Video: The State of Slopestyle
Action sports reach further into the world of mainstream each year, earning legitimacy in the eyes of media and governing sports organizations. And every August, Red Bull Joyride, part of the Red Bull Signature Series of events, celebrates the pinnacle of slopestyle mountain biking competition as part of the Whistler Crankworx Festival. Few sports have come so far in such a short time, as the burgeoning world of slopestyle mountain biking continues on an explosive trajectory of popularity. With the sport receiving more support from new events such as the Crankworx Triple Crown of Slopestyle, you have to wonder what the future has in store.
How will the sport progress, and what will the new face of slopestyle competition look like?
Two leaders of the pack, Brandon Semenuk and Brett Rheeder have a strong vision of how the sport will continue to evolve, and by no means does it show any signs of slowing down. Semenuk, a three time winner at Red Bull Joyride, and Rheeder shared their thoughts on just what will shape the future of the sport, from the stylish vs. technical progression of tricks, specialized skills vs. well-rounded riding to their very own rivalry...
Style vs. Tricks
Progression in any sport is often driven by increasing technicality; more rotations, more flips or more trick combinations push the boundaries and up the ante for athletes. Making those tricks look effortless is just as important, with style displaying a level of confidence in the execution. But then sometimes… a stylish whip just feels “You need to be fluid and consistent with your tricks, but also give it that special touch that’s kind of got that ‘wow’ factor.
"You want to do that trick and it just looks that much better than the other guy’s trick.” – Brandon Semenuk
“Sometimes it’s hard to ride the way that you want because it’s not always that you want to do flip double whips, and flip whips and front flips all the time” – Brett Rheeder
Brandon vs. Brett
Rivalry can only exist in a sport that has matured enough to develop a deep history and cast of characters who have challenged one another time and again. And such is the rivalry between Brandon Semenuk and Brett Rheeder, two athletes at the top of their game. While the two friends and competitors may not enjoy the ‘Brandon and Brett Show’, they agree it is a necessary evil that propells the sport of slopestyle mountain biking, driving new and emerging athletes to continue pushing the sport.
“We’re just friends. It’s all cool, I don’t picture it as a rivalry but those are guys that are ontop of the sport and pushing it, and yeah I want to beat him.” – Brandon Semenuk
“It keeps Brandon and I on our toes. We’re probably both trying to do the craziest tricks every… we’re both trying to one-up each other.” – Brett Rheeder
Specialized Skills vs. All-Around
Many young riders starting out on a mountain bike are moving directly into slopestyle given it’s rise in popularity. But for veteran athletes who began riding before it even really existed, they have pulled from a varied skill set influenced from different disciplines to bring slopestyle to where it is today. It seems that both Brett and Brandon agree that all-around experience is essential to bringing fresh approaches to slopestyle riding.
“If you’re bred into slopestyle, you’re probably going to follow the way slopestyle’s always been. But if you’re coming in with different backgrounds like enduro, crosscountry or downhill, I’m sure there’s going to be some sort of different spark.” – Brett Rheeder
Watch Red Bull Slopestyle live on Pinkbike and also available on Red Bull TV August 15th from 4:30pm – 7:30pm PST.
MENTIONS: @redbullbike
How will the sport progress, and what will the new face of slopestyle competition look like?
Two leaders of the pack, Brandon Semenuk and Brett Rheeder have a strong vision of how the sport will continue to evolve, and by no means does it show any signs of slowing down. Semenuk, a three time winner at Red Bull Joyride, and Rheeder shared their thoughts on just what will shape the future of the sport, from the stylish vs. technical progression of tricks, specialized skills vs. well-rounded riding to their very own rivalry...
Style vs. Tricks
Progression in any sport is often driven by increasing technicality; more rotations, more flips or more trick combinations push the boundaries and up the ante for athletes. Making those tricks look effortless is just as important, with style displaying a level of confidence in the execution. But then sometimes… a stylish whip just feels “You need to be fluid and consistent with your tricks, but also give it that special touch that’s kind of got that ‘wow’ factor.
"You want to do that trick and it just looks that much better than the other guy’s trick.” – Brandon Semenuk
“Sometimes it’s hard to ride the way that you want because it’s not always that you want to do flip double whips, and flip whips and front flips all the time” – Brett Rheeder
Brandon vs. Brett
Rivalry can only exist in a sport that has matured enough to develop a deep history and cast of characters who have challenged one another time and again. And such is the rivalry between Brandon Semenuk and Brett Rheeder, two athletes at the top of their game. While the two friends and competitors may not enjoy the ‘Brandon and Brett Show’, they agree it is a necessary evil that propells the sport of slopestyle mountain biking, driving new and emerging athletes to continue pushing the sport.
“We’re just friends. It’s all cool, I don’t picture it as a rivalry but those are guys that are ontop of the sport and pushing it, and yeah I want to beat him.” – Brandon Semenuk
“It keeps Brandon and I on our toes. We’re probably both trying to do the craziest tricks every… we’re both trying to one-up each other.” – Brett Rheeder
Specialized Skills vs. All-Around
Many young riders starting out on a mountain bike are moving directly into slopestyle given it’s rise in popularity. But for veteran athletes who began riding before it even really existed, they have pulled from a varied skill set influenced from different disciplines to bring slopestyle to where it is today. It seems that both Brett and Brandon agree that all-around experience is essential to bringing fresh approaches to slopestyle riding.
“If you’re bred into slopestyle, you’re probably going to follow the way slopestyle’s always been. But if you’re coming in with different backgrounds like enduro, crosscountry or downhill, I’m sure there’s going to be some sort of different spark.” – Brett Rheeder
Watch Red Bull Slopestyle live on Pinkbike and also available on Red Bull TV August 15th from 4:30pm – 7:30pm PST.
MENTIONS: @redbullbike
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Also, his bar to bar back & triple truck... f*ck it if you haven't bought the 5 dollar film yet go steal some lunch money from some kid and watch it.
Love watching these two dogfight, but I feel like Semenuk has been the innovator while Brett follows suit.
"... versus riders have lots of tricks" (Martin Söderström)
@vl95 He's probably talking about Martin Söderström who is unfortunately not gonna compete in Joyride this year due to an injury
1. There are not enough events to truly call it a series. There are just 4 Slopestyle events between March and August. Not even 1 per month. How can we expect to maintain interest and engage new fans when the last event occurred so long ago, no one can remember what happened. It's the laziest, least compelling, least marketable schedule anywhere in action sports.
2. The current system discourages athletes from participating in FMB events. Just a few years ago, it was possible to see top names competing every other week in the summer. Now, because only diamond events count to the championship, top athletes no longer feel the need to travel to great events like 26 Trix and CFF. And why should they risk injury for an event that doesn't even count? The sport pays the price because fewer headliner appearances means drawing fans to watch and become excited about the sport. Semenuk, Rheeder and Soderstrom are names that get people in the door. Without them, A course is just a heap of dirt.
Dont believe the system is self-sabotaging? Case in point, Brett Rheeder skipped CFF, and event he has gone to since forever, because he doesnt want to ruin his shot at $50k. Good for him, but the sport suffers because of a crappy championship system. What's more, Crankworx now brags that Semenuk only has to show up 3 times a year to stay relevant. Meanwhile other events draw fewer viewers and less sponsorship dollars. Slopestyle needs more great events for growth, not to hobble the ones it already has.
3. The ladder for amateurs into the diamond series has all but disappeared. There is just 1 event in the entire western hemisphere where an athlete can get noticed and possibly get an invite to a diamond event. Are you the next coming of Semenuk, but can't get out of work to travel to CO or did you have a bad day or did you catch a cold? Oh well. Grind it out for another 12 months in obscurity without any sponsor support and try again next year. It's a big FU to up-and-comers from the FMB. Thanks to point 2, this will only get worse. After all, why spend all the money on an event when none of the marquee athletes show up? It's like the leaders in the sport don't care. Oh, you think you can get rich running an event, well....
4. Diamond events can't sustain themselves. The Bearclaw Invitational was cancelled this year for lack of support. Some event organizers, like Bearclaw, aren't expecting to get rich, but they do hope they aren't going to go bankrupt over an event. If the biggest most established events are cancelling themselves for lack of sponsor support and top athletes aren't showing up and the series has no excitement around it, why should a new event take the financial risk? It would be dumb.
5. FMB is designed to line the pockets of a few, not for the benefit of the sport. How did the sport get so screwed? How did it create a format that tears down the sport rather builds it up? Just look at who's on the board. DK from Crankworx and TR from Rasolution--diamond event organizers. They've create a system that drives sponsors to their events. I mean, why would you want to sponsor a meaningless amateur event with no top name riders when you can sponsor a diamond event? Good for them. Too bad they're screwing us in the process.
But in fairness, we're all to blame. Top athletes should want to give back to the sport that has given them a career. Saying you'll only show up at three events in 12 months is not helping to grow the sport for a future generation. You're only being selfish. Athletes need to demand a system that encourages more events to drive more attention to the sport, to sell more bikes, to eventually create a bigger pool of funds for more and larger sponsorships.
And we as fans need to tell sponsors we appreciate their support.
And we all need to tell FMB that it's our sport and we expect a hell of a lot more from them than we're getting or were not going to let them drive our bus for much longer.
Big names not going simple events?Its good! Imagine, u are a good local rider and when u go some silver contests u already know, that sem/rheeder win it, is it good?Bronze/silver/gold contests is good for entry to the professional sport.Diamond are for big names.
People forget that even crankworx used to be an open qualifier and everyone had a chance to earn a spot to compete.. Remember the year they let Messere in? It wasn't as open that year as it was in the past, but with a little persuasion he was allowed to show his stuff and make a name for himself. Now days there's no chance of an unknown rider dropping in at Joyride and showing everyone what they're made of. Wasn't it so much more exciting when unknown riders could turn up and then kill it and blow everyone away?
Invite only events and the FMB are really holding the sport back from a lot of potential new stars of the sport.
1. The young guns need to compete against the top riders to get in the spotlight, to get used to the pressure and to get that good to finally win against the topriders. It`s actually a circle. The student gets the master and then get beat again by the student.
2. There need to be high level contests like the Burton Open series, that are really "open" for anybody. Last year a kid from Norway won the Burotn European Open that qualified himself whitout even having an invite for example.
3. Every contest of the FMB serie should count for the series, with more or less points to earn depending on the contests ranking. According the points you get, you should be able to qualify yourself as a young rider for a diamond or gold contest via pre-qualifiers.
That way you make it possible, that young riders get into the scene, get recognized and get better. This will make the sport more progressive and more attractive.
I mean come on, you ever tried watching him and NOT get emotional?
There's nothing at all mainstream about all the flippetty whippetyness served up at Joyride. Insanity may be more appropriate.
And let's hope that legitimacy manages to survive in the face of hastily dreamt up events involving Crimson Bovine's marketing department.
starts with his helmet...
yo semenuk is so sick best rider out there very stylish (can I have props now?)
seriously though, dont get me wrong, rheeder, semenuk all those guys, they're super smooth silky riders and they are great but Rogatkin is just so aggressive and its so refreshing..