FMBA Celebrates Winners of the 2023 'Best Trick Award'

Words: FMB World Tour

The Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) is excited to announce the winners of the 2023 Best Trick Award, spotlighting male and female riders who fearlessly push boundaries, propelling the sport to unprecedented heights.

In this virtual competition, freeride mountain bike athletes received the chance to earn recognition for a single, jaw-dropping trick performed at either a Dirt Jump or Slopestyle event. Invitations were extended to all riders holding an FMB World Tour or Amateur Men’s License, allowing them to submit videos showcasing their most extraordinary trick from the current FMB World Tour season. Excluded from the competition are athletes participating in Diamond Level events - unless they secured a wildcard invitation - and tricks executed at events without an official judged score and rank.

The FMB Judges Panel, consisting of esteemed judges, ex-athletes, and advisors, meticulously evaluated each submission based on difficulty, progression, creativity, execution, and hype value. The feature which each trick was executed on also played a role in determining the winners which not only earned prize money, but also a 2024 FMB World Tour license and a social media feature on the FMBA channel.

Winners of the FMB Best Trick Award 2023
• Gold Level Male - Christian Arehart (USA)
• Silver Level Female - Patricia Druwen (GER)
• Silver Level Male - Gaelen Slaney (AUS)
• Bronze Level Female - Alma Wiggberg (SWE)
• Bronze Level Male - Viggo Westerlund (SWE)

Christian Arehart not only clinched the Best Trick Award at the Gold Level but etched his name in history at the Big White Invitational with a Front Flip Superman Seat Grab, a trick never before landed in competition.

Patricia Druwen, recently named "Female Red Bull Rookie of the Year" secured the Silver Level award for the second year in a row with a Backflip Double Bar Spin at the Züri Dirt Contest, also leaving the event with a gold medal. Gealen "Lenny" Slaney triumphed with a Front Flip Suicide No-Hander at this year’s Birell BikeFest in Slovakia, earning the Best Trick Award in the male category.

The Best Trick Award for both the men’s and women’s Bronze Category went to athletes from Sweden. Alma Wiggberg amazed with a 360 Bar Spin/Truck, while Viggo Westerlund demonstrated his skills with a 360 Bar Spin to Downside Tail Whip at the Fyrhuset Bikefight in their home country.


Grant “Chop” Fielder, part of the judging panel alongside mountain bike icons Jakub Vencl, Anton Thelander, and Conor Macfarlane, was genuinely impressed by the extraordinary creativity and evident growth showcased in the submissions for this year’s competition and already keeps an eye on the upcoming season.