2023 Red Bull Imagination: Extreme Team

After three successful years, Red Bull Imagination is back with a vengeance in 2023.

In the past, 10 riders each competed to create the best trick or biggest jump. This year’s riders were divided into teams of five people each. After being drafted by Team Mudd, captained by Robbie Madison, and Team Twitch, led by Jeremy “Twitch” Stenberg.

The teams were decided and the riders were assigned their duties, but there was much discussion before that.

The action came early. Brian McCarty, who was scheduled to compete in the Big Dawg division for Team Twitch, was hospitalized after an accident during practice. Twitch was able to take one member from Team Maddow and even out the mistakes made by the judges in the initial coin toss.

Before the competition began, Tyler Bereman focused on the atmosphere and culture his event would create. Adding his team added more competition and created stronger camaraderie among the riders. For the past few years, the riders have been practicing and having fun riding together during the week. But then they became quiet and introverted before going all out on game day.

With this simple move, Berreman returned the event to the collegial atmosphere that is the roots of freestyle bike competition.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the camaraderie that comes from all of us working together. That’s what freeriding is about,” Bereman told NBC Sports. “Biking is more or less an individual sport, but we’re trying to turn this into a team sport, and that’s what freeriding is to me. It’s a big team, it’s a family, and we all push each other. , working together to make progress.”

Changes to the schedule and competition were also announced by the riders.

“It takes a little bit of pressure off to be able to interact with everyone as if we were all together,” Vicki Golden said. “At the end of the day, this is a friendly competition and I think that makes it a little bit better for all of us.

“It keeps alive that atmosphere we’re trying to showcase here and those special moments spent outside on the hill where no one can see us riding. It captures that and Tyler It helps showcase what freeriding is truly trying to express.”

Team Twitch:
Julian VanStippen: Big Dawg, Best Whip
Guillem Navas: Best Whip
Christian Dresser: Best Whip
Josh Hill: speed and style
Vicky Golden: Creative Line

mad team:
Patrick Evans: Style + Speed, Best Whip
Tom Person – Best Whip
Cole Denny – Creative Line
Tyler Bereman – Big Dawgs, Best Whip

Christian Pondera, Red Bull Content Pool

creative line

The competition began with Golden, one of only two riders invited to participate in every Red Bull Imagination event, taking the Creative Line course.the subject of 805’s latest movie “Inverted Perspective” I quickly tried out a new course that was being built. With jump options around every corner, she had to find lines that fans and other competitors weren’t expecting.

“On a course that’s already outside the box, you have to think outside the box,” Golden told NBC Sports. “It’s difficult, and that’s what motivates me and pushes me to be creative and try to figure things out.”

When Golden hit the course, she immediately took advantage of tree jumping. It’s the only trait that has stood the test of time for her. Golden throws her whip multiple times and manages to jump over a tree and grab Superman’s seat.

Her competitor, Cole Denny, surprised the team by finding a line that had not been ridden in the days leading up to the competition.

Just the day before, he had built a new ramp to the top of the shipping container. Other riders chose to shoot through obstacles to achieve giant airs. Cole’s jump landed him on top of a shipping container, setting him up for another brand new line. Unfortunately, Cole fell on the final jump of the run, and Golden’s big whip and seat grab propelled her to Team Twitch’s first win.

Chris Tedesco, Red Bull Content Pool

speed and style

The next matchup was between Red Bull Imagination rookie Patrick Evans and supermotocross rider Justin Hill.

Evans and Hill received the most shout-outs in the days leading up to the contest. This friendly shade is offered as part of the ‘Speed ​​and Style’ category of fabrics. Riders had to show speed first before the judges decided who had the best trick. Evans took to the track first and successfully completed his first competitive dirt backflip. He had just learned this skill and started practicing it earlier in the week.

“When you come out of here, there’s no ramp. It’s all dirt,” Evans told NBC Sports the day after completing his first dirt backflip. “The first time I had to do a dirt backflip in practice, I failed.”

In supercross, Hill is known for his fast, powerful runs that require delicate techniques in the confined spaces of stadiums, and that’s exactly what Hill did in the sandboxes of Kansas. But Hill’s speed and strength weren’t enough to separate the judges from Evans’ peppy, style-filled run.

Evans also won Best Whip, making him the only two-time individual winner at this year’s event.

Christian Pondera, Red Bull Content Pool

big dawg

It was always clear that Bereman would be sent to the Big Dawg division. The realm of extremes was Berreman’s comfort zone, and this section of the track was the scariest for most novice riders.

Before leaving for the track, Bereman’s friend and rival Golden explained why it was important for him to be the leader in this event.

“He’s the internal guinea pig,” Golden said. “He makes it a little bit easier for us. I know, and I speak for the feelings of a lot of people, that if Tyler hadn’t been trying things out for the first time here, I don’t think we’ve jumped this much.

“It’s cool to see him doing what he’s supposed to do. I mean, he has the most incredible timing on the bike that we’ve all ever seen. ”

Julian Vanstippen joined Berreman after surprising the team captain on the first day of practice. In fact, Twitch used his steal to secure the French rider.

Both riders appeared in the arena and focused on the event’s biggest features: shipping containers and fast house roofs. Both had the speed and momentum to throw jumps over 180 feet.

Van Stieppen completed an Indian air and a double grab and threw two competition jumps over the container.

Bereman followed his rival and found the air from a big jump that had yet to be attempted in the middle of the course. After successfully making his first jump, Bereman took the opportunity to stir up the crowd before heading to the container chute and flying over the roof of the Fast House while performing a knak-nak. This extreme trick, made famous by supercross rider Jeremy McGrath, requires the rider to swing one leg behind the bike and return it to its original position before landing.

Kyle Lieberman, Red Bull Content Pool Manager

team jam

Team Twitch won the title of Best Synchronized Effort for their 3-minute Team Jam.

Golden, who won the only individual event, will be added to the team.

Team Maddow won Big Dawg, Speed, Style, and Best Whip after a day of intense competition.