1. Event Dates

2. New and Old Favorites Competing

3. New Qualifier Competition

4. First Woman to Possibly Compete at Rampage 2019

5. There will be Redemption

Nicholi Rogatgin

Reece Wallace

Antoine Bizet

Brett Rheeder - Red Bull Rampage 2017 - Photo by Olezeski Photography

Antoine Bizet - Red Bull Rampage 2017 - Photo by Olezeski Photography

Red Bull Rampage 2018 Practice - Photo by Olezeski Photography

Logan Binggeli - Red Bull Rampage 2017 - Photo by Olezeski Photography

Vinny T - Red Bull Rampge 2018 - Photo by Olezeski Photography

Brett Rheeder - Red Bull Rampage 2018 - Photo by John Whittington

With two of three Red Bull Crankworx World Tour events in the books, fans in North America have been champing at the bit to get a taste of the action. With Crankworx Whistler a month and a half away and Rampage in October, you have plenty of time to prepare yourself for what will be a truly remarkable event. Without further adieu, here are 5 things you should know about Red Bull Rampage 2019:Mark your calendars boys and girls as Friday Oct. 25th is the official date. Limited tickets will go on sale July 15th and hotels fill up fast, so if you want a real bed and a shower, make your reservations now. There will likely be limited camping near the venue as in previous years, so keep an eye on redbull.com/rampage for updates.The top 10 finishers from 2018 have pre-qualified for the event:Brett Rheeder (CAN)Andreu Lacondeguy (SPA)Ethan Nell (USA)Tom van Steenbergen (CAN)Thomas Genon (BEL)Tyler McCaul (USA)Kyle Strait (USA)Szymon Godziek (POL)Kurt Sorge (CAN)Brendan Fairclough (UK)With wildcard announcement on August 8th, a number of new and old favorites will be looking to make the roster as well.Christmas came early this year as we will have not one, but TWO premier freeride events in 2019. The inaugural Marzocchi Proving Grounds qualifier (presented by 5.10) will occur September 7th and 8th at Oregon Dirt park near Bend, OR. This event will open the door for both rookie and seasoned pros to compete for a coveted spot at this year’s Rampage. No doubt the stoke will be next-level as new and familiar faces try new tricks and put everything on the line to get an invite to Utah in the fall. Top prospects that plan to compete include Antoine Bizet, Nicholi Rogatkin, Louis Reboul, Reece Wallace, Conor Macfarlane, Sam Reynolds, Tomas Lemoine, Jordie Lunn, DJ Brandt, Jaxson Riddle, William Robert and Casey Brown.There will be a number of the top pros also in attendance: Cam McCaul, Cam Zink, Kurt Sorge, Kyle Strait, Nico Vink, Ryan “R-dog” Howard, Tyler McCaul, and others.Casey Brown (CAN) is no stranger to big air and speed. With more enduro wins than you can count on both hands, her strategic retirement from EWS in 2018 has allowed her to focus on her one true love - freeriding. As a 2x Queen of Crankworx and 5x Whip-Off World Champion, Casey may be the first woman in the history of the event to compete in Rampage!Everyone competing has battled through injuries, often severe, in previous years and will give their all both at the Marzocchi Proving Grounds qualifier and Red Bull Rampage. Here are a few notable athletes competing in Oregon who will be looking to earn a spot in the desert:– Nicholi had a rough go at two Red Bull Crankworx slopestyle events this year with a 9th place finish at Rotorua and 14th at Innsbruck, the latter as a result from a brutal crash on his second run. As the Triple Crown of Crankworx Slopestyle Winner in 2018, Nicholi will no doubt be looking for redemption in Utah this fall, his first Rampage since 2015. Nicholi’s infamous 2015 Rampage crash and subsequent tumble off a 30 foot cliff, still makes MTB highlight reels and is one the gnarliest crashes captured on camera.- Based on comments regarding Rampage 2018’s wildcard selection (which didn’t include Reece), one thing is abundantly clear, the fans are pissed and they want to see him at Rampage. If you’ve never seen Reece ride, a quick YouTube search will return some of the sickest and smoothest freeride cuts on the interwebs. Unfortunately, Reece’s road hasn’t been as soft as north shore loam as he fractured two vertebrae in 2018. Fortunately, Reece is now stronger than ever and ready to compete.- In 2017, Antoine threw one of the biggest and gutsiest moves in Rampage history (massive double backflip). Ultimately, the contest ended with Antoine in 12th place and many felt he was robbed. It’s tough to know why judges score the way they do, but fans spoke and selected Antoine as their People’s Choice winner of the event. Antoine didn’t compete in Ramage 2018, reportedly due to an ankle injury, but will be looking to make a return at the Proving Grounds and Rampage 2019.