Let’s be trustworthy. Gee Atherton’s crash on the Knife Edge was dangerous sufficient to make nearly anybody take into consideration hanging it up. However as soon as once more, Gee Atherton is proving he’s not simply anyone. Not solely has Gee come again from an especially bodily traumatic occasion, Ridgeline IV proves that Gee’s psychological sport is again as properly.
Gee Atherton at Pink Bull Rampage
Filming is one factor, however it’s additionally been introduced that Gee may also be competing on the seventeenth Version of the Pink Bull Rampage. Gee scored a Wildcard Invite to exchange Brandon Semenuk who gained’t be capable to attend resulting from scheduling conflicts. This yr’s occasion returns to the 2022 website simply exterior Virgin, Utah. This is similar spot that hosted the occasion from 2008 to 2013, and the placement of Zink’s 360 off the Oakley Icon Sender in 2010, and Kelly McGarry’s unbelievable backflip over the 72-foot street hole in 2013.
Questioning the best way to watch the 2023 Pink Bull Rampage? Viewers exterior of the U.S. will be capable to catch all of the motion on Pink Bull TV. For us right here within the States, we’ll must catch it on ESPN+.
2023 Pink Bull Rampage Athletes
Pre-qualified athletes:
- Szymon Godziek (POL)
- Reed Boggs (USA)
- Thomas Genon (BEL)
- Carson Storch (USA)
Wildcard invitations:
- Adolf Silva (SPA)
- Alex Volokhov (CAN)
- Bienvenido Aguado Alba (SPA)
- Brendan Fairclough (GBR)
- Cam Zink (USA)
- Clemens Kaudela (AUT)
- DJ Brandt (USA)
- Emil Johansson (SWE)
- Jaxson Riddle (USA)
- Kurt Sorge (CAN)
- Kyle Strait (USA)
- Talus Turk (USA)
- Tom Van Steenbergen (USA)
- Gee Atherton (UK)
From Atherton Racing:
Gee Atherton releases the most recent spectacular edit within the Ridgeline Sequence
“For the reason that first hour of the primary construct for the unique Ridgeline movie it’s been the dream to take this idea to probably the most superb locations world wide. The potential to seek out superior, distant mountain ranges the place we will take a look at ourselves to the restrict…to essentially discover what’s attainable on a motorcycle and the best way to movie probably the most gorgeous footage … it’s been like a operating commentary all through your entire venture” Gee Atherton
This movie differs from its predecessors in that the crew “didn’t transfer a rock”. It was about exploring with buddies, an journey into the mountains, the place Gee would experience no matter they discovered, together with a number of the most unforgiving terrain of the sequence up to now. And there’s pedalling, even when it’s at racing velocity and inches from a ravine …
Work began again in June with a website recce the place it rapidly grew to become obvious to the crew that they had been “out mountained”. There was no option to shortcut lengthy hikes up the mountain which will or could not result in discovering a cool little part of singletrack with the sort of surrounding facet that may make for an ideal shot. Lengthy days in knee-deep snow had been adopted by nights poring over IGM maps and attempting to slot in as a lot sleep and gas as attainable earlier than one other daybreak rendez-vous…
Filming came about this August in noticeably much less hostile climate circumstances, however entry to driving spots concerned four-hour hikes, roped climbs, ladders and abseils. The crew had been burdened with digital camera gear, drones, meals provides and Gee’s bike, damaged down to border, bars and wheels so as to share the load. It was bodily and mentally probably the most demanding week of the sequence up to now, the place a way of journey and real concern for their very own survival drove the crew onwards seeking a number of the most unbelievable scenes they’ve ever filmed.
Gee stated that from the beginning he knew that he’d movie this edit on board the Atherton AM.170, “It’s powerful sufficient to face up to being bounced off cliff partitions as it’s hauled up a cliff on a rope, lighter to hike up the mountain than my DH bike, it pedals super-well and is “sufficient bike” to deal with each inch of the steep and rocky terrain.”
He was accompanied by “proper hand man” Jamie Robertson and photographer Dan Griffiths ( Moonhead Media) who’ve each been with the venture from the start however in such perilous terrain in addition they concerned Brodie Hood a excessive altitude and journey specialist. Brodie is among the few filmers to fly drones to the highest of Everest, an skilled climber and member of the Lochaber Mountain rescue crew.
Weirdly probably the most tough features for the crew to handle was that all through the lengthy days on the mountain they began to develop into numb to the publicity and to lose that “life-preserving worry” On day considered one of filming Gee would inch his approach alongside an super-exposed monitor however by day three he was sprinting as if there wasn’t an 800 foot drop simply inches to his left. Brodie and his fellow digital camera man Matt McCormick from Paddy Graham’s “Legs of Metal” Manufacturing crew introduced a deep data of the mountains that stored the crew on the straight and slender.
As Gee put it “Having Brodie with us stored us alive! However it additionally meant that lets say sure to issues that we wouldn’t have tackled alone… There’s a sequence on the finish of the movie the place I experience down a ridge at sundown – it’s completely gorgeous, however it was so steep and uncovered and the potential penalties had been big. Dan and Jamie had each been with me for the “Knife Edge” filming and its aftermath so I may see that they had been actually torn about encouraging me to work close to the sting of the cliff, however Brodie devised a harness system that meant that I may practise controlling my velocity whereas he let loose the strain till I received comfy. The part of the movie the place I’m driving the slowest, selecting my approach down the ridge was really probably the most demanding of all.
Gee summed up the journey by saying “Going to locations which might be greater than us, the place we’ve got to carry out at our very best is at all times cool – I feel we’ve proven the potential to take this venture international and I already can’t await what’s subsequent.”
In affiliation with Atherton Bikes, Pink Bull, FSA, and Prologo.
