{"id":139576,"date":"2025-09-12T22:06:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-12T22:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/139576\/"},"modified":"2025-09-12T22:06:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-12T22:06:09","slug":"hayden-zablotny-earns-a-spot-at-red-bull-rampage-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/139576\/","title":{"rendered":"Hayden Zablotny earns a spot at Red Bull Rampage 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

goodHayden Zablotny has spent the last two years digging at Rampage, working the shovel behind the scenes for pros like Talus Turk and Ethan Nell. This fall, he\u2019ll finally get to ride his own line.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got an email from the organizer,\u201d Zablotny says. \u201cOfficially invited.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a major milestone for the 22-year-old from Kamloops, B.C., who grew up racing BMX and downhill before shifting focus to freeride. While he\u2019s quick to point out how excited he is, the calm confidence is clear in his voice. He\u2019s been building to this moment for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been on my sights for a while, ever since I was back downhill racing,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

From local roots to the world stage<\/p>\n

Zablotny started racing BMX at age five. It\u2019s worth mentioning his father is Canadian BMX Hall of Famer Pete Zablotny<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI raced from when I was 5 to when I was 12 years old, so that was like my foundation,\u201d he says. \u201cResults were good. I won a lot of local races. Provincially, I was usually in the top two.\u201d<\/p>\n

From there he moved into downhill, then slopestyle, then a self-made path toward freeride. After COVID cancelled races, he pivoted, entering Tom van Steenbergen\u2019s slopestyle event at Big White.<\/p>\n

\u201cI set a goal for myself to learn to flip for the event. I accomplished it, and that\u2019s when the fire for the freeride stuff really, really took off.\u201d<\/p>\n

That passion led to years of progression. Indoor training at The Air Rec Center, airbag sessions, big bike events like Freeride Fiesta, Todo O Nada in Chile and Zink Invitational. He won the World Whip-Off title in 2024 and followed it up with a second place in 2025.<\/p>\n

Now he\u2019s building features at home to mimic what he\u2019ll ride in Utah.<\/p>\n

\u201cPretty much just building a drop that\u2019s gonna be like similar size to the one on my line,\u201d he says. \u201cJust to practice on and be comfy for when I\u2019m there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>David Nogales photo.
\nRiding with intent<\/p>\n

Rampage isn\u2019t just another contest. It\u2019s the biggest event in freeride mountain biking. Riders build their own lines down exposed ridgelines with no margin for error. Some dream of it. Some fear it. Zablotny\u2019s mindset is clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just gonna try my best to keep it fun and just have fun with it,\u201d he says. \u201cKeep a smile on my face and stick to what I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

He already has a line in mind at Site 4, the venue for 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I got a pretty good idea of the line I wanna choose\u2026 then when I get there it\u2019ll just be like confirming that and picking out other little things.\u201d<\/p>\n

He also has tricks in mind for features he already knows.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust trying to get some practice on similar features here at home and then take it to the desert.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The Ord Road gap reimagined. Dylan Sherrard photo.
\nThe long whip to Rampage<\/p>\n

Zablotny is one of just two Canadians confirmed for Rampage 2025 alongside Tom van Steenbergen. He rides for Rocky Mountain Bikes and is supported by Troy Lee Designs, Shimano, Marzocchi, Race Face, Title, RNDM goggles and Sun Country Cycle.<\/p>\n

While he isn\u2019t on a full salary yet, he\u2019s close.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would say I am a full-time freerider,\u201d he says. \u201cI do a bit of side work here and there\u2026 but I\u2019m pretty much there.\u201d<\/p>\n

After three years applying, this will be his first Rampage appearance. His advice for throwing his trademark whip?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve honestly just been doing whips for so long that it\u2019s become natural. I don\u2019t have to second guess when I go off the lip. I\u2019m not thinking really. I\u2019m just doing a whip.\u201d<\/p>\n

That instinct, and a whole lot of practice, is about to land him on the biggest stage of his life.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just super excited,\u201d he says. \u201cThat\u2019s all I gotta say.\u201d<\/p>\n

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