Photographer’s Jaw-Dropping Pictures of Mountain Bikers Being Super Human

Oct 21, 2025

Matt Growcoot

Two mountain bikers perform aerial tricks over rugged desert terrain at sunset, with dramatic cliffs and orange sky in the background. — Photos by Paris Gore

Photographer Paris Gore has been shooting Red Bull Rampage — a high-octane mountain biking event in Utah — for 12 years.

Over that time, Gore has captured photos that beggar belief. “I want to showcase how big these jumps are,” Gore tells PetaPixel over the phone. “I really want to be able to show the scale of the jumps and what the rider is going through.”

A mountain biker soars through the air over a deep canyon, with rugged red cliffs and sparse vegetation below, while a person stands on a ledge watching the jump. — Paris Gore

A cyclist performs a mid-air stunt on a bike against a bright orange sunset, with silhouetted hills and trees in the foreground and a person watching from below. — Paris Gore

A mountain biker wearing a helmet rides off a steep rocky cliff at sunset, with dramatic desert mountains and a clear sky in the background. — Darren Berrecloth drops in for the last light during practice at Red Bull Rampage in Virgin, Utah. | Paris Gore

Red Bull Rampage is serious business: this year’s event, which has just wrapped up, ended with two riders being airlifted to hospital.

“You’re shooting the best riders in the world, doing the craziest tricks,” Gore says. “18 of the best mountain bikers pick their own line down a mountain and take a week to build jumps and find lines down the mountain.”

Nevertheless, the violence takes its toll. “It’s really difficult and has become more emotionally challenging over the years, especially watching two riders I am personally friends with get airlifted off the mountain,” Gore says, referring to this year’s accidents.

“I’m here to shoot the event, but it is really horrific to witness when these crashes are happening 100 feet from your lens. There are times when I question if I want to even be a part of this anymore. But at the end of the day, I feel like it’s my duty to showcase this event the best I can, not just for myself or viewers, but for the riders — to capture their dedication to the sport in a way that does justice to their riding.”

A mountain biker performs a high jump off a ramp built into rugged red rock cliffs, soaring through the clear blue sky above a dramatic desert canyon landscape. — Paris Gore

A cyclist performs a high jump on a bike between rocky cliffs, viewed from below inside a cave, with dramatic clouds in the sky. The image is in black and white. — Paris Gore

A cyclist performs a dramatic jump off a high rocky cliff, silhouetted against a clear blue sky, while a group of people on the cliff edge watch and cheer. — Tyler McCaul launching of his massive drop during Red Bull Rampage 2015. | Paris Gore

No Easy Shoot

Shooting in the Utah desert is tough on equipment: the dust gets into Gore’s cameras so deeply that Nikon has called him, wondering what exactly he is doing to them.

“I got a call and they were like, ‘Hey man, we’re just curious where you’ve been shooting, we found dust deep inside your lens!’ They were genuinely curious,” Gore says while noting that there is no avoiding the red stuff.

“There’s nothing we can do… There’s no way you’re going to keep your lens clean, you just have to accept the fact that they’re going to get absolutely trashed.”

A person wearing camouflage clothing stands outdoors with two Nikon cameras hanging from their neck, one with a wide-angle lens and the other with a long telephoto lens. The background is a rocky, sunlit landscape. — Gore carries a lot of camera gear.

A person wearing a hat and backpack carefully descends a steep, dusty rocky slope while holding a camera in each hand under a clear blue sky. — The terrain is tough and you have to have your wits about you.

A man wearing camouflage clothing, sunglasses, and a hat stands on a dusty trail with two cameras around his neck. The background shows people walking, red rock terrain, and a blue sky with scattered clouds. — Paris Gore in his element.

Speaking of equipment, Gore carries a lot: two bodies; a Nikon Z9 and Z8, a Nikon Z 100-400mm, a Nikkor Z 180-600mm, and a Nikon Z 24-70mm too.

This year, he wore a motorcycle vest to carry them all in rather than a backpack to save on back pain. “I’m putting in four to five miles a day out there,” he adds while noting that on top of the camera gear, he’s also carrying water, sunscreen, radios, and more.