The Toughest and Most Progressive Downhill Race in the World
Words by Beka Stephan 
Red Bull Hardline, known as one of the toughest and most progressive downhill races in the world, continued to prove itself as a wild rodeo for the riders this week in Tasmania.
Understanding Hardline’s history is essential in recognizing women’s advancement in the event. First created in 2014, siblings Dan, Gee, and Rachel Atherton are credited as the original masterminds behind Red Bull Hardline, initially held at Dyfi Bike Park in Wales, UK.
Known as one of the most challenging and innovative downhill races, Hardline continues to push the boundaries with both extreme natural terrain and massive man-made features.
In 2022, Jess Blewitt became the first woman invited to compete at the event (Tahnee Seagrave was initially slated for the spot but had to withdraw due to injury, Jess Blewitt stepped in). Unfortunately, Jess sustained a broken collarbone during a practice run crash, preventing her from participating in the final race. In 2023, six women—Tahnee Seagrave, Jess Blewitt, Hannah Bergemann, Louise Ferguson, Vinny Armstrong, and Cami Nogueira—were invited to a progression camp at Hardline Wales; however, none competed in the final race run.
In 2024, Red Bull Hardline expanded into two events: the first in Tasmania, Australia (February) and the second continuing in Wales, UK (June). In February 2024, Gracey Hemstreet became the first woman in Hardline history to complete a full top-to-bottom clean run while competing against Louise Ferguson. Both women made history as the first to participate in the final race at Red Bull Hardline. In June 2024, Hardline Wales set the stage for another milestone as riders Tahnee Seagrave, Vaea Verbeeck, Cami Nogueira, and Hannah Bergemann became the first women to clear the event’s iconic road gap. However, none of the female riders participated in the final race at Hardline Wales 2024.
Hard Line 2025!
Now, we arrive at the 2025 Red Bull Hardline Tasmania! The invited women included an impressive lineup: Tahnee Seagrave, Hannah Bergemann, Nina Hoffman, Valentina Höll, Vaea Verbeeck, Gracey Hemstreet, Erice van Leuven, Louise Ferguson, Cami Nogueira, and Elise Empey.
Tahnee Seagrave, a long-time advocate for women’s inclusion at Hardline, made the difficult decision to opt out of the 2025 event, prioritizing the World Cup circuit.Â
On her Instagram page (@tahneeseagrave), she stated:
“My role at Hardline has always been bigger than just showing up and riding there, and I’m very confident that the women’s category is in a great place.”
Similarly, Nina Hoffman shared her decision on Instagram (@nina.hoff96):
“Real tough decision, too, as I was quite hyped about getting the invite, but winter hasn’t gone as planned so far, and I’m just not ready to send those huge jumps. World Cup racing is way more important…”
Hannah Bergemann, a professional freerider, also opted out, explaining on Instagram (@hannahbergemann):
“Decided to miss it this year to give my ankle a bit more time and focus on @naturalselectionbike tour coming up next week. It was a tough call because I had so much fun last year.”
Hannah is recovering from an ankle injury sustained in September, which also kept her from participating in Red Bull Rampage.
"My role at Hardline has always been bigger than just showing up and riding there, and I'm very confident that the women's category is in a great place"-Instagram (@tahneeseagrave)
The invited riders included both elite downhill racers and top freeride athletes. At just 21 years old, Valentina Höll is a five-time World Champion and three-time World Cup overall winner in elite DH racing. Watching her in practice runs leading up to the event was especially exciting. Similarly, 20-year-old Gracey Hemstreet, the first-ever women’s champion at Red Bull Hardline Tasmania in 2024, continues to blaze her way through the elite DH race scene. Gracey secured another victory at the 2025 Hardline Tasmania, once again making history as the only woman to compete in the final race run.
Set to compete against Gracey, 18-year-old Erice van Leuven, the 2024 DH Junior World Champion, was preparing for her final race run when she suffered a devastating crash on a 70-foot gap jump, resulting in a broken back, neck, and wrist. In an Instagram post (@ericervanleuven), she reflected:
“A rollercoaster week at Hardline. From not thinking I could ride to ticking off the whole course in the span of a few runs. This place is rad, but also no joke. Fired up to come back next year.”
And those Hardline crashes were no joke. 20-year-old Elise Empey, a rising star in downhill racing with the Continental Atherton race team, also suffered a brutal crash in practice. Her Instagram (@elise.empey) video clip shows her going nose-heavy off a steep, craggy rock ledge, landing head-first into the dirt—yet she miraculously walked away unscathed, still smiling.
"A rollercoaster week at Hardline. From not thinking I could ride to ticking off the whole course in the span of a few runs. This place is rad, but also no joke. Fired up to come back next year."
The Bigger Picture
Elise’s crash clip struck a chord. While crashes can be difficult to watch, and while no rider wants to dwell on failures, it’s essential to see what true progression looks like.
When we ask for a spot at the table—to take up space, to compete, to push boundaries—it’s never going to look perfect. Because we’re not asking for participation trophies.
We’re asking for room to grow, to learn, to test our limits, to stretch our legs, and to be given the opportunity to try. And often, those moments come with skinned knees, bruised egos, and broken bones.
But every one of those battle scars proves how hard we’re pushing.
It’s important to recognize where we’ve come from to appreciate how far we’ve already progressed—even if it doesn’t seem like much.
“Only one woman competed in the final race at Hardline.”
But let me show you the skinned knees and broken bones it took to get here.