Chelsea Kimball Bike Check and Rampage Prep 2

Chelsea was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona but has spent life on the road in her Chevy Astro van for 13 years. Mountain biking is the greatest passion Chelsea has ever known and she loves to push the limits of what is possible for her on a bike.

“I am beyond excited to compete in the first ever women’s Rampage. With my dream team of diggers, I can’t wait to carve a line into the blank canvas of this year’s venue. This is what dreams are made of! I have an arsenal of all the best Specialized bikes at my fingertips and ever since I swung a leg over my 170mm Status 2 in April, it is pretty much the only bike I want to ride. My S1 Status feels like home and I can’t wait to ride it in my favorite freeride paradise of Virgin, UT.” - Chelsea Kimball

Q&A

When you were a kid, could you see yourself doing what you’re doing now?
When I was a kid, I was a very talented and competitive softball player. Becoming a professional athlete was something I thought a lot about because of how much energy I put into playing at a high-level. Ultimately, I stopped playing softball because I just did not envision myself becoming a collegiate or professional player. I guess in a way I could see myself being a professional athlete but without knowing that mountain biking was a sport, I could never of dreamed of being where I am today.

This will be your 1st time competing at the inaugural Women’s Red Bull Rampage, how do you feel about being given this opportunity to compete?
No woman has ever competed at Red Bull Rampage before. A lot of things have fallen into place for this event to happen and I’m honored to be one of the women invited to compete. This event means the world to me and I’m so grateful for the opportunity.

Describe the state of emotions you’ve gone through leading up to Rampage so far.
Ever since the announcement of the women’s Rampage category, life has felt like a roller coaster. Knowing the opportunity was there, I was very focused on training which also has its highs and lows. When the rider list was announced, I was devastated to say the least. I always say, “expect the worst and hope for the best” but this didn’t stop me from feeling disappointed, like I let myself down. I did my best to continue training and knew it was possible but unlikely for a spot to open up. I never would’ve imagined how much of a mental battle being an alternate is. When I got the call that a spot had opened up, it was like a massive weight had lifted off my shoulders. No more limbo, just eyes on the prize.

Who is a part of your dig team this year?
I have the best dig crew anybody could ask for. My Dream Team; CJ Selig, Ryan Rodriguez, and Aric Duncan.

What are your strengths as a Freeride athlete riding in Virgin, Utah?
I have spent a lot of time in Virgin and this has given me a few strengths that are difficult to develop elsewhere. Brake control and speed judgment are main ingredients in a recipe for success and I’ve learned so much of this over the years.

HUCK; noun, verb;  n, a mountain bike feature that includes a lot of freefall with a questionable landing. ; vb, when a rider hits said feature.

Virgin has a lot of “hucks”, I’ve learned a lot from some of the local legends of Southern Utah, and don’t worry, I’ve been doing my push-ups.

What thoughts and mentality help keep you locked in while you’re riding this style of terrain?
There are a lot of things I’ve learned over the years that help me depending on the day.  Right now my main focus is trusting myself, being confident in my abilities, and clearing my head to let myself do what I love to do at the level I know I can do it at.

What is your goal at RedBull Rampage this year?
I have a lot of goals for Rampage, a few are to backflip, as well as have a massive drop and sui it!

BIKE CHECK:
Specialized Status DH Frame
Reverse Components Vink Riser Bar, 18mm rise
Custom Reverse Components 40mm direct mount stem
Reverse Components, Vink grips
TRP DHR Evo brakes
Reverse Components Vink seat
Roval Traverse HD carbon wheels
Specialized Butcher tires
Rockshox Boxxer fork and Vivid shock
Canfield 160mm cranks
TRP 7spd drivetrain