Utah’s own Sam Soriano is one of the standout names in the freeride scene right now. She grew up on BMX, raced downhill as a teen, and eventually found her groove in freeride. Known not just for her riding but for her honesty about the mental side of the sport, Sam has built a reputation for tackling fear head-on and sharing what that journey actually looks like.

In Groundwork, she takes on one of her biggest projects yet: building and riding a full freeride line inspired by Red Bull Rampage — the ultimate proving ground for big mountain riders.

“2024 was such a huge year for women’s freeride. The addition of the women’s category in Red Bull Rampage suddenly gave women the global platform they’ve been demanding. Watching from the sidelines I saw the inner workings of what it takes to construct and ride a Rampage line, and instantly knew there was a big hole in my own practice if I wanted to be considered as a Rampage contender.

“I needed to be able to build and guinea pig my own features. Building is a physical and mental challenge but guinea pigging is one of the most overlooked aspects about Rampage while also being the most emotionally challenging part of the event. I’ve usually ridden other people’s builds, so this was a big step for me.

“I wanted to build features that would push me as a rider while also being smart about what we built. With my amazing team of digging mentors, we settled on a double drop followed by a flat drop that would be at the end of my favorite ridgeline, or “Powerline” as it’s come to be known.

“Even though I didn’t make it into Rampage this year (I was on the alternate list), this project felt like the next best thing. It taught me so much about what it takes to show up as a freerider, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we built.”