August 1, 2007
This year saw a bit of a changing of the guard if you will. Big names like Strait, Berreclothe, and Mccaul were not at the top of the podium like years past. Instead a new face in Ben Boyko stood atop the results sheet. Ben is one of the hardest working and most dedicated people in the entire scene, and now he is finally getting the recognition he deserves, and this win is going to bring him to a new level. Boyko was the only rider to 360 the bottom drop, both runs, stomped clean.
Top 5:
1. Ben Boyko
2. Andreu Lacondeguy
3. Brandon Semenuk
4. Cam Mccaul
5. Paul Bas
It was not the huge trick show off the last drop like last year, and with the landing being way closer and flatter, fewer tricks were seen. Grant Fielder started it off in qualifying with an attempt at tail whipping it. He crashed, but it set the bar for the rest of the night. During the super finals, Paul Bas tried to tail whip it as well, landing hard and flipping over the bars, ruining his front wheel. He was ok.
Back to Boyko, he no foot canned the big step down jump at the top, tail whipped the big jump, 3'd off the Giro box, and then 3'd the last big drop. His runs were consistently perfect. Many other riders had the tricks to make it onto the podium, but did not have the consistent crash free runs that only Boyko, Lacondeguy, and Semenuk had. This separated these three from the rest, and I am glad the judges saw that. Strait took a hard fall over-rotating a double whip on the big jump, after flatting out in his first run. Mccaul had a shaky run and had to flip the step down to make it into the super finals.
Highlights from the contest included; Seeing Whistler local Brandon Semenuk reaching his first Crankworx podium, look for a lot more of him in the coming years. He had a solid run that included a big Indian air off the big double and a no can off the step down. He also tail whipped the big jump in the middle of the jump pack. If Brandon had stomped a trick off the last drop he would have been right up there with Boyko.
Lacondeguy charged at everything but also stayed away from tricking the last drop, keeping him from passing Boyko. Cam Zinc made a game time decision and rode in the contest on basically one leg. He set the bar early by being the first rider to flip the step down lip. After this it was a constant stream of Zinc, Mccaul, Lacondeguy, Andrew Taylor (on a borrowed bike) and Whistler local Alex Pro all flipping it. Darren Berreclothe tried to 3 the step down and over rotated hard and went down with a bit of a concussion, he skipped out on his 2nd run. Good to see the Claw trying something different and not flipping it. The Kokanee Sasquatch also made an appearance quickly before disappearing onto the chairlift.
Lowlights included: Darren Pokoj being taken off on a stretcher after coming up short on the last drop, apparently he was up and walking around that night in the village though, so that is a good sign. The course was interesting, it definitely lacked in my opinion. Crankworx is known for being the best, but this course was far from it. There was a definite lack of options and there were some weird stunts on the course that did not really show any variety. These stunts had riders doing the same tricks run after run, which gets boring. I could write a lot more about the course and its downfalls, but I'll sum it up, that it's still a young contest, and a young sport, so we are all learning what kind of course will provide the best action. Hopefully they will find the right formula next year. I'm confident they will. All in all, the slope style ran smoothly, and the crowds were pumped on the riding, it was a solid contest, in which the most solid rider won.
-Ross Measures
Photos by Mike Reid
Check Mike's whole album HERE.
1. Ben Boyko
2. Andreu Lacondeguy
3. Brandon Semenuk
4. Cam Mccaul
5. Paul Bas
 |  |  |  |
It was not the huge trick show off the last drop like last year, and with the landing being way closer and flatter, fewer tricks were seen. Grant Fielder started it off in qualifying with an attempt at tail whipping it. He crashed, but it set the bar for the rest of the night. During the super finals, Paul Bas tried to tail whip it as well, landing hard and flipping over the bars, ruining his front wheel. He was ok.
Back to Boyko, he no foot canned the big step down jump at the top, tail whipped the big jump, 3'd off the Giro box, and then 3'd the last big drop. His runs were consistently perfect. Many other riders had the tricks to make it onto the podium, but did not have the consistent crash free runs that only Boyko, Lacondeguy, and Semenuk had. This separated these three from the rest, and I am glad the judges saw that. Strait took a hard fall over-rotating a double whip on the big jump, after flatting out in his first run. Mccaul had a shaky run and had to flip the step down to make it into the super finals.
 |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
Highlights from the contest included; Seeing Whistler local Brandon Semenuk reaching his first Crankworx podium, look for a lot more of him in the coming years. He had a solid run that included a big Indian air off the big double and a no can off the step down. He also tail whipped the big jump in the middle of the jump pack. If Brandon had stomped a trick off the last drop he would have been right up there with Boyko.
Lacondeguy charged at everything but also stayed away from tricking the last drop, keeping him from passing Boyko. Cam Zinc made a game time decision and rode in the contest on basically one leg. He set the bar early by being the first rider to flip the step down lip. After this it was a constant stream of Zinc, Mccaul, Lacondeguy, Andrew Taylor (on a borrowed bike) and Whistler local Alex Pro all flipping it. Darren Berreclothe tried to 3 the step down and over rotated hard and went down with a bit of a concussion, he skipped out on his 2nd run. Good to see the Claw trying something different and not flipping it. The Kokanee Sasquatch also made an appearance quickly before disappearing onto the chairlift.
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Lowlights included: Darren Pokoj being taken off on a stretcher after coming up short on the last drop, apparently he was up and walking around that night in the village though, so that is a good sign. The course was interesting, it definitely lacked in my opinion. Crankworx is known for being the best, but this course was far from it. There was a definite lack of options and there were some weird stunts on the course that did not really show any variety. These stunts had riders doing the same tricks run after run, which gets boring. I could write a lot more about the course and its downfalls, but I'll sum it up, that it's still a young contest, and a young sport, so we are all learning what kind of course will provide the best action. Hopefully they will find the right formula next year. I'm confident they will. All in all, the slope style ran smoothly, and the crowds were pumped on the riding, it was a solid contest, in which the most solid rider won.
-Ross Measures
Photos by Mike Reid
Check Mike's whole album HERE.
Comments
- + 0 props
tanner7799
(August 2, 2007 at 7:44)
(Below Threshold) show comment
i agree that it lack in vareity of tricks and stuff i personally think it was to fast? like comein down of the first drop most were over shootin if u could slow it down but still be able ot have the big tricks it might help
Next year will be fine tuned and even better.........plan now!
the last drop was to big and the landing sucked. they needed to put alot more work into the corse and then slopestyle whould of been cool
yea this year they focused to much on making things bigger and not about making them smooth
what!? no picture of ben 3ing the drop?
Well, after seeing all the videos on the internet this year, I'm not disapointed that I didn't get to go.
the problem with this years slope style is that there was no skinnies, planks or bridge stunts. It was all about jumps which is why everyone rode a hardtail 'dirt jumper'. Not one dualie or free rider in sight. If I want to watch a bunch of dirt jumpers, I will watch the Red Bull Challenge, way more exciting, with way better tricks than seeing a bunch of dirt jumpers do big hucks at our slope style event. Bring back the stunts, skinnies, planks ect.....
The trail buliders and planers also wanted to make the park more for the public so people could do it.
So the jumps and drops wont just get left there and not be used. But still crankworks is always rad!
So the jumps and drops wont just get left there and not be used. But still crankworks is always rad!
if they want bigger tricks on the bottom final drop they cant have it so f*cking huge guys are scaried to hit it let allow trick it.
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