Slavik and Kintner Take Speed and Style Wins
The determination of a winner shining through, Tomas Slavik gets ready for his first Crankworx in five years. (Photo by Clint Trahan/Crankworx)
Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style delivers the first female winner in the sport
Speed definitely blew style right out of the water in New Zealand during the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style at Crankworx Rotorua Thursday, although the first female winner ever named in the sport brought her own flare to the track.
Thursday evening’s race saw Jill KINTNER (USA) top Casey BROWN (CAN) in the inaugural Dual Speed & Style women's finals; however, it was fourcross dominator Tomas Slavik’s victorious return to Crankworx, which really stole the show.
“I wasn’t expecting that I could win the race with just speed. Everyone was talking about what tricks they were going to do and I didn’t have any option; I’m a racer at heart and that’s what I do. For the next races, I hope to bring more tricks to make it even better for me,” said Slavik, who described his win as “unreal.”
It has been five years since Slavik competed at Crankworx and his approach, more dual slalom than slopestyle, proved just too efficient for the 2014 CLIF Bar Dual Speed and Style Champion Kyle Strait, who took out heavily favoured Swede Martin SOEDERSTROM (SWE) en route to second.
Nicholi Rogatkin pumps around a berm in the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style at Crankworx in Rotorua, New Zealand. (Photo by Clint Trahan/Crankworx)
Speed and Style is a signature Crankworx creation, which challenges head-to-head competitors to balance the need for speed against extra points for stylish tricks, and Strait pulled out his best freestyle prowess as he tried to battle back from a 1.08 differential in the final run of the competition. Throwing down a low backflip barspin, then a double tailwhip, he pulled into the finish coral to find the cheers from the crowd were not enough. He finished .82 behind Slavik, after the cumulative total for the two runs was calculated, for second place.
The third-place matchup, meanwhile, proved a hotbed of controversy after Adrien LORON (FRA) was disqualified in the semi-final for a false start, forcing him to miss out on the finals. He argued he should be able to punch the gate before regrouping for a third place finish against Greg WATTS (USA).
“I did it and I was DQ’d and it happens. Few runs before, someone did it and no one said anything – no one complained about it. So I said okay, if someone else can do it, I can too,” explained Loron.
Seattle's Jill Kintner sizes up the course and the competition in practice for the first time women would make the finals in a Crankworx Dual Speed & Style competition in Rotorua, New Zealand. (Photo by Clint Trahan/Crankworx)
Bernard Kerr, Speed & Style World Championship in 2015, did not compete, having withdrawn due to shoulder injury.
Kintner, who has admitted to chasing hard for the Queen of Crankworx 2016, was thrilled to take the first female win in the sport and her first win in the 2016 Crankworx World Tour season.
“It’s cool to pioneer a new discipline. It’s not an easy event. These kickers are big and a lot different to what we’re used to. I’m glad it was just for speed, and not style, cause I’m sure Brown would have had something to say about that,” she said as the event ended.
Men’s winner:
1. Tomas SLAVIK (CZE)
2. Kyle STRAIT (USA)
3. Adrien LORON (FRA)
Women’s winner:
1. Jill KINTNER (USA)
2. Casey BROWN (CAN)
Crankworx runs from March 9-13, 2016. Events include the Rotorua Pump Track Challenge presented by RockShox, Crankworx Rotorua Downhill presented by iXS, Crankworx Rotorua Air Downhill, Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle, Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style, Official Oceania Whip-Off Championships presented by SPANK and the Giant Toa Enduro. There will also be an expo at the Skyline Gravity Park, food and entertainment.
Crankworx is broadcast live from Crankworx.com, Pinkbike.com and the Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle is live on Red Bull TV.
Broadcast schedule:
• Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style: Thursday, Mar. 10, 5-7 p.m. NZDT; Wednesday, Mar. 9 8-10 p.m. PST; Thursday, Mar. 10 5-7 a.m. CET
• Rotorua Pump Track Challenge presented by RockShox: Friday, Mar. 11, 7-9 p.m. NZDT; Thursday, Mar. 10-midnight PST; Friday, Mar. 11 7-9 a.m. CET
• Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle: Saturday, Mar.12 3-5:30 p.m. NZDT; Friday, Mar. 11, 6-8:30 p.m. PST; Saturday, March 12 3-5:30 a.m. CET
• Crankworx Rotorua Downhill presented by iXS: Sunday, Mar. 13 2:30-5:30 p.m. NZDT; Saturday, Mar. 12 5:30-8:30 p.m. PST; Sunday, Mar. 13 2:30-5:30 a.m. CET
Mons Royale rider Conor Macfarlane keeps the tongue in check in a cheeky Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style at Crankworx Rotorua. (Photo by Clint Trahan/Crankworx)
Kyle Strait and Tomas Slavik pose it up at the base of the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style course at Crankworx Rotorua, in New Zealand, after Slavik took Strait in the final match up. (Photo by Clint Trahan/Crankworx)
Kyle Strait definitely pulled out the stylish moves as he took on fourcross champion Tomas Slavik in the Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style, and it very nearly worked, bringing him inches from victory.
Adrien Loron and Tomas Slavik battle in Mons Royale Dual Speed and Style at Crankworx in Rotorua, New Zealand. (Photo by Clint Trahan/Crankworx)
MENTIONS: @officialcrankworx
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PS srry im slaviks mechanic
And judges said it in live stream...he just did same thing like Bernard kerr in crankworx l2a
Scrubbing a jump saves you more than 1 second compared to doing a trick that scores 100. Therefore speed will always trump style.
L2A's rules were a joke too, Kerr shouldn't have won then either.
If Speed and Style continues to be won with only speed, you'll see 4x racers coming out of the woodwork, then we'd see Slavic get his ass whooped by real racers. The others weren't "slow" they pulled massive tricks.
You mean the same Thomas Slavik that pipped Jarred Graves to the 4X World Cup?