Pinkbike Awards: Slopestyle/Freeride Athlete of the Year Nominees
Imagine for a moment that Messi, Ronaldo, and Ibrahimović decided to abandon FIFA and start their own league. However, instead of playing massive stadiums, they hosted matches in their hometowns and invited their friends to come play - no live TV, few spectators. Now change those names to Lacondeguy, Agassiz, and Sorge, and that’s exactly what we’ve seen. 2014 marked a schism between the organized and codified slopestyle/freeride circuit of the FMB, and the new, wild west of the FEST Series. On one side, we saw riders like Brandon Semenuk and Brett Rheeder linking up the most technical tricks imaginable in FMB Diamond events; meanwhile, Nico Vink, Makken, Sorge, and Aggy were busy building the biggest sets of jumps ever hit on mountain bikes for their FEST jams. At Red Bull Rampage we saw the culmination of a season’s worth of progression from the top riders in the sport, however only one man can be named slopestyle/freeride athlete of the year. - Scott Secco
• Brandon Semenuk
Where to begin? The only three time FMB Overall Champion; he’s won it three out of the five years it’s existed (‘11, ’12, and ’14), as well as the only three-time winner of the Red Bull Joyride, Semenuk also won District Ride, placed second at the Bearclaw Invitational, and third at Rampage. Additionally, he starred in Brandon Semenuk’s Rad Company, where he stomped the first mountain bike 720 ever done on a stepdown (he was also the first to land one in competition). His versatility on dirt jumps and big mountain terrain is virtually unmatched. Semenuk's contest results, and incomparable consistency, have already cemented his status as the most dominant slopestyle athlete of all time. The scariest part is, he's still only 23.
Where to begin? The only three time FMB Overall Champion; he’s won it three out of the five years it’s existed (‘11, ’12, and ’14), as well as the only three-time winner of the Red Bull Joyride, Semenuk also won District Ride, placed second at the Bearclaw Invitational, and third at Rampage. Additionally, he starred in Brandon Semenuk’s Rad Company, where he stomped the first mountain bike 720 ever done on a stepdown (he was also the first to land one in competition). His versatility on dirt jumps and big mountain terrain is virtually unmatched. Semenuk's contest results, and incomparable consistency, have already cemented his status as the most dominant slopestyle athlete of all time. The scariest part is, he's still only 23.
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• Brett Rheeder
In 2013 Brett Rheeder gave us a preview of what he was capable of, winning the first ever X-Games slopestyle gold, but an unfortunate crash at Crankworx Les 2 Alpes left him out of contention for the remainder of contest season. 2014 saw him back at full strength and it was a sight to behold. Rheeder won the Colorado Freeride Fest, City 8, and the Vienna Air King (for the second year in a row), as well as unseating his teammate and main rival Semenuk at the Diamond level Bearclaw Invitational. Their battle for the FMB was the main storyline all year and saw Rheeder taking silver at Joyride and District Ride behind Semenuk. Rheeder’s fifth place at the Red Bull Rampage was his strongest result there to date and the progression of his DH riding has been remarkable (especially given the lack of mountains near his home in Ontario). Rheeder has climbed steadily up the FMB ranks: 4th in 2012, 3rd, in 2013, and now 2nd in 2014. Will 2015 be his year to claim the title? If his Horsepower video is anything to go by, he’ll be giving the rest of the FMB everything they can handle.
In 2013 Brett Rheeder gave us a preview of what he was capable of, winning the first ever X-Games slopestyle gold, but an unfortunate crash at Crankworx Les 2 Alpes left him out of contention for the remainder of contest season. 2014 saw him back at full strength and it was a sight to behold. Rheeder won the Colorado Freeride Fest, City 8, and the Vienna Air King (for the second year in a row), as well as unseating his teammate and main rival Semenuk at the Diamond level Bearclaw Invitational. Their battle for the FMB was the main storyline all year and saw Rheeder taking silver at Joyride and District Ride behind Semenuk. Rheeder’s fifth place at the Red Bull Rampage was his strongest result there to date and the progression of his DH riding has been remarkable (especially given the lack of mountains near his home in Ontario). Rheeder has climbed steadily up the FMB ranks: 4th in 2012, 3rd, in 2013, and now 2nd in 2014. Will 2015 be his year to claim the title? If his Horsepower video is anything to go by, he’ll be giving the rest of the FMB everything they can handle.
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• Anthony Messere
The former ‘fifteen-year-old phenom’ is all grown up. By winning Crankworx Les 2 Alpes, Anthony Messere was the lone rider to crack Semenuk and Rheeder’s podium duopoly on the FMB this year. Messere also finished third at Joyride, and fourth at District Ride, the Bearclaw Invitational, and City 8. This consistency landed him third overall in the FMB standings (and put Morpheus Cycles second on the FMB factory team rankings, nearly singlehandedly). We’ve always known that Messere has a deep bag of tricks, it was simply a matter of time before he put them all together in one run. We’ve seen how much one win can boost a rider’s confidence, and we’re betting he’ll be hungrier than ever to claim more gold next year.
The former ‘fifteen-year-old phenom’ is all grown up. By winning Crankworx Les 2 Alpes, Anthony Messere was the lone rider to crack Semenuk and Rheeder’s podium duopoly on the FMB this year. Messere also finished third at Joyride, and fourth at District Ride, the Bearclaw Invitational, and City 8. This consistency landed him third overall in the FMB standings (and put Morpheus Cycles second on the FMB factory team rankings, nearly singlehandedly). We’ve always known that Messere has a deep bag of tricks, it was simply a matter of time before he put them all together in one run. We’ve seen how much one win can boost a rider’s confidence, and we’re betting he’ll be hungrier than ever to claim more gold next year.
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• Cam Zink
Cam Zink is the most progressive rider in mountain biking. It may sound like hyperbole, but really, it’s hard to overstate the importance of him. Over the past five years he’s singlehandedly changed our understanding of what’s possible on a full suspension mountain bike. In 2014 Zink set two Guinness World Records: for the biggest backflip ever done on a mountain bike, at 100 feet (30.48m), and by clearing the longest gap ever, at 119 feet (36.27m). Zink also won a silver medal at Red Bull Rampage (adding to his gold from 2010, and bronze from 2013) and best trick, stomping possibly the biggest 360 drop ever done (which he landed, twice). And while he may not have had the results he wanted on the slopestyle side this year (12th at Crankwox L2A and 17th at Joyride), that’s a reflection of bad luck and crashes, rather than a lack of podium-worthy tricks. If you thought being a father would slow Zink down, guess again.
Cam Zink is the most progressive rider in mountain biking. It may sound like hyperbole, but really, it’s hard to overstate the importance of him. Over the past five years he’s singlehandedly changed our understanding of what’s possible on a full suspension mountain bike. In 2014 Zink set two Guinness World Records: for the biggest backflip ever done on a mountain bike, at 100 feet (30.48m), and by clearing the longest gap ever, at 119 feet (36.27m). Zink also won a silver medal at Red Bull Rampage (adding to his gold from 2010, and bronze from 2013) and best trick, stomping possibly the biggest 360 drop ever done (which he landed, twice). And while he may not have had the results he wanted on the slopestyle side this year (12th at Crankwox L2A and 17th at Joyride), that’s a reflection of bad luck and crashes, rather than a lack of podium-worthy tricks. If you thought being a father would slow Zink down, guess again.
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• Andreu Lacondeguy
Andreu Lacondeguy introduced himself to the mountain bike world through his iconic dirt jump segments in the New World Disorder series. What people didn’t realize was that he’d raced downhill for years and possessed those bike-handling skills too. After finishing in fourth at the Red Bull Rampage in 2010, 2012, and 2013, Lacondeguy was hell bent on taking the win this year. That run is now history and landed him atop the Rampage podium for the first time. After watching him ride all season in the FEST Series it should have been obvious that he was out for blood – he flipped an 85-foot jump at Loosefest after all. The FEST Series would not have been as entertaining or popular without the riding and rockstar attitude Lacondeguy brings to the sport. He’s been saying it for years, ‘’the jumps are too small man!’’ We can’t wait to see what Andreu does next.
Andreu Lacondeguy introduced himself to the mountain bike world through his iconic dirt jump segments in the New World Disorder series. What people didn’t realize was that he’d raced downhill for years and possessed those bike-handling skills too. After finishing in fourth at the Red Bull Rampage in 2010, 2012, and 2013, Lacondeguy was hell bent on taking the win this year. That run is now history and landed him atop the Rampage podium for the first time. After watching him ride all season in the FEST Series it should have been obvious that he was out for blood – he flipped an 85-foot jump at Loosefest after all. The FEST Series would not have been as entertaining or popular without the riding and rockstar attitude Lacondeguy brings to the sport. He’s been saying it for years, ‘’the jumps are too small man!’’ We can’t wait to see what Andreu does next.
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Stay tuned for more PB MTB Awards nominees all month.
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i love em all though. cool dudes.
These two categories of riding are so vastly different....