Red Bull Rampage 2025 - the hardest crash I’ve ever seen

I'm still in shock over what happened, but I want to show you what kind of event this is...

Fourteen years ago, when I met my husband, he showed me a sport I didn’t really know existed. I mean, I was more into watching basketball, not these crazy, extreme kinds of sports. And then I saw his profile photo...him with his bike...and I thought, mmm... this looks freaking sexy! 😊

For me, biking was just something normal, like a way to go to work or those big races like Tour de France. Riding bikes on the street, that’s it.

But then he showed me that biking can be extreme, and I was totally amazed. I think we were together for three or four months when he took me to this place with huge jumps. When I saw him riding and flying through the air, I was like, maaaan, how did I never see this on TV? I had no idea something like this even existed.

He also explained how mountain biking works, and right then, I knew...this is something I want to do. It’s pure adrenaline. When I ride, I can forget everything and just enjoy the moment. Going down a hill, feeling the speed and the freedom...just wow. When I first watched the world championship, I was speechless.

He also showed me Slopestyle biking. This is a discipline where riders perform tricks on a downhill course filled with huge jumps, wooden ramps, and wall rides. I started watching every event with my husband, always nervous, hoping nobody would fall. Because honestly, when you see someone jumping from 20 meters and doing a backflip with a bike...jeah... it’s insane.

And then... I saw Red Bull Rampage event. When I first saw it, I couldn’t believe what I was watching... riders throwing themselves off cliffs in the Utah desert, flying through the air like they had wings. It wasn’t just another competition, nop...it was wild, raw, and fearless. They don’t follow any set trail, they built their own lines, their own jumps, their own paths. It is pure chaos mixed with creativity and courage. Ammm...mostly courage.

Back then, Rampage was all about surviving the ride, like steep cliffs, crazy landings, and crashes that made you stop breathing. Later, riders started adding tricks, backflips, and massive drops. They just kept pushing the limits. Every year, my husband and I sit together, cheering, gasping, sometimes closing our eyes when a rider goes for something too wild.

( Grog created this photo)

I’ve seen so many bad crashes. Most riders get up and walk away, some get airlifted to the hospital. But in 2015, I saw something I’ll never forget. Paul Basagoitia’s crash. He got paralyzed from the waist down. We thought he would never walk again. But he recovered. He will never ride the same, but he’s alive and walking. That’s unbelievable!!!

So, we waited all year for this year’s Rampage. Yesterday was the day. I was already nervous, hoping there wouldn’t be any serious crashes. I was sooo wrong. There were a few big crashes right at the start.

To be honest, my husband and I also thought some of the judging was unfair. Some runs were insane, and I was sure they’d get high scores... but no. When Emil Johansson got only 85 points, I was so pissed! I thought he deserved at least 92!

Then, during the second runs, you could see riders taking more risks because they wanted higher scores. I knew this could end bad.

I’ve met some of the riders, like Simon Godziek, and I’m such a big fan of his. He’s amazing, fearless... and crazy in the best way. But then he crashed. Hard. I was in shock, 100% sure he broke every bone in his body. But he stood up, face covered in mud and blood, like nothing happened. I couldn’t believe it. Are you a freaking robot?!

I thought that was the worst crash of the day. I was so wrong again.

Then came Adolf Silva. His first run didn’t count because, well… he lost his pants mid-air and showed his butt to the world 😅. But in his second run, he went for a double backflip drop. We all saw it coming ...he didn’t rotate enough. Me and my husband started screaming “no, no, no!” The commentators were yelling too. And then… he crashed. So hard. Everything went silent.

He wasn’t moving. The commentators stopped talking. It was terrifying. I just sat there, with open mouth. They flew him to the hospital by helicopter. We didn’t know if he was alive. The event continued, but I couldn’t focus anymore. A while later they reported that he was conscious. Nothing else.

Then it was Emil’s second run. He was clearly angry about his score and went for something huge. But he crashed too...right off a cliff. Somehow, he managed to grab onto something, otherwise, he would have fallen all the way down. The rescue team struggled to reach him, but thankfully, he was okay. Later, he posted on Instagram that he dislocated his hip. I mean, after a crash like that, most of us wouldn’t survive.

These riders are unbelievable. They fall from the sky, crash, break bones, and months later, they’re back on their bikes. That’s not just skill...that’s heart, passion, and love for what they do.

That’s why I respect them so much. This sport deserves more recognition and definitely bigger prizes. They risk their lives, yes, they choose to do it, but still. They deserve more appreciation.

It's just... we have a friend who crashed a few years ago, and he is now paralyzed from the neck down. He will never be able to walk again, and that's why I'm so in shock right now, because I know how extreme the consequences can be.

We took this photo while biking on Madeira, all wearing shirts we bought to raise money for his recovery. I also posted an article then about his crash… Stay strong, Dušan!

Right now, there’s still no news about Adolf Silva. We can only hope for the best. My thoughts are with him and his family.

I’ll leave the link to the crashes below...but honestly, I don’t recommend watching them. They’re really hard to see.

With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️