EVENT: REDBULL DOWNMALL 2014

23 March 2014

One of the best thing about events is the gathering of like-minded people. It doesn’t matter if it is an expo, a competition or a mass ride. What matters is we see a lot of familiar happy faces all congregating at the same spot, all having the same objective in mind for the day. And the fun factor doubles when the venue has all the extra perks. In this case Velocity provides just that – there are bikes, lots of bikes … riders of different skill levels who adore smilar riding discipline (in this case it’s downhill, free ride and dirt jump), a mall with lots of supporters for us to showcase our skills at, babes for us to exhibit our skills and to impress with, a new spot that is rarely possible (almost impossible)
to ride a downhill/freeride course in. And then there’s Red Bull. Somehow, the name "Red Bull" simply endorses adrenaline rush. And Red Bull DownMall did not disappoint.

The course starts from level 3 of Velocity. Riders negotiate down 3 levels of narrow tight stairs and move on to the main atrium of the mall where they ride through the "wave", a double table-top wood structure. They then move on to the basketball court where they would drop a short 2-step stairs and tackle the final table top. This is the spot where the riders can show their salt with a style execution before crossing the finish line when their timing would be recorded. Short course, just a couple hundred metres. But to many participants, their feedback were all good. 2 days of riding in the mall – practice and race day plus a nice goodie bag is a good enough package to keep them hyped up. The course may be short, but they enjoyed themselves nonetheless.

While many riders are familiar with the more conventional downhill courses (think Kent Ridge, Dangas Batam or even Chiangmai Thailand), urban downhill or freeride in a large scale is not something as easily available. Riders who love the urban terrains would have to make do with their street rides. While these are fun, they may not be as well-received with the public on non-event days. Riding at pump tracks or skate parks somehow just feels different from street riding as many avid riders would agree. Will Red Bull DownMall spur more street ridings from here on? We are certainly looking forward to street riding gain more popularity in Singapore.

Here’s a look at some highlights of the day.

Participant Sylvia is the only female rider on race day, armed with a cool Dixon. The other was only present on practice day. Hope she didn't hurt herself too badly.