associate with slopestyle contests today. Gee Atherton and Cedric Gracia are two examples. It would be unthinkable to see downhill aces like Aaron Gwin, Danny Hart or Greg Minnaar standing at the top of the historic Kaiserburg and going through the motions before dropping in. The trick level has reached new heights and only specialists are able to dial up the big tricks needed in order to have a chance at competing for the title.

Gee Atherton sending it at the urban slopestyle contest Red Bull District Ride in 2006

Three icons of the sport, who are closely associated with the past and present of Red Bull District Ride give their account on the development of slopestyle and the event that will be returning to the heart of the 950-year-old city: Cam McCaul, Aaron Chase, and Tarek Rasouli.

Cam McCaul celebrating his 2006 win at Red Bull District Ride

Cam McCaul is the voice of slopestyle during LIVE broadcasts on Red Bull TV. The 31-year-old American belongs to the Freeride Hall of Fame and won Red Bull District Ride back in 2006. All the action from the finals will be available on Red Bull TV on September 2 with his commentary.

„It was an exciting win at Red Bull District Ride back in 2006. My winning run in 2006 wouldn’t even evoke a chirp out of the crowd these days and the judges would fall asleep! It’s insane how much the sport has progressed in the last 11 years. Slopestyle was still a bit of a cooking experiment back then and riders from all different backgrounds were sprinkling their spices on the recipe. Now in 2017, the sport is so clearly defined that the athletes who compete at the top level are specialists in this competitive form. Having a legitimate World Tour is a dream come true for the sport. I can’t wait to get to Nuremberg in September. There’s nothing like watching mountain bikes fly off of an ancient castle!“

Aaron Chase back in 2006 at Red Bull District Ride

Aaron Chase wrote history in 2005 when he became the first athlete to win Red Bull District Ride. Since then he has been as a course designer for the track that meanders through the old town of Nuremberg and can also look back on years of judging experience.

“Winning Red Bull District Ride was a total surprise and a dream come true all at the same time. All the riders were close friends and every event was a time to live life at the max. Definitely great memories! Course design back in the day might have been a one-man job, but these days the course layout will be looked over by many professionals to make sure it will be the best. Over the years slopestyle has become all about big jumps and big tricks. Most courses are not as diverse as Red Bull District Ride; I hope to see some real fun and exciting features on this years course. Bigger tricks don't make it tougher to judge, more riders are pushing the sport and landing their tricks and that's what makes it tougher to whittle down. I think it's important to have different districts and this means the judges can individually focus on each section of the track. I'm so stoked to see the course, the crew and the show! See you all there!”

 

Tarek Rasouli at Red Bull District Ride 2005

Tarek Rasouli, the mastermind behind Red Bull District Ride, has been involved in the organization of the event since day one. Although an accident shortened his professional mountain bike career, the former freeride pro never lost the love for the sport of mountain biking.

“I can still vividly remember how, on a Friday night, I sat on my quad during the Best Trick Session on the Sebalder Platz during the first-ever Red Bull District Ride in 2005. I shed a few tears observing the atmosphere in the crowd and the action that went down - a baby was born and I was a part of it. I had never experienced something like that before. Back then there was a crowd of 40,000 people, by the last edition that number had grown to 70,000 and there will definitely be even more this time around. It will be fascinating to see how the Top 16 in the FMB World Ranking and the four wildcards attack this sensational course. I am very excited for the 5th edition of Red Bull District Ride in Nuremberg and the final of the FMB Diamond Series.”

All the action from the FMB Diamond Series is broadcasted LIVE on www.redbull.tv. Get the latest on everything bike-related at the Red Bull Bike Channel: redbull.tv/bike & www.redbull.com/bike

Red Bull TV is distributed digitally at www.redbull.tv and as an app across mobile phones, tablets, consoles, OTT devices and Smart TVs.

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