Digging for Desert Dreams

There are no harsher proving grounds than the hallowed hills around Virgin, Utah that host Red Bull Rampage. Consequences are high, the learning curve is unforgiving, and the media spotlight is almost as bright as the harsh desert sun. Five Giro riders are competing this year, and right now they’re digging new lines with their crews, searching for the magic combination of features that will best showcase each rider’s speed, amplitude, and style.

Talus Turk placed 5th on his debut Rampage appearance last year. The Bellingham, WA native has been spending winters in the desert, building features and refining a deceptively loose & confident style are the envy of riders ten years his senior. Last year, he dropped his chain on his first run, forcing him to only score points from run #2. No problems: he smoothly banged moves off his massive line, and added a one-foot can to a huge backflip, even though it was a trick he’d just learned barely a few weeks earlier.

Carson Storch - Storch debuted in 2014 and has since recorded a decade of stellar results to his name. Last year he stomped back-to-back flat drop 360’s to secure 3rd place, making him a favorite for this edition.

Reed Boggs - Boggs’ building team of Caleb Holonko and Alan Mandel won Best Digger Award last year with features including a “lily pad” Boggs dropped barspins off.

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Adolf Silva - The Spanish rider has something to prove in 2024 after crashes (including on a double backflip) marred both his runs in 2023. The former winner of Rampage People’s Choice Award is once again going huge – his line features a 95-foot drop.

Kurt Sorge - At 36, Sorge is one of the elder statesmen of freeride. His first Rampage victory was over a decade ago and his winning runs in 2015 and 2017 are legendary. Sorge is not slowing down: he was on the podium as recently as 2021, and his just released “Dirt Surfin’: Vol. 1” video shot at home in the backcountry of British Columbia showcases the longtime Giro athlete sending massive hits with timeless style. Could this be the year for win #4 to tie the record?