Maydena Bike Park set to host Red Bull Hardline event in February 2024

Tasmania’s world-famous Maydena Bike Park is set to play host to one of the world’s best downhill mountain bike races, the Red Bull Hardline, in 2024. See the details.

Tasmania’s famous Maydena Bike Park is set to host one of the world’s best and most thrilling mountain bike races next year with the Red Bull Hardline series coming to the state.

The Mercury can exclusively reveal that the world’s toughest downhill race will celebrate its 10th anniversary in the southern township on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th February 2024 with a full-week of festivities to take place in the lead-up.

Red Bull Hardline creator Dan Atherton. Picture: Dan Griffiths.

First taking place in the Welsh hills in 2014, the hardline event is an invite-only competition for the most progressive male and female mountain bike riders in the world.

Event founder and track designer Dan Atherton said locals can expect the best of the best to travel to the state for its Australian debut.

“Hardline has been going 10 years now so we thought we needed to do something strong for our 10th anniversary,” Atherton said.

“Simon French (Maydena Bike Park managing director) came over to Wales to check out our bike park and it just flowed from there.

“I think fans and locals will experience something pretty special. It’s one thing watching downhill mountain biking but it’s another watching the best riders in the world trying to push themselves on one of the world’s toughest courses.

“It’s going to be extreme and will pull in the best riders from all over the world. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for locals to come and see.

While the event will return to its home base later in 2024, Atherton added that the state’s natural beauty and the universal praise of Maydena’s track made it a standout choice to take it global.

Chris Cumming at Red Bull Hardline 2022 in Dinas Mawydd, Wales. Picture: Dan Griffiths

“I think if there was anywhere we were going to take it, we wanted to bring it to Tasmania,” he said.

“Just the natural features and terrain. Everything that lends itself well to mountain biking is down here and as well as that it’s a really cool contrast to the track in Wales. With a dry climate and huge natural trees it’s a mountain bike paradise.

Local trail building company Dirt Art will be leading the design and construction of the course, with input from Atherton and his team, who said he never imagined it would reach the shores of Australia.

“I have ridden for Red Bull for a long time and they came to me and my team and wanted to develop an event,” he said.

“So we came up with a race format that went back to basics with one of the best downhill tracks in the world and just wanted to invite the best riders in the world to race. It has grown a lot since then and we are ready to take it global.

Maydena Bike Park during the UCI World Enduro competition. Picture: Maydena Bike Park

“I definitely didn’t think when we started we would get the chance to bring it all the way to Australia but that’s the power of Red Bull and the support you get from them.”

Tickets for the event are available for purchase from November 1 at www.redbull.com/hardline.