The Crankworx Slopestyle just wouldn't be the same without Brad Ewen's voice cranking out over the PA "Shut the front door!"
The Minister of Majic was on hand helping the riders with their video game tricks, along with over 25,000 other spectators. I'm sure I saw Waldo in the crowd somewhere...
Sam Pilgrim must have had a black cat cross his path this morning, he flatted at the start of both his runs, effectively taking him out of the competition and probably out of contention for the FMB World Title. Coming into this event he was sitting only 8 points behind Semenuk, his only chance now is a couple of wins including the Red Bull District Ride, and Semenuk would have to drop out. Not likely to happen...
Diamondback rider Kelly McGarry crashed hard early on and injured his arm but as always the Kiwi was still smiling. This years Crankworx slopestyle saw a few good crashes but happily no really serious injuries.
Yannick Granieri tail whipping. After going off course in run two he was out.
Sam Dueck tail whipping the first drop in the second run. Sam has some serious skills, if he can put together a complete run he's in contention.
After a poor first run last year's second place finisher Mike Montgomery looked like he was putting together a banger run, until he caught his heels on this flip bar hop
....which resulted in a massive bail. No injury, but no advance to the super final, either. 12th place.
Andreu Lacondeguy put together a full first run and while he boosted fairly big he left the banger tricks for the second run...
Andreu attempted this double flip a couple of times in best trick, finally stuck it in his second run here. Unfortunately he crashed on the next trick and with a less than amazing first run he was out of the running... 11th place.
Slopestyle has evolved. With the influx of money has come the influx of support: ie a mechanic track side to sort out your woes before the big dance. In this case, the Claw's mechanic was replacing a stem that had seen - in his opinion - a few too many major impacts.
Not quite up to Anthony's height on this hip, but still a big solid table by the Claw
Darren Berrecloth pretty much invented the 360 off of a big drop, no troubles on this one out of the Kokanee Cabin. 10th place
The Claw may have failed to qualify for the super final, but the course side autograph session was still on.
Jamie Goldman didn't get to dance in the super final, but he rode well.
360 out of the satellite dish, Goldman put together a couple of good runs for 9th place.
While most people probably think of Kurt Sorge as a big mountain rider he proved here that he can compete in slopestyle as well. Final run and a huge tuck no handed flip.
Same jump with an indian air earlier in the day
...and another one over the snowboard spine in the super final. Good enough for 8th place.
Tyler McCaul had a couple of solid runs and was looking to improve his score in the super final
Unfortunately he suffered a pretty gnarly crash threeing off the satellite dish and likely broke his collarbone. "I dunno, it hurts like I broke it, kinda the same way my wrist hurt when I broke it at Rampage." 7th place, heal up Tyler!
Cam McCaul has had a rough season due to injury, most recently his shoulder again at Claymore. It was hurting him a bit here but you wouldn't have been able to tell by the way he was riding.
Critical audience indeed: first run for Cam McCaul with Claw, Zinc, and the rest of the crew looking on.
Cam did a superman front flip over the trick jump on his final run, unfortunately he slipped a pedal while he didn't crash he lost a bunch of points. Here he lets it all hang out a little further down the course.
and tailwhips off the satellite dish. 6th place.
North Vancouver's Geoff Gulevich has really been stepping up his game the last year. Second place in qualifying and fifth place overall
Greg Watts threw down some seriously large tricks that would have won most slopestyle contests. But the Red Bull Joyride was a little tougher than most normal events and Greg ended up in 4th place. A very respectable finish considering the runs that Messere, Zink, and Semenuk put together.
ANTHONY MESSERE - THIRD PLACE
Before this event most people still hadn't heard of Anthony Messere. Sponsored at 12 for BMX, and still only 15, Anthony's third place finish here has suddenly thrust him into the world spotlight.
Anthony front flipped off of the start drop on his super final run, unfortunately he slid out landing another giant air on the hip and his first place attempt was cut short.
Anthony boosted so high on this hip it looked like something out of a ski or snowboard movie. I even heard a few people make references to Hoffman
Here's another angle from Sterl
CAM ZINK - SECOND PLACE
Last year's winner Cam Zink was trying hard for his third Crankworx Slopestyle win, close but no cigar. Front flip out of the cabin on his first run.
BRANDON SEMENUK - FIRST PLACE
The "Delicate Genius" - aka Semenuk - pre competition. This is one event that Semenuk wanted to win for so long. Home town boy does good.
Flip whip out of the cabin.
and again from the other side...
and the back...
Truck driver out of the satellite dish. Semenuk tricked everything on the course, and they were all solid impressive tricks.
a "small" trick, 360 x up off the start drop
same trick, different angle...
a bit to the left...
and a bit to the right...
Welcome to the club! Zink congratulates Anthony on making it to the Crankworx podium...
$25,000 richer, and just simply stoked for the win!
This is the 4th or 5th time I have been to this event, and it was the best. The course was perfect, designers did an amazing job. The riders killed it, throwing solid entire runs, new tricks, and 5 or 6 of them could have won any other comp. The fans were louder than I remember them being in the past. The weather was perfect. Everyone involved in this event - stand up, take a bow - you did good!
Very nice pics! am i the only one that thinks the course has lost it's individualism in terms of how 'cool' some of the features are? look at the track a few years ago and there so many cool drops/wallrides/gnarly shit! it's almost turning into just a big dirt jump course, not that that isn't a bad thing, crankworx used to be so much cooler though!
After this win he can ditch the delicate genious crap. Sem is a real rude boy, after bailing that first run he have tons of pressure. Then he stick that landing on second run soooooooo butters. That smooth landing got him the win because Cam was right there on his ass.
its called being a little modest, which isnt a bad thing. quiet confidence i reckon, he doesnt need to be all hyper enthused all the time, he shows that in the way he rides.
he was probably just really overwhelmed and he's a soft spoken guy to start with, he's wanted a CW win for so many years it prolly hadn't sank in fully yet...
?
all of his runs