photo courtesy redbull.co.nz.

On December 4, the Red Bull Rock Drop will challenge 80 DH mountain bikers to race to the bottom of a gold mine in New Zealand. The Martha Mine in Waihi is 250 meters (about 800 feet) deep and features slopes up to 70 degrees. Riders will go down in groups of 4 making this essentially a 4X event, though it’s tough to compare this to any race that’s been run before.

Looking at the photos it’s easy to underestimate the scale of the mine but according to the website, trail builders were attached to fixed ropes during construction due to the steepness of the slopes. The terrain ranges from super hard slabs of quartz to soft volcanic ash so there’s bound to be a variety of conditions from top to bottom.

With $10,000 in prize money on the line there should be some pretty aggressive riding on the way down. Red Bull promises “rock drops, gap jumps, mine trucks, free ride and speed lines” and the event is open to spectators. Video preview embedded below.