The Dust is Settling at Red Bull Formation
Riders digging lines in Virgin, UT. Photo Red Bull // Re Wikstrom
Across the stacked cliffs and canyons of Virgin, UT, clouds of red dust rise as crews of women sculpt the landscape with shovels and picks. It’s day three of Red Bull Formation, a week-long event focused on the progression of women’s freeride mountain biking. These tool-wielding women represent the most exciting and innovative mountain bikers of the times. The terrain is consequential– full of exposed ridges, cliff drops, and big jumps. These are the grounds for Formation where eight invited riders– Hannah Bergemann, Camila Nogueira, Casey Brown, Chelsea Kimball, Jess Blewitt, Sam Soriano, Vaea Verbeeck, and Vinny Armstrong– are designing and digging the lines they plan to ride in the coming days.
Freeride mountain biking combines elements from downhill riding, jumps, and BMX resulting in infinite possibilities of self-expression on the bike. In Hannah Bergemann’s words, “Freeriding is awesome because it just lends itself to so much creativity. The whole process of building a feature, scouting the terrain, bringing it to life, and then getting to ride it for the first time is such a cool experience.”
Hannah Bergemann digging with friend and professional skier Brooklyn Bell and Krystin Norman. Photo by Red Bull // Catherine Aeppel
Launched in 2019, Formation was dreamt up by former professional mountain biker Katie Holden, recognizing the potential of the women’s freeride movement. She knew the talent was there, but in order to level up, women needed exposure and the opportunity to be mentored. They also needed a clear invite to ride big terrain, historically a man’s playground. Formation is not a competition, but rather an incubator of sorts. It’s a jam session that brings together top women mountain bikers to feed off each other’s energy for a week of digging and riding. The ultimate goal is to expand the idea of what’s possible for women on bikes. The prize is writing freeride history as a collective. The first Formation, did just that. “The first Formation [in 2019] provided something for women to aim for. The past 20 months have seen rapid acceleration and progression. Whether women are working towards Formation directly, or they can just see a path towards freeriding, there’s a target now.” says Holden.
The first three days of Formation are dedicated to building top-to-bottom lines. Moving earth in the sun all day is not a job for one. Each rider brings friends to assist in the dig. Many of the diggers are up-and-coming women with aspirations of freeride careers of their own. “I came with hungry eyes, because I'd love to ride here eventually. So, it's cool to put the shovel into the dirt and understand what the build process is like. “says Georgia Astle, a friend of rider Casey Brown. Digging is a rite of passage and often seen as the first step towards an official invite for an event like Formation. It’s not lost on anyone that without the extra muscle, the riders would not be able to build such progressive lines and features. Progress truly is a group effort. By pitching in, the women are creating opportunities for their peers, who are creating opportunities for future generations. Every shovel of dirt is eventually paid forward. This is exactly the epiphany that inspired Holden to create Formation in the first place.
Casey Brown and Georgia Astle building lines at Formation 2021. Photo by RedBull // Re Wikstrom
After three days the lines are nearly dialed, and they are big. “This year is full-on. Everyone has turned it up a few levels since the last Formation. All the features that are being built are pretty serious.” says Casey Brown, who was sidelined in 2019 with an injury. Most of the women will be hitting the biggest features of their careers- which in some way is the true goal of Formation. The massive lines flow down the mountainside, indicating a new era of confidence in women’s free riding. With the last heave of shovels, the riders leave their masterpieces behind for the evening, buzzing for the upcoming days when they can send it.