Brett Rheeder Announces He Won't Be Competing at Crankworx Rotorua

 This is the way

 Good for Brett.

 This comment. *bows head*

 No way is the new way it seems. As long as it keeps the riders healthy and happy then we are all for it.

 I have spoken

 This is the way once you've established yourself in Freeride and don't feel like keeping up with the progression of the tricks in slopestyle. Lacondaguy and Semenuk did this also, Slopestlye is more for the young guys.

 Semenuk's way IS the way si its thé way

 @prenderville @gline1234 this is the way

 I don't think they're big pals lol

 I would imagine being at Rheeders caliber and seeing Semenuk not competing but still enjoying creative projects, spending time pursuing many other things while still garnering the respect of mtb'ing seems pretty enticing. I think Semenuk outlined in a recent magazine interview what stepping away from comp meant for his career and how he has to carefully move forward and make sure he's bringing something of value to the table for sponsorship and stuff.

Brandons life looks very fulfilling right now. If Rheeder feels there's a hole, hopefully he can carve out a unique path for himself to feel better about where he's at. What slopestyle is today is a pretty fresh development in mountain biking, it went from grassroots-feeling to massive in under a decade, and I would imagine though exciting as it is, it's probably a stark difference from what made mountain biking fun for a lot of the current athletes when they started out. Not to say it isn't fun, but it certainly can be what Rheeder coins as "robotic". Rheeder's also in a position now to explore other things with his time, funds and support system so he absolutely should go digging around to see what brings him fulfillment.

 @anchoricex: very nicely put!

 @anchoricex: Well said !

 @Boosting: I don't think so either, but I wish they were. They seem like Kindred spirits in many ways, they could progress each other so much and make such cool content. Friends instead of rivals, like Bart and Cru!

 Maybe a Rheeder vs. Semenuk in the PB hot lap

 @BiNARYBiKE: Semenuk’s telling him now that he’s never allowed to touch his drum kit but they’ll be best friends soon.

 @anchoricex: here here

 @Boosting: Not sure where you’re getting this. They are both on the same team and have a history of riding and competing together. Pinkbike and media created rivalries mean nothing in the real world.

 @BiNARYBiKE: maybe they will be inspired when Rad is re-released in 4K next month.

 @MattyBoyR6: wait. Is that a thing? Because if so you just made my life.

 @BiNARYBiKE: I've seen it announced in two places. The first and I don't know why you aren't following the page already is Facebook's Rad The Movie page www.facebook.com/themovierad/?__tn__=%2Cd%2CP-R&eid=ARD0D_6YldeN6jK0AADayQY8gVeYR8QVWiqKo6u7PuzzI1bqE9WuzRnDD4JeUyLLURk70ifNcoSfafFT

which links to the 2nd, the SXSW announcement. So not a Blu Ray release yet but good god why wouldn't they.
www.indiewire.com/2020/02/sxsw-2020-film-additions-midnighters-slate-1202208494

And, finally, tucked away in the festival’s Special Events section is perhaps the most “SXSW” offering in recent memory: a 4K restoration of Hal Needham’s seminal motocross cult classic, “RAD!”

“RAD!​” (1986) 4K Restoration (2019)
Director: Hal Needham, Screenwriters: Sam Bernard, Geoffrey Edwards
A bicycle-motocrosser tries to enter a corrupt promoter’s nationally televised cash-prize race. Cast: Bill Allen, Lori Loughlin, Talia Shire, Ray Walston

 @MattyBoyR6: awesome. I have a bootleg DVD of the movie that someone made. I had always heard that Talia Shire held the rights and wouldn’t let it be reproduced. Which is insane. Hard to understate the amount of stoke Rad gave me about bikes! PS you might not remember me but if you’re the same MattyBoyR6, we met years ago in the glory days of the NRA pit.

 @BiNARYBiKE: Yeah man that is me from the pit. We were just out there this last weekend. There were so many trucks parked there I haven't seen it like that in 10 yrs. There were some dues getting real sendy and great style. I'm trying to resurrect B line & built a gap to table to get people comfortable with gaps. But, well, I've got to admit I don't recognize your screen name. Ahhh I just watched your video on your profile and recognized your name. Video makes me want to go ride San Tan and give it a shot.

 I couldn't agree more. Pilgs said same a few years ago. The pressure is crushing, the fear of failure must be mind-altering. It's no surprise that comps are for young up and comers, and then as soon as they can retire from competition and still get paid, they do.

 In more recent years, as the level of slopestyle has increased phenomenally, I've considered the pressure must be similar to what an Olympic Gymnast feels. Such precise concentration required every time with high consequence outcome from event the slightest timing error. These guys are computing next level physics equations in their heads... in the moment... Top level slopestyle is incredible.

 @Dropthedebt: Do you have a specific event in mind? For sure the *uneven bars* routine would be problematic for most slopestyle athletes.

 Sure, going fast is easy, and no pressure at all. Duh

 If Semenuk and Rheeder both show up only for Joyride in the next years, we already might have that competition!

 Agreed, clash of the Titans!!

 I think for sure historically those two were largely in a league of their own. I would say though that the gap isn't the same as it used to be with athletes like Emil and Dawid also checking the tech, stylish and "how can a human do that?" boxes. This year should be exciting. I would love to see a Rheeder and Semenuk "fest" type jam where they just do their craziest things without scores.

 be your own boss, its a reality most people can achieve if they want it

 @lognar: Wow, I'd love to have a bussiness where I can say the same shit to my clients and still make a living from it

 @brooce So, Rheeder probably made over $100k in comp prize money and bonuses. Video content costs money to produce and has little to no incentives/bonuses. So, Rheeder not competing is a huge decline in his bottom line, in other words, you don't know what you are talking about.

 The only thing stopping you... is you.

 If you are one of the world´s best at what you do, your boss might actually agree.

 @yakimonti: Just curious, do you actually know any details of a professional rider's finances? I would bet he could do this without taking a significant hit. In fact, I doubt he would do it otherwise. But I could be wrong.

 @lognar: Everybody has a "boss." But some are much better than others!

 @BiNARYBiKE: Born in the USA is a lot better than his latest stuff

 @lognar: I’m my own boss, I can’t take a year off. LOL, that would end my business. But I do get ride in the middle of the day during the week. So there perks!

 @Dropthedebt: what you did there. I see it.

 Was going to write the same. Thats why the "knuckle huck" contest of the last Xgames was favored. It brought back some creativity.

 @SickEdit: you’re right, big air was boring to watch compared to the knuckle huck!

 @5afety3rd: Knuckle huck was the only thing I could sit through. Felt like the old days when it was about creativity and camaraderie rather than pure precision.

 Second this too

 What you are saying is true but you can’t blame the judges. It’s just the nature of contest riding. Always has been. They have to reward progression. There is no other way to really judge these guys. It a nice concept to say they should reward ‘true style’ but let’s honest, all these guys have crazy good style if the are pulling less difficult tricks. In biking everyone can throw a big styling whips or 360s. Same with snowboarding. All the top riders can throw big styling three 360’s or methods or back 1’s etc. That stuff is fun to watch but impossible to judge in a contest because they can all do it. That’s why you see it more in video parts and movies.

 2019 World surfing champion Clarissa Moore has just announced she's doing this exact thing as well, taking next season off the WSL to so a film and generally have adventures. There may be sponsor issues as well, the bottom is currently dropping out of the surf sponsor market for example, and riders may feel they might as well explore other options, but I think everyone, including sponsors sees the limitations of judged competition.

 @The-Foiling-Optimist: Well I thinks it depends on the athlete. I think in a sense an athlete has to earn the right to do this. Look at the people who are doing it recently. Semenuk, Rheeder, Cam Zink, Carissa Moore in surfing, Sage Kotsenburg in snowboarding. They, and most of other who have done this prior are all highly accomplished athletes who have won contests on the highest levels. They've gained that exposure so they can now take that following to other avenues. You aren't likely to see lesser athletes who have never won anything announcing they are done competing while still keeping all their sponsors.

 @sino428: earn what? The right to create an advertising revenue outlet for sponsors outside the contest structure? Contests are one thing. A stage to create revenue. There’s plenty of athletes in other sports breaking ground in video parts because they can channel their creativity or possibly try a trick dozens of times until it’s pulled. Names like bmxer Nathan Wlliams (check out his 2017 Etnies Chapters part (spoiler, it was better than Semenuk’s part in the same vid)) skaters Aaron Homoki (Jaws) and Rodney Mullen, and Daewon Song... or when Danny way invented Big Air for a DC video part (which became a contest later)

 @5afety3rd: the conversation here is about contest riders who are quiting contests to do other things. There are a lot of successful athletes who have skipped the contest route all together but that’s no relevant go the topic at hand. An athlete who gains notoriety by competing isn’t likely going to be able to simply leave the contest scene with the support of all their sponsors unless they have had a lot of success.

 @sino428: the conversatIon is whatever we make of it. Rheeder never needed to compete in the first place to “earn” the right to do anything.

 @The-Foiling-Optimist: who's Clarissa?

 @sino428: it definitely changes expectations and contracts. But today more than ever before the right athletes are still very valuable to brands as content creators.

Rheeder is still going to compete... and create content. I’d actually like to see him change his structure a bit and win king of crankworx. Lol.

 @5afety3rd: until you get past your infatuation with the word ‘earn’ your never going to grasp the context of this conversation.

 @sino428: Danny Macaskill? Also Hans Rey, Ryan Leech and Jeff Lensoky. The latter three actually did win lots of stuff but in a sufficiently obscure sport that you might experience sudden onset narcolepsy before getting to the end of my (hypothetical) extremely detailed post on that topic. Trials is where you really see the limits of the competition paradigm. Bike trials competition has being going on at a world level for more than 40 years, is refereed but not judged on style so is in a sense more legit that freestyle sports, but compared to videos and demos, it's remarkable the extent to which the outside world isn't interested.

 @sino428: until you get your tongue out of your ass, you'll never taste what's i'm cooking

 eDirtjumping... the steerer tube has a motor to spin itself

 a hungry caterpillar ride of emotions

 A glass house of emotions

 A blow it out of proportion level of emotions

 @mi-bike: my thoughts exactly

 @blaklabl: fanboys gonna fanboy

 I second this.

 Emil

 @sspiff: Emil Johansen, Thomas Genon....

 Rotateking is truly americanizing the sport. His riding is bigger, riskier, more spectacular but at the same time quite characterless and missing those little perfectionist tweaks that the some others put into their style. Don't get me wrong. His sportsmanship and hyped up motivation is contagious and I wouldn't want to dismiss him from the scene.

 @colincolin: Risky, spectacular, and super technical is the character of Rogatkin. The natural progression of any sport like Slopestlye is more technical tricks, it's what gets you higher scores, wins, and sponsors. Calling it robotic is true in a sense but also minimizes the progressive accomplishments of others and how spectacular some of the tricks actually are. Anybody who implies fans don't want to see progress is in denial, it's one of the most exciting aspects of these types of sports.

As more of these guys get into freeride, and the trick level of Rampage starts to elevate, expect Rampage to get more robotic in its progression. But the steep lines at Rampage will always separate it from Slopestlye and keep it unique.

 To be that fluid and dialed requires a massive amount of robotic-like practice when not in front of the contest cameras and crowds. I see this as a good thing. A vast majority of bmx riders don’t compete, they work on creative projects to push themselves and their way of interpreting riding a bicycles. MTB needs more of exactly that, emphasis on trail and flow interpretations, less emphasis on the clock or the judging. Being yourself and showing that to world for a paycheck. It’s art in motion we can all enjoy!

 Shimano jumpin on their video game.

 Lolz

 Style not allowed, only robots.

 @5afety3rd: Rogatkin has a sick style

 Sounds like they both need to check-in with you first.

 Harden essentially plays streeball- all ISO and no defense

 @Staktup: Touche

 he won 2018

 sorry, meant to say win Rampage again