Photos: Satchel Cronk

The 20th anniversary of Red Bull Rampage is underway in the Utah desert, and already, it’s unfolded in dramatic fashion, as wild weather threw competitors a curveball while they were digging their lines on Monday afternoon. Blue skies transformed into ominous clouds that unleashed sheets of rain onto the mesas of southern Utah, where 15 of the world’s best freeriders and their crews were diligently carving lines into the cliffs above Virgin, Utah, resulting in a weather hold that lasted until 3 p.m. on Tuesday. After they were cleared to return to the venue, riders began making up for lost time as best as possible, practicing some features while dig crews worked on other parts of their lines, in anticipation of Friday’s final. Practice continues today at the venue, which was last used for Rampage in 2016 and 2017, and the forecast is currently calling for sunny skies for the rest of the week. The big-mountain show goes down on Friday, when riders will drop into their carefully sculpted lines, and undoubtedly once again raise the collective bar for what’s possible on a bike.