Maydena's new downhill race, Beyond Gravity, puts up a $190,000 minimum prize pool

Red Bull Hardline will not return to Maydena Bike Park in Tasmania in 2027, but the venue is not going quiet. Maydena and event organiser Elevation Events have announced Beyond Gravity, a new downhill race set for 26 and 27 February 2027, built around a pay per view broadcast and a prize structure that would make it the richest downhill race ever held in Australia.

How the prize money works

Riders will collectively receive 30 percent of the event's broadcast revenue, split by finishing position, with a guaranteed minimum prize pool of $190,000. First place is guaranteed at least $25,000, and every rider down to 25th place gets a minimum payment. Organisers say that if the broadcast reaches 150,000 viewers, the pool could grow to around $800,000, which would put more than $100,000 in the hands of both the men's and women's winners.

A new track, not a rebrand

The race will run on an adapted version of the Hardline course, but it is being positioned as a proper downhill race track rather than the mixed downhill and freeride format Hardline was known for. Early bird access to the pay per view broadcast starts at $14.95, with a seven day festival of racing, music and side events planned around the main race. In person ticketing details are due in early October, and the rider list will be revealed in three waves from 16 September.

What it means for buyers

This is a racing story rather than a new model, but it matters to anyone following Australian mountain biking, because a well funded new event shapes which bikes and brands get airtime and athlete backing over the coming season. If what you see at Maydena has you shopping for a trail, enduro or downhill bike, BikeFinder lets you compare travel, geometry and pricing across the bikes sold in Australia.