Just. Mental
- Thread starter Bikeworks
- Start date
Like others, mixed feelings about the event. The level of risk feels way too high, although I don't know quite how you manage that. I guess mixing up the venues might help to reward creativity and overall riding, as opposed to the steady march of increasing the size of features each year. It's also not the most exciting live event. Half the time it seems like you're watching riders at the top waiting for the wind to die down. Almost seems like it would be better to just set aside a venue for a week, bring everyone in, and do a ton of filming as opposed to building up to the final runs.
a.s.
Mr. Chainring
Watching this event live sucks. Besides the wind delays, last year there was an hour of waiting for Kyle to get choppered off the mountain. They need to plan better and have more highlights ready from previous years. Or better yet, pre-record this one.
Wow, I have Roku and did not know this. Goodbye, work productivity!
I always found a handful of runs cool, but that was mostly the guys who really looked like they were linking the whole run with speed, aggression, and interesting use of the terrain. That tends to be guys like Gee, Brendan, Andreu, probably a few others that I'm forgetting. Backflips are fine and all, but now that you have guys on snowmobiles doing double backflips, maybe a lot of the tricks are a little played out?
Gene
The Dancing Machine
It is my go to when on the hamster bike wheel in the basement.
You need one of them hats
Ian F
Well-Known Member
The event is definitely insane and the features need to be beyond huge to have impact on TV. Let's face it - any features any of us are likely to ride look like riding off a curb on TV. They are trying to appeal to non-riders who would have trouble grasping the size of "mere mortal" drops and jumps.
Gee posted on IG about his injuries. Fractured vertebrates and skull... JFC... The man just must not feel pain anymore...
While I'm bummed about not being able to watch it easily as in years past (except last year as well), I'll be driving all day so it doesn't really matter. Even if it was on normal, non-geo-restricted RedBullTV, I'd still be watching a replay. Who knows if ESPN+ will get the viewer numbers they are hoping for to justify the money they paid to do the US broadcast. Anyone know how many years ESPN signed for?
What's really shitty is how little the riders receive for doing this event. Olly Wilkens (one of Brendan Fairclough's diggers and UK influencer/rider) mentioned on a podcast how each rider gets a budget of $10K USD for all expenses: travel, hotel, transportation, tools, food, etc... which for European riders doesn't even come close to what is needed. While the overall prize purse isn't terrible at somewhere around $200K, I was not able to find how the prizes are distributed down the results sheet.
Gee posted on IG about his injuries. Fractured vertebrates and skull... JFC... The man just must not feel pain anymore...
While I'm bummed about not being able to watch it easily as in years past (except last year as well), I'll be driving all day so it doesn't really matter. Even if it was on normal, non-geo-restricted RedBullTV, I'd still be watching a replay. Who knows if ESPN+ will get the viewer numbers they are hoping for to justify the money they paid to do the US broadcast. Anyone know how many years ESPN signed for?
What's really shitty is how little the riders receive for doing this event. Olly Wilkens (one of Brendan Fairclough's diggers and UK influencer/rider) mentioned on a podcast how each rider gets a budget of $10K USD for all expenses: travel, hotel, transportation, tools, food, etc... which for European riders doesn't even come close to what is needed. While the overall prize purse isn't terrible at somewhere around $200K, I was not able to find how the prizes are distributed down the results sheet.
bergsnj
Well-Known Member
each rider has youtube channels and social media that they make money from and sell their merchandise on. This event gives them a ton of content and exposure to sell their stuff. Also gives their sponsors content and exposure. I'm sure the sponsors help pay for all of the expenses that the rider and dig crew have in most cases.
Ian F
Well-Known Member
Depends a lot on how each rider's sponsorship contract is negotiated and that is basically unique to each rider. From the podcasts I've watched/listened to Brendog is savvier than most (he doesn't have a manager and has worked out his entire "free-racer" program himself) and probably does have funding for his Rampage appearance negotiated. Some riders, like Bienvenido Aguado, are part of a team (YT Mob) so it's possible his expenses are paid for by the team.
Having some knowledge of how many subscribers most of these riders have the revenue from YouTube Ad Sense for an entire year might pay for a couple of tanks of gas. It's really convoluted and cannot be counted on as a consistent revenue stream. Suffice to say if you want to help support your favorite riders, subscribe to their channels. It really does make a difference.
We want to believe these guys are making a ton of money as riders and while a few are doing well, most are just getting by.
bergsnj
Well-Known Member
Any youtube channel with more than 100,000 subs makes their living off merch sales. That goes for any genre of youtube. Plus they have patreon and the like where fans pay for additional content or whatever. The actual youtube revenue is nothing. These guys all sell t-shirts and stickers and make a nice living.
I believe you can't get to the level of being invited to rampage without a massive sponsorship with the bike company that you ride. Little guys like dylan stark who was snubbed by rampage this year are sponsored and I'm sure would have had expenses paid by YT if he made it in.
a.s.
Mr. Chainring
Captain Brainstorm
Well-Known Member
But this is true for just about every professional sport, from MTB, to baseball, to golf. All you ever hear about are the super stars. You don't ever hear about some of the guys on the PGA tour living out of their cars, or the ball player making the league minimum.
I guess the difference would be that the league minimum for MLB is $720k, which there might be a handful of MTB guys making, but certainly not many. Obviously a different story for minor leagues, but I think we're probably talking about the top level athletes in a given sport. PGA, no idea. Seems like there are a lot of very well compensated golfers, but I'm sure there are people living out of their cars.
There's always the debate about value and viewership and interest in the sport impacting salaries, which I totally get, but I'd still like to think it's possible for the people at Rampage or consistently racing World Cups etc that they can earn a reasonable living.
There's always the debate about value and viewership and interest in the sport impacting salaries, which I totally get, but I'd still like to think it's possible for the people at Rampage or consistently racing World Cups etc that they can earn a reasonable living.
A few years ago it was being discussed that the pay wasn't even the issue, it was the lack of health insurance or any way to pay the medical bills. Asking someone to risk injury/death for $10k in expenses where the hospital bills can get quite up there is kinda F'd.
a.s.
Mr. Chainring
Enough of this $$ talk!
I’d like to see Brendog take the win but I think Clems has more tricks and could win it. Straight needs to retire and just ride his bike. That’s basically what he’s going to do in this competition- just make it to the finish without crashing. No chance for him or Zink with these new school kids throwing insane tricks on massive hits.
I’d like to see Brendog take the win but I think Clems has more tricks and could win it. Straight needs to retire and just ride his bike. That’s basically what he’s going to do in this competition- just make it to the finish without crashing. No chance for him or Zink with these new school kids throwing insane tricks on massive hits.