There are few tougher events than the Red Bull Rampage… and there are few tougher competitors than Nicholi Rogatkin.

Nicholi was a bit of a wildcard at this year’s Rampage. He entered the competition as an accomplished dirt jumper but he lacked the big mountain experience that many of the other Rampage competitors had.

The above video shows his crash in qualifying for the finals. On the most technical section of his run he had three consecutive drops to clear, unfortunately he overcooked one and plunged over his bars down a thirty foot cliff.

For most riders, that would be it. The risk of concussion or a broken bike would have them walking down the hill and calling time on their Rampage weekend. Rogatkin shocked everyone by remounting his bike, hitting the Canyon Gap and even backflipping over a jump.

Some would say that the medical staff should not have let him ride down the hill after such a crash but the determined way he strides back to his bike probably means no one could stop him if they tried.

Rogatkin didn’t qualify for the finals after his big crash but he finished the weekend unscathed and will no doubt be back to tackle the blood-red slopes of Virgin, Utah next year.