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Trackwalk of Hardline Tasmania

Troy Brosnan, Matt Jones and Bernard Kerr check out the insane track

The Red Bull Hardline track is unlike anything else in mountain biking—steep, technical and stacked with jumps so massive they look like they belong in a motocross event, not a downhill race. Walking it for the first time, even the most seasoned riders can’t help but feel the weight of what’s ahead. Some sections seem almost impossible to clear, and yet, come race day, these riders will be sending them at full tilt.

Survival of the bravest

From the very start, it’s clear that Hardline isn’t just about speed—it’s about survival. The opening section sets the tone with steep, loose descents that demand absolute control. The dirt is hard-packed but unpredictable, and every rock and root is just waiting to catch a front wheel. One mistake, and you’re either on the deck or in the trees.

As the track snakes down, it becomes a mix of brutal tech and monstrous features. Riders pick apart the lines, eyes scanning for anything that might trip them up. They reach a particularly savage section—a deep rut with jagged rocks and a near-vertical drop off the other side.

Then comes the first major drop, a behemoth that makes everyone stop and take a long, hard look. The takeoff is clean, but the landing is nowhere in sight—it just falls away into the trees. One of the guys stands on the edge, shakes his head, and mutters, “I can’t even stand straight, let alone send this.”

Further down, the track transforms into a supercross-style highway, with perfectly sculpted doubles and step-ups that beg to be hit at full gas. It’s fast, relentless and requires complete trust in both bike and body. Then, just when the riders think they’ve seen the worst of it, they arrive at the infamous road gap—a sprint-in, no-brakes, fully committed huck over a massive void. The landing is clean, but if you come up short, you’re in for the biggest case of your life.

The final stretch is a blur of rock gardens, high-speed corners, and full-throttle jumps. The last feature—an 80-foot double—looms ahead, the kind of jump that feels more like free-fall than flight. Riders stand around, eyeing it up, running the math in their heads. The consensus? “Yeah, we’re going to need a lot of speed.”

By the time the track walk ends, legs are sore, minds are spinning, and the reality of Hardline has set in. It’s big. It’s brutal. And in just a few days, it’s going to be raced at mind-blowing speeds.

Let the madness begin.