Anticipation of Cam Zink flipping a massive drop at the 2013 Red Bull Rampage to land the world record brought huge attention around the world. Only hitting the drop once the day before in practice, Cam didn’t have much room for error on this 78ft drop.
During the first run of finals, Kyle Strait came down the mountain just before Zink and no handed the drop. My second camera body was actually in my lap while I perched up on the ridgeline. As he cleaned the landing, I stood up to cheer and slowly watched the horror of my Nikon D3 body tumbling down the cliff. Knowing that I only had a few minutes to scramble down to my camera, I made a quick decision to grab it and shoot Zink’s flip from a bit lower. With minutes to spare, I set up in position and waited for Zink to come charging down.
Leading up to the event, Cam had a lot on his plate to say the least. His wife Amanda was to be due with their first born child almost any day, not to mention a massive hematoma on his leg that resulted in a few last minute emergency room visits to have it drained. Still barely able to walk, much less flip a 78ft drop; Zink’s mental ability to stay focused and determined is what makes him such an incredible athlete.
The build crew had put together a custom ramp for Cam to flip off of which would help him get the rotation needed to stick this clean. Zink is so calculated and knew perfectly this was going to work. Cam is always the guy at Rampage that everyone has their eye on for going big, and always leaves people wondering what’s next?
