Pinkbike Awards - Slopestyle/Freeride Athlete of the Year
Slopestyle and freeride are diverging: freeride is supposed to be lawless - free in name and attitude - while slopestlye is codified, judged, and regulated by the FMB. However, these two spheres share many of the same riders, brilliant athletes who are helping to progress the notion of what's possible on a full suspension bicycle. Each of our nominees has made a significant impact on mountain biking in 2014, however, we can only honour one champion. This year's nominees include Cam Zink, Andreu Lacondeguy, Brett Rheeder, Brandon Semenuk, and Anthony Messere.
Brandon Semenuk
 |
It's hard to appreciate just how extraordinary Brandon Semenuk's riding really is. A dominant athlete in his or her prime can seem predictable, even boring: Tony Hawk was World Champion for twelve consecutive years, Dave Mirra won 24 X-Games medals, Kelly Slater has been ASP World Tour Champion 11 times now. Semenuk's riding has helped shape how other riders attack a slopestyle course (no repeat tricks, heavy emphasis on opposite rotations) and this year he was the first person to 720 a stepdown and to 720 barspin a jump in competition. He has forced every athlete on the FMB to learn new tricks if they want to stay relevant. In 2014 Semenuk became the first and only three-time winner of the Red Bull Joyride, won the District Ride, and placed second at the Bearclaw Invitational. It was Semenuk's third FMB Overall Championship; he’s won it three out of the five years it’s existed (‘11, ’12, and ’14).
But he's not just a foam pit robot, the winningest slopestyle athlete in history can ride a downhill bike too. Semenuk earned the bronze medal at Red Bull Rampage with a run featuring an under appreciated opposite 360 drop (possibly the biggest ever done), and the requisite monster hucks of a vintage Robbie Bourdon segment. Semenuk is a threat to win any event he enters, and you can bet he'll be working hard this off season to continue his winning ways. Semenuk's big mountain bonafides and unsurpassed slopestyle excellence have added another title to his war chest. By making the impossible look easy, Semenuk is our 2014 Slopestyle/Freeride Athlete of the Year.
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup
you can't have two categories into one... Should have split into two categories: "Slopestyle Athlete of the year" and "Freeride Athlete of the year" because FMB isn't freeride it's just slopestyle...So therefore the Slopestyle crown goes to Semenuk (obivously) and the Freeride crown goes to Lacondeguy (obivously)!
They just want more money and do not give a single f*ck about the sport.
FREERIDE IS NOT DEAD. Must have "Slopestyle Athlete of the year" AND "Freeride Athlete of the year".
Just because someone is an incredible athlete doesn't mean they're automatically comfortable playing the celebrity/ spotlight role. As an introvert, do you know how f*cking weird it would be to have hundreds of cameras jammed into your face waiting to catch your expressions change? Doesn't mean they're unhappy or a*sholes, it's just another major personality type that I'm really surprised you wouldn't have experienced before?
Though they have worked incredibly hard to get there jobs, it is not luck, it is the dangerous gamble all extreme athletes make that they will dedicate their whole lives and put their body on the line for the sport they love.
They have earned every penny, and a great deal more (Slopestyle/Freeride is one of the most underpaid jobs, they pretty much do do it for free)
They owe us nothing, they have progressed the sport and helped to develop those products that we buy, that is what your money is paying for.
Also, would you not prefer an honest sport?
One where people are themselves, say what they feel and laugh when they feel like it?
Surely the fact that our sports people are not sponsor coated actors is a good thing?
Also, he placed third at Rampage. To claim that he's not a freerider is somewhat absurd.
@freeskiiniskool DUDE, do you even how stupid what you're saying is???
Semunuk owns ON the bike, but his personality OFF the bike doesn't.
As in the Fest storey the other day they should change it to freeride and Slopestyle mountain bike (SMB), dica
Neg props incoming.
I do want to know though, whats wrong with despising American Sniper? It glorifies the actions of a racist murderous wanker who took pleasure in killing, not just defending his comrades. It tries to attach at least a few moral virtues to a man who by his own admission had none. It is pure propaganda. Whats not to despise?
Now back to Semenuk - congratulations, he's probably very happy to be recognized. Psssst - judging by his face, I silently think he's a brother of Marylin Manson... Are you mdrfkng reeeeadaeeee?!
Funnily enough I watched Interstellar last night. I actually really enjoyed it and heartily recommend it to anyone into a bit of sci-fi. Only two explosions in the whole film mind, and theyre both quite small. More 2001 than Independence Day. Actually the whole thing is extremely reminiscent of 2001 if you ask me.I won't spoil it but it gets a bit f*cking surreal for a bit in the third 1/4 of the film which threw me slightly but didn't ruin it completely. But yeh. Watch it.
And yeah. Semenuks pretty cool. He ride bike good. I think he is actually Marylin Manson. Not sure which alter ego I'd consider the wild one tho.
Goofball.