In october 2013 I visited the famous Red Bull Rampage for the first time. My expectations were high as Rampage is the most prestigious event in freeride mountain biking. The event takes place fairly regularly in Virgin, Utah. One of the most iconic stunts there is the infamous Canyon Gap jump, a 73 foot gap jump over a washed out canyon at the side of the mountain. Clearing the jump successfully is already a tremendous feat, let alone pulling any tricks on it.

In 2013, rumors were flying around that New Zealand's Kelly McGarry was thinking about pulling a backflip - the very first backflip on that jump in Rampage history and at the same time the longest backflip ever performed on a mountain bike.

During practice and qualification, Kelly kept to straight-airing the jump, which looked impressive enough already...

 

 

On finals day, Kelly was the last rider to drop into his run and you could see all the event spectators, filmers and photographers assemble by the canyon gap - was it time for some Rampage history? The day had already seen some unbelievable action - for example the highest backflip ever performed on a drop by Cameron Zink - but there was one trick that hadn't been thrown yet and which everyone longed for.

Finally, Kelly dropped in, made his way down the mountain ridges and after a short while he appeared at the inrun to the Canyon Gap. The speed which is neccessary for clearing the gap is outrageous, and I guess everyone held their breath when Kelly raced down the mountain side and approached the ramp in high speed. What happened next was one of the most iconic moves in Rampage and, in general, in freeride mountain bike history, as Kelly successfully pulled a giant backflip straight into the history books... 

 

 

I had put a lot thought into this photo beforehand - what would be the optimal angle for a flip, from where could you see the meters leading up to the ramp, the jump as well as the landing perfectly and was it also possible to show the rider ride away after landing..? Eventually, I positioned myself on a small rock that gave me the possibility to have a perfect overview over the canyon, including the spectators on the other side of the valley and all the photographers who chose an angle from down below.

I'm very happy with the resulting shot and I also hope you liked this little behind the shot story ;)

 

If you want to experience this stunt as good as first hand: check out the GoPro video of Kelly's run here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x76VEPXYaI0 ... 

 

Cheers!