Robin Goomes, Georgia Astle and Casey Brown wrote themselves into the history books by reaching the podium at the first women's edition of Red Bull Rampage.
Whistler's Astle was a last-minute entry into this year's competition, but made the cut as an alternate. She was poised and expedient on her way down course, landing a 12.5-metre drop in between her smooth technical sections. Judges rewarded her with a score of 79.66 points, which translated ultimately into a silver medal.
Only Goomes managed to better that mark (85.00), and she can now call herself the event's inaugural female champion. The New Zealander was also recognized with the Best Trick Award.
“It hasn’t yet sunk in,” Goomes said in a press release. “It’s been such a process, so I’m trying to take it all in and enjoy it. I’m so stoked for my crew, they’ve gone so hard. If anything I’ve done it for them, the sport, and all the other riders.”
Revelstoke-based veteran Brown wouldn't be denied either, going home with bronze (77.33) after becoming the first lady to complete a top-to-bottom run in practice. Moreover, she was given the Mcgazza Spirit Award in honour of late Kiwi mountain biker Kelly McGarry.
"I'm actually over the moon," Brown said in a televised interview with Red Bull. "It's been such a long journey to get here, and to come through this finish corral and be safe and sound? I'm over the moon. Kelly was a dear friend of mine...so honestly, I'm so overwhelmed with having [my fellow riders] vote for me [to get the Mcgazza Spirit Award]."
'A very insane progression curve'
Sea to Sky fans may know Astle as a downhill and enduro racer. She's been frequently sighted across the Crankworx and Enduro World Series tours over the years, and returned to glory in July with her third straight Garbanzo DH triumph.
"I am 10 years into the sport of mountain biking, and when I first got into it, I feel like I still didn't even really know about Rampage," Astle stated on Red Bull's broadcast. "As the doorway opened up...I never really would have dreamed about going. I didn't even know if it was possible."
Astle experienced her first close brush with competitive women's freeride at Red Bull Formation in 2021, digging that venue on behalf of Brown. She competed at Formation the following year, and is transitioning out of her race era into full-time freeride.
"Now, all of the girls are building our own lines from scratch, so that's a very insane progression curve," said Astle, now 27 years old. "I think we're all so here for it. All of us ready now...it's the right timing for us to be in Rampage. I want that to continue to snowball [until] it's so normal for a girl to be dreaming to ride Rampage."
