Greg Watts eliminating Kiwi super talent Conor Macfarlane.
And they're off... Opening day at Whistler Crankworx 2016 has been and gone, but predictably did not disappoint, turning the MTB stoke up to 11 from the get-go. It seems fair to say the Speed and Style event has been something of a 'marmite' contest since it's introduction just a couple of years ago; polarising both riders and spectators into pretty clear cut groups of love or hate. Certainly, it's taken some time to fine-tune the show and figure exactly how much time should be deducted for what kind of moves out on the course, and although controversy has reared it's ugly head more than once in past times, this afternoon's antics were arguably the biggest and best yet.
A super stacked field of both old-timers and new, took to a short course featuring only two trickable jumps that initially appeared to favour the racers. However, as the sun set on the Whistler peaks the results board told a very different story... Huge moves as gargantuan as a cork 7 and as epic as a double backflip stole the show and after a battle of the 'bros', an ex-Joyride champ scrapped all the way to the end to relive some memories of a lifetime once again on top of the box.
Thunderbuddies for life; the races were where it all began for Zink 'n' Lyle.
Steez vs Storch. Van Steenbergen and Storch were head to head with the advantage to Storch when the Rocky Mountain rider slipped heading into the second jump of their second head to head run and was forced to take the max time penalty vs Van Steenbergen.
Adrien Loron didn't have the Speed and Style fortune he hoped for, but luckily there's always the brand new pumptrack set-up in the days ahead for a top result.
Crankworx spectating at it's finest.
Zink leading out TVS before crashing out in the second heat.
Carson Storch in destroy mode.
No one goes bigger than Carson Storch... not even Tyler McCaul.
R Dog vs Van Steenbergen. No hard feelings.
The bar just got raised... Szymon Godziek introducing the cork 7 to speed and style.
Brenden Howey slipped in the same dust that took out Storch. On the lip of the second jump, all Howey could do was watch the other Van Steenbergen front flip to victory for the round.
Cam Zink and Tom Van Steenbergen in the gate.
Rotorua champ, Tomas Slavik, couldn't match Genon in the round of 16 with the modified trick rewards set-up.
Style vs Style: Van Steenbergen vs R-Dog.
R-dog and T-Mac talk the talk and walk the walk.
The Arrival of Mitch Ropelato.
Speed vs Style: Genon easily taking out Ropelato despite Ropelato's sheer speed. Genon simpy had more style.
In a league of his own this afternoon... Tommy G.
R-dog flips to victory while Lemoine tuck-spins.
Greg Watts going head to head with Vencl. They were on par for speed, but Vencl edged out Watts with style.
Vencle with X'd up flip vs Watts' run of the mill flip.
Kerr took out BMX boss, Nobles, to advance into the quarter finals.
Speed vs Style... when it's this close, you pull out your bag of tricks. Barry Nobles pulling a tailwhip out of the bag to edge out last year's "King of Crankworx", Bernard Kerr. But it wasn't to be enough.
With a pneumatic gate fail, the Crankworx team had to go full manual.
Canadian, Zander Geddes, on the attack against Jakub Vencl of the Czech Republic.
Vencl trumping Geddes' suicide for the win.
Tom Van Steenbergen could do this all day... and he did.
R-dog and TVS about to drop bombs.
The short but sweet course definitely brought out some of the best S&S action we've seen to date.
Semi Final action saw Vencl backflipping vs Tom Van Steenbergen's front flip.
Flat versus flipped; Genon versus Vencl in the super final.
The golden boy in golden light.
Roosting into the finish area to wait for the judges calculations to roll in for the first heat.
Brother vs brother in the small final: Van Steenbergen vs Van Steenbergen.
Tom Van Steenbergen had to think of a new trick to beat his brother and a double flip, you know, 'came to mind' as he put it.
The Van Steenbergen bros pretty much stole the show out there today.
Just one more perfectly executed 360-table for the win.
Vencl and Genon almost exactly neck and neck for speed in the final run.
It's been a few years and a lot of water under the bridge since Tommy G took a win in Whistler... now he's back with his inaugural Speed and Style victory.
Tomas Genon high-fiving his worthy adversaries: Jakub Vencl in second and Tom Van Steenbergen in third.
// Results
MENTIONS: @natedh9 / @meagerdude
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
-
About Us
Contacts FAQ Terms of Use Privacy Policy Sign Up! Sitemap -
Advertise
Advertising -
Cool Features
Submit a Story Product Photos Videos Privacy Request -
RSS
Pinkbike RSS Pinkbike Twitter Pinkbike Facebook Pinkbike Youtube
Copyright © 2000 - 2023. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv65 0.048043
Wish an organizer would rename the Fox Air DH to the Fox Chainsaw Air DH. That race belonged to him.