Part-time Queenstowner mountain biker Robin Goomes has just made history, again.
Goomes, 30, last week became the first rider in Red Bull Rampage history to win three titles in a row, leading an all-star women’s podium following a second run of 93.50 — up from her first run score of 90.62 — with Hannah Bergmann (US) in second, just 0.75 points behind, and Kirsten Van Horne (Canada) in third (86.50) in Utah, in the United States.
This year’s women’s competition marked the 25th anniversary of Red Bull Rampage, returning to the original venue near Virgin, where the event began in 2011.
For the first time, men and women dropped from the same start gate on the tallest venue yet, with more than 200 metres of vertical descent across 36ha of terrain.
Goomes’ historic three-peat was secured with a second run that included a flat spin 360, a backflip off a massive step-down, and a backflip cancan near the bottom, capping a performance that stunned the crowd.
In New Zealand, she built a training compound to perfect a backflip step-down to muscle memory, but in a surprise twist she aced a flat spin 360 on her upper jump — a first for the women’s field.
“Winning once was something I never thought I could accomplish,” she says, “so winning this third title is a dream.”
“All I knew this year is that if I wanted to do it again, I’d have to push harder than I’ve ever done and be better than I have previously.
“So that was the goal coming in — just work hard for it.
“I’m stoked to take this trophy back to New Zealand.
“It’s been hasn’t been easy.
“I worked really hard for it, and I wanted it more than ever.”
For her efforts, Goomes also won ‘best trick’ for her flat spin 360, and the ‘people’s choice award’.
Queenstowner Vinny Armstrong finished in fourth place overall, with both of her runs scoring 82.75, while she also took home the ‘best style award’.
Queenstowners were also hard at work behind the scenes — Emmerson Wilken and Ronnie Burke were part of Goomes’ dig crew, having also done that job for her other two victories, while fellow Queenstown trail builder Matt Begg dug the Talus Turk for the men’s competition, which was ultimately cancelled due to weather.
tracey.roxburgh@scene.co.nz