After a week of cracking content, our man Lee Miller bows out of Crankworx with another set of bangers from the Red Bull Joyride.
After a week of 5-peats here at Crankworx Whistler, it would only be fitting for local boy Brandon Semenuk to get in on the action with his filth win on the Red Bull Joyride slope style course.
2012 winner Thomas Genon backflips the whale tail to the delight of the crowd. Unfortunately it wasn’t going to be a repeat of his victory here today with crashes in both of his runs.
The grand finale of the biggest bike festival on the planet would see the 18 best slope style riders battle it out over the giant features of the course leading into a packed finish arena. Riders would be looking to put together two runs to impress the judges, with the first run usually a safe run of sorts to get some points on the board before going all out on their final run.
17 year old Emil Johansson stomps one right out of the start, Emil would be one of only two riders to get through two runs clean here today but neither could quite edge Semenuk’s run so the young Swede would make do with second place.
That is, except for Brandon Semenuk who was tasked with being the first man down the course, throwing down a score that would survive until the very end to see him crowned victor here for the 5th time.
Brit Matt Jones with a big backflip no hander, Matt would go on to take 9th place after a crash in his second run ruled out an improved score.Favourites Brett Rheeder and Nicolai Rogatkin had been pushing all week but would both suffer from crashes on each of their runs, Rogatkin failing at the second to last jump on an insane first run that would surely have had Semenuk beat.
BMX legend Ryan Nyquist put down two impressive runs here today, with the second being good enough to put him on the podium in third.
Only Wonderkid Emil Johansson and Ryan Nyquist, 20 years Emil’s senior would put two clean runs together in a frustrating afternoon for the riders. With Johanssons second run marking no improvement on the judges scorecards it was left for Semenuk to complete his victory lap as the last man down the hill to which even he managed to make a rare mistake after being caught out by a gust of wind on a simple tail whip.
Rheeder makes his way through the crowd after a crash on his first run. Brett would also crash on his second run leaving him with no hope of retaining his Whistler title.
Last year’s winner Brett Rheeder was looking focused all week in practice and was throwing big tricks from the first session but it wasn’t to be today for the Canadian rider.
Nicolai Rogatkin soars above the Whistler backdrop.
Rogatkin’s first run was heading for first place until a simple mistake on the penultimate jump ended his run. Nicolai would also crash on his second ending his hopes of the triple crown, and the $50k that goes with it.
Semenuk hits the last feature, heading into the packed arena already knowing that he had wrapped up the win.
Squamish local Brandon Semenuk on his way to his fifth win at red Bull joyride here in Whistler.
zymon Godziek thrashes out a huge superman, the judges liked the massive extension and rewarded him with 7th place.
