2013 Erzberg Rodeo GoPro Footage

The notoriously difficult Erzberg Rodeo—capitalized by the brutal Red Bull Hare Scramble, which takes place in an iron mine in Austria—became even tougher this year when wet, cold weather rolled in to the Iron Giant several days before the race. After two days of qualifying up the Iron Road Prologue, the field of 1,500 racers was narrowed down to just 500 souls who would brave the soggy conditions and give the Hare Scramble a go. With a submerged start and several choppy hills at the beginning of the race, the competitors were in for more than they bargained for, as just 14 racers made it to the finish line inside of the four hour cutoff.

In this clip, Dirt Rider Editor Chris Denison shares his experience at Erzberg, from the absolutely hectic start to a mountain swallowing a man to a crazy mechanical issue. Riding a Christini 300 AWD, Denison was able to capture a solid glimpse at the chaotic nature of this historic event. Check out the video here, and be sure to tune in to the October 2013 issue of Dirt Rider magazine for complete coverage from the Iron Giant.