Video Highlights: Slopestyle - Crankworx Whistler 2018

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"I wasn't mentally and physically ready to compete in Europe because I was busy with my short film. It totally went to show, like with my riding. I was busy filming. I wasn't busy getting ready for those contests. It killed me to give that triple crown to him because that's basically what I did."

 @dawgdude that's what I took from it too. they got #butthurt

 Rogatkin should have told Rheeder- sorry I didn't have time to mop the floor with your laim video because I was winning too many comps. We all know that's not his style, he actually has class , personality and can speak intelligently= the tripple crown.

 @fecalmaster: He should be sorry for putting extra spin on a 720.

 Hahaha, sorry I got way more amplitude, landing perfect center sweet spot both runs, as well as perfect pedals, plus changed up my second run on the fly and only been riding slope style 4 years.

 @fecalmaster: I picture your hahaha as a slow Jabba the Hut type laugh. It made me smile.

 @bizutch: Why you trying to picture me

 Yeah, was a little put off with bag checks, and VIP ticket zones. The cops were making people dump their booze (which I can't blame them..) but yeah was pretty subdued to me.

 I think the main reason was the weather, that smoke was relentless all week. . The two nights prior, the pump track race & dual slalom didn't have a ton of people there. Whistler in general was pretty tame.

Or it could be that Whistler is now a worldwide destination after the Olympics. I think a lot of vacationers are pushing the younger crowd out. If you can't get a room at a reasonable price you just can't go. And families most likely out plan the rowdy crowd. I saw many 3 generation families from Europe having a great time, although they weren't there for CW.

But the sport, this event & Whistler is maturing. It's not just filled with a bunch of guys in their teens and 20's riding at Whistler because there is no other place like it. Not anymore.

The last Crankworx I went to was over a decade ago, it was a party no doubt & in comparison I was also disappointed in the crowd initially. The last 3 runs they opened up a bit. But I wouldn't blame the event really or the weather. In the end it's the stoked fans that didn't show up.

That being said I had a blast & will never forget this trip.

 I've only ever heard that coming to ride during Crankworx, you have to skip stuff due to taped off events and that the lines are long and the trails are dusty and blown out that week. So I'd venture to guess that is a deterrent for many who have gone in the past. But at the same time, I'm so sick of seeing all the guys I know that ride posting pics of them ALL there this week. And I'm in North Carolina, USA. Feels like half my riding community is there...and they're not posting pics of pros. They're in Squamish and back country riding at Whistler.

 @bizutch: yea dude it’s getting very monetized I feel, only a matter of time that it requires a ticket to event get up the hill at all to watch...I’m up for the whole summer pretty much so I avoid the park too, as the lines are long and the trails full of people riding the trails for the first time and they get wrecked by the races.

 @bizutch: Exactly right. The only people I know who go are either doing it for a one-time experience or because they have a reason to be there for the contest. The few times I've been up there its always been a few weeks before Crankworx and a week before or after the Iron Man race. Sure its a legendary event that would be awesome to see, but I'm not spending my vaca time/money just to watch other people ride.

It has nothing to do with prices or the trail conditions (its always expensive, the trails were insanely blown out this year regardless and only a few sections of A-line are closed before the event along with the boneyard- still plenty to ride), it has everything to do with the crowds. I feel like the best times riding are when its the smallest crowd and it seems a lot share the same opinion. It gives you more time to rip instead of standing around.

 Bag checks?! Damn
How do you even enforce that with that many people there

 @JustinLund: "That's not my bag baby!"

 @JustinLund: they had fences dude. The whole lower part of HOD was fenced off to stop people sneaking around. It was wack!! I get that drinking in public is a crime and all but kokane sponsers the damn event lol

 the oppo, first flat backflip tailwhip, frontflip barspin to tuck i mean .. if the sports wants progression they shouldnt give that many points to a twister and a triple tailwhip, he has been throwing it for some comps now and the other athletes try to evolve doing more tricks but dont get scored what they should

 @TomasPT: YEA MAN THEY SHOULD LIKE CHANGE THEIR CRITERIA TO GIVE MORE POINTS TO OPPO TRICKS THAN HARDER TRICKS BECAUSE YOU LIKE OPPO TRICKS MORE THAN HARDER TRICKS. The travesty! How dare those judges feel tricks should be judged one way while you feel it should be judged another!

I mean like we can only progress the sport with oppo tricks! nothing else matters!!! OPPO OR DIE!!!!

 Slopeduro is next.

 @Dustfarter: Endostyle

 More motorcycle & bmx influence, just like it has been over the past decade, until there's no distinction between any of them. And then we'll all come back full circle, to riding fire roads. On mopeds. But they won't be called mopeds-- there has to be a catchier name.

 1440 had been stomped last year at District ride, but 1800 is quite unreal for now, I guess we may see combos like flip double tailwhip to bar (Johansson), flat drop backflip barspin/tuck no hander, cork 7 double barspin or 720 tailwhip (based on what I saw in bmx competitions), maybe some crazy half-cab combos as this trick gives you many points..

 1800 would be so impossible to stomp on a competition. On a mega jump, maybe, but I really can't imagine.

 @Biocoug1: AGREED, Rogatkin definitely seemed stronger. Although I really like that flat drop back flip tail whip.... and I also really like the half cab trick but I would like to see a bar spin or a double bar spin thrown in it yet! I hope he does it one day! Cause it looks a little stiff and awkward now!

 ..the 1080 twister just don't look stylish to me...a nice slow 360 flat spin just looks better..but that's me. So if Reeder doesn't have it, I'm not thinking 'where's the 1080 twister' ? Number of rotations is cool and all, but let's leave room for scoring style. Think Jon Olsson...

 He is getting smoother and still throwing back to back bangers. Can't wait to see what he has in store for next year, you know he only going to progress even more.

 Rheeder does have double flips actually

 @islander: it's not about number of rotations to me either. Rheeder is as close to smooth as Brandon is but I can call Rheeders runs before he lays it down. He has oppo 720 dialed, but it's almost always the same run.

Rogatkin runs are progressing more in my opinion even if it is just brute strength. It's at least unique

 I completely disagree with what you've said. Rheeder doesn't have a 1080 and probably cant do a triple tail whip but he can double backflip, he doesn't do them in competition because its not his style and he does other tricks that balance out his run. I'd argue that Rheeder is progressing faster than Rogatkin. flat drop flip whip, no one thought that was possible, the very few people can flip whip a cannon and I doubt anyone else could cork 7 on to the wail tail yet he did the opposite. The progression that you are not seeing is that his opposite side is becoming stronger than most riders regular side.

 @Biocoug1 Rheeder has double flips too, but cork 7 barspin, oppo cork 7 to whaletale, flat drop flipwhip and frontflip bar to tuck, half cab off that huge first drop..I wouldnt say he doesnt evolve as fast as Nicholi

 I think Rheeders tricks are harder to learn & link together in any sequence. He's doing multiple tricks in the air that aren't even spinoffs of something. He's literally scrambling stuff that shouldn't go together while in the air & landing them all clean.

Rogatkin is literally just spinning out until he lands something. It's taken him 4 years to land a clean run and they had to remove multiple hits on course for him to get a course simple enough for him to knock out his showstoppers.

I think the thing that would be the game changer is that Rheeder might could learn to land multiple spins like Rogatkin, but could Rogatkin actually throw Rheeders combos?

 Absolutely @bizutch:

 Agreeing that Rheeder tricks are way harder @bizutch:

 Oppo tricks are way under scored and it obliviously showed in joyride @Ryansamhaber:

 @islander: Well it looks smooth because you have 3 times as long to do a spin so it is smooth because it is easier to do. People can just do steezy tables all day long because they are smooth af but it doesn't mean the are hard or should score more highly

 @fecalmaster: I don't think he's fake. He seems self depricating and focused. Dude looks like he expects great things of himself and when he falls short, he takes it out on himself.

When he did the interview about the triple crown, he sounded like he was just blaming himself for not being an obstacle at the last stop to Rogatkin, I took it as "I blame myself for him winning the last round b/c I wasn't there to fight him."
When he came across the line, I think he felt like many people that watched it, that he'd done a winning run because what he'd finally landed cleanly and gracefully couldn't be duplicated because it was so complex. He looked like a guy whose personal demons had been beaten and he could finally smile.

 @bizutch: I've been watching him for the longest and he is definitely in his own little world. Even when he wins doesn't show much personality. I guess I'm used to the Cory Nastazio, Ryan Nyquist, and now Rogatkin ampd up riders that get the croud going, interview well and loose with class. Basically stoked to be there, Brett looks like he ready to be a video guy like Sem, but not seeing him in the same league.

 @fecalmaster: Lots of people burn out on competition so I get why Semenuk is going in other directions. But at the same time, the only 2 guys I know who don't need comps to keep their status are McCaskill & Akrigg.

I'm sure Semenuk is happier outside the competition spotlight, but I'd imagine it's going to get way harder to stay relevant in his genre.

I have no idea where I'm going with this.....

 @bizutch: Welcome to action sports,, we've been here for 30 plus years.

 @bizutch: bro, answering to your question "but could Rogatkin actually throw Rheeders combos?" actually rogatkin has got so technical, look at that flatdrop doublewhip for example or three whip on the boner, plus all the other stuff he does like frontie bar to tuck, front whip to tuck... I think neither of them could ever catch up on the other's side of the game

 Time will tell but my money is on the progressive possitive athletes in any sport.

 @fecalmaster: my money is on gravity. Undefeated.

 @bizutch: Yep and the sky is blue also.

 @fecalmaster: They just are different riders. Different people different style. Just because the dude (Rheeder) isn't super charismatic in front of the camera doesn't mean he doesn't have love for the sport. I feel like being in front of the camera is his main thing he doesn't really like especially when there is a comp he has to focus on. So of course thats the only time most people who don't actually know him see him, when he shuns the camera. Nothing wrong with that. He just likes to do his riding do the talking. And it does! But yea I think he beats himself up more than he needs to. He's like 2nd in the WORLD right now on a list thats ever growing! He still stops it. I think he feels that the tripple crown should be difficult, and I 100% agree. But myself I know that comps definitely take a different attitude so I could see how added pressures just make you not open up or whatever it is. TBH Rogatkin seem a lil fake at his final celebration but maybe it didn't all hit him yet. Regardless they both didn't crash and threw down their best at that time that day and to the winner the spoils and results of progression to come. BEST COMP EVER!

Yea hopefully they allow booze again soon. I heard they shut that all down after the DH crowds started getting too nuts

 @CaptainKurt: getting too nuts...you mean showing their nuts....and butts...and boobs

 @CaptainKurt: I agree, Rheeder kills it and very aware of the different styles. Hopefully the bmx influence continues because they have 20 different styles and slope style about 3-4 maybe.

 Hahahahaha I never thought about that. Very true.