Crankworx Colorado 2008 - Day 3 - Slope Style Finals

Today was the main event, the big money and what the majority of the spectators came up to watch… but to no one's surprise we awoke to grey gloomy skies and thunder shower warnings. It seems that for most of the bike events it will rain or be really windy on the main event day, and it wasn't going to change for Crankworx Colorado. The practice was very windy and cloudy but when the semi-finals started it all cleared up and was nice, hot and sunny. The Lacondeguy’s were the first riders to drop in since they missed qualifying and practice due to 3 days of canceled flights in Spain, but they definitely didn’t look rusty as their normal confidence and go big style came right out to line up with the top riders from the weekend.

Videos and pics inside!
As the semi-finals continued, the riders started to push the bar higher as more tricks were thrown off different features then we had seen in practice or the qualifiers. But soon the black clouds came over the mountain tops to pour down the rain, thunder and lighting so the organizers had to put a hold on the slope-style.

There was lots of rain and we didn’t really know what to do.

by ryMY21

Add to Favorites Added to Favorites Views: 6,171    Faves: 14    Comments: 3

After the heavy rain hadn’t stopped after half an hour, we decided to make the haul into the village for some food and hot chocolate. An hour passed and the rain all of a sudden stopped and switched for mid 20 degree temperatures and sun! The contest was quickly called on again and everyone took their places back on course. The semi-finals finished with clean runs from everyone making it very difficult for the judges to select the 10 finalists but here is how it ended up.


Semi-Finals top 10:

1. Brandon Semenuk
2. Cam McCaul
3. Kelly McGarry
4. Andrew Taylor
5. Jamie Goldman
6. Cam Zink
7. Tyler McCaul
8. Greg Watts
9. Justin Wyper
10. Alex Prochazka

The finals were just as entertaining as the semi for the first half of the group, but once it got to Cam Zink then the competition exploded in a game of best trick off every jump and drop, with the next rider doing something new that bumped out the rider before them. Cam Zink started it off with spinning the biggest and first drop on course where he followed it up with another spin off the wall ride drop, a noc off the box, and flipping the step down. Goldman was next to blow away the competition with a 3 out of the peanut butter cup and flip-one-foot-x up off the last step down drop.

Andrew Taylor was next up on the mossy rock drop in and knew he had to step it up for the top spot… he drops in and kills his run with the first spin out of the toilet bowl then into the jumps with a massive flip tuck no hander followed up by an equally as big superman flip! A tailwhip up the step up, flip table off the step down and 3 off the last drop following the quarter bumped A.T. up into first place and continued to put the major pressure on the remaining completion.


Kelly McGarry opted out of his final run and decided to keep the score from his semi-final so next up was Cam McCaul. The crowd was roaring, knowing McCaul had something up his sleeve as he dropped into the course with a barspin to table off the first drop. Barspin into the peanut butter cup and tailwhip out where he took the line into the box jump. Barspin onto the box and the first super seat off of the weekend, flip up the step up and cork flip down the step down followed by another barspin off the final drop! The crowd was stoked, Cam was stoked and the judges agreed, bumping McCaul into 1st place.


Brandon Semenuk was last in line and currently sitting in 4th place from his semi-final run so he knew he had to step it up again, but that isn’t so easy following a run like Cam’s. With the crowd once again on their feet, he dropped in with a picture perfect noc off the first drop and into the curve wall. Tuck no hander up into the peanut butter cup and 3-xup out, barspin into the toilet bowl with a shoulder buzz out and into the jump line. Truck driver off the first jump followed with a perfect Indian air on the 2nd jump, flip up the step up, butter smooth tailwhip down the step down, barspin on the quarter and finishing with a 3 off the drop! Everyone knew he just took the title and went nuts when the scores came up on the big screen.

Branden Semenuk - Crankworx Colorado 08

by ryMY21

Add to Favorites Added to Favorites Views: 10,531    Faves: 32    Comments: 10

Right after the scores were announced, the thunder and rain started again and proceeded on until Brandon received his first ever Crankworx Colorado medal and first ever Gold in any freeride event.


1. Brandon Semenuk
2. Andrew Taylor
3. Cam McCaul
4. Cam Zink
5. Jamie Goldman
6. Tyler McCaul
7. Kelly McGarry
8. Greg Watts
9. Justin Wyper
10. Alex Prochazka
11. Geoff Gulevich
12. Graham Agassiz
13. Mitch Chubey
14. Kurt Sorge
15. Andreu Lecondeguy
16. Logan Binggeli
17. Kyle McDonald
18. Brendan Howey
19. Logan Peat
20. Dave Smutok
21. Nate Atams
22. Louis Lacondeguy

Day 1 Coverage.
Day 2 Coverage.

More of Mike Reid's Crankworx Colorado pics here.

All event coverage of Crankworx Colorado 2008 by Ryan Meyer with pics by Mike Reid.

Posted In:
Stories Crankworx Reader Stories