Top 3 Slopestyle Runs From FISE Montpellier - Video

May 30, 2017 at 10:42
by Pinkbike Staff  
1. Emil Johansson



2. Nicholi Rogatkin



3. Mehdi Gani




Don't forget to take a look at the FISE Montpellier photo epic HERE.

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67 Comments
  • 188 30
 nicoli got freakin robbed!!!
  • 20 9
 Gonna have to +1 this....
  • 62 6
 Agree, how could that not win, has to be the full face with no visor
  • 18 13
 Like, actually spectacularly robbed. Holy crap, how did they justify that? Was this anti-American judging by local judges?
  • 29 4
 Possibly the judges blacked out halfway through his run because it was freaking insane and the human mind can't deal with it. That's all I can think of, because that's what happened when I watched it.
  • 30 3
 I think that regular flip off the stepdown killed his score.. Basically have to combo everything now days.
  • 3 0
 blub
  • 2 3
 @SnowshoeRider4Life: agreed!!!! Frown
  • 41 7
 @makemymountain: disagree!!!!! Emil's run was so precise and smooth!!! And packed!!! Just like Brandon Semenuk's run used to be!!!!!! Wink Emil Johansson!!!!
  • 14 6
 @SnowshoeRider4Life: Emil did a tailwhip up and a truck down. Rogatkin did a dub whip on, backflip off.... I'd consider that at minimum a wash on that feature.

Those judges f*cked up.
  • 33 3
 @scott-townes: Style and grace, that is the main difference. Emil has it.
  • 9 27
flag scott-townes FL (May 30, 2017 at 13:45) (Below Threshold)
 @cunning-linguist: Oh really? Both their legs and arms were flailing around while doing their whipadoos so tell me where this "style" comes into play when they're throwing completely different tricks. The "style" argument in MTBing is 90% BS.
  • 10 4
 @scott-townes: Obviously not mate - ask the judges!

For me personally I'd rate style at 50% of my judging, each to their own, but a fish flailing around and just managing a 1080 is less aesthetically pleasing than a sweet 360 suicide no handed double bar spin in my eyes.
  • 4 10
flag scott-townes FL (May 30, 2017 at 13:57) (Below Threshold)
 @cunning-linguist: Yeah except in comps, a cashroll 1080 is immensely more difficult than a double truck so your point is moot. Just because its easier to make an easier trick look better but it doesn't make it better. If you want a fair comparison, a fish flailing around doing a dub downside whip is better style than someone tucked up spinning around a cashroll 1080? There is no better style.
  • 8 10
 Noone's going to give a shit about these comps anymore with the judges screwing up the results this badly. What's the point of having them if you're not going to reward the real winner. What a shame.
  • 20 1
 @scott-townes: Judging is always going to be a subjective opinion but there is really a logical way to add this stuff up.

You have to look at the entire run and when you compare the two, Nicholi maybe lost points because he did too many tailwhips (in the same direction) right after each other. Triple-tailwhip into a double-tailwhip is repetition to a judge and they want to see diversity, no matter how difficult that double-whip is on it's own. If his double tail whip was opposite, then there would be something to discuss when comparing a lower score to what Emil got. Emil does opposite tailwhips when he does them downside in his spins, as well as doing an opposite truck driver down - this adds a great deal of points from a judging standpoint.
  • 8 0
 @ryMY21: Thanks, there is method to the madness - the tech stuff isn't always the firing off a million loops, it can be in the detail, which is partly what I'm getting it.
  • 4 13
flag chriskneeland (May 30, 2017 at 14:29) (Below Threshold)
 @ryMY21: So because Nicoli did tricks that require more skill he lost. Makes sense.
  • 7 1
 @cmkneeland: Completely ignore what someone else said when replying to them. Makes sense.
  • 10 4
 @ryMY21: I can get that however Emil tossed his downside whips the same way on the truck downside and the last double downside. Its only a 5 hit course and with the two middle to last hits being a wash, in your honest opinion, BS "style" in MTBing crap aside, which run had the better tricks?

Emil with a flip double whip, truck to downside and a downside dub whip (aside from the truck to downside, they've been done before by other riders) or Rogatkin with a frontflip tailwhip (never been done before in a comp. and only once before on a MTB- Benny), a triple tailwhip (Rogatkin only one doing this) and a cashroll 1080 (again never been done before on a MTB aside from Rogatkin and only a few in the world can do it on a BMX).

I mean... come on, haha.
  • 6 1
 @cunning-linguist: true! but i think the level of difficulty and the innovation of rogatkins tricks trump "style and grace". no other rider can pull what rogatkin can pull, so there is no comparison of someone who can pull those tricks with more style and grace.
  • 4 4
 They need new judges! They need judges that completely understand the complexity of what these riders are throwing down or (up). Slopestyle is more than a fashion contest and riders should not lose out just because they were protective gear and without a helmet peak. Rogatkin got 1st. He's a total (positive) badass!
  • 3 1
 @cunning-linguist: Style and grace at warp speed to fit in all those badass moves by Rogatkin. There's only so much air time to get that shit in.
  • 6 2
 @scott-townes: That was an opposite tailwhip and an opposite truck driver. Much more difficult that a double whip and straight backflip.
  • 2 1
 @lenmerderdenfer: I've got an idea, let's all agree to disagree and ride OUR bikes instead? :-)
  • 2 0
 @loam33: damnit loam33 you really gonna throw a trump pun in there, aren't we shamed enough already Smile
  • 3 0
 totally. this was what i've been trying to say. rogatkin got robbed. the judges were emil fans obviously.
  • 36 7
 Hands down Rogatkins run was one of the best slopestyle runs I've ever seen!
  • 23 5
 Emil has a nice steezy style but Rogatkin is like a bloody video game!!? next level..
  • 8 1
 I think that's why emil won. Rogatkin would have won if he put a combo on that straight flip tho.
  • 1 0
 @jaha222: exactly I was wondering why wasn't he tricking the back flip when I seen that!!!
  • 15 2
 I don't care how good rogatkin was in that run, Emil laid down some of the smoothest style I have seen in a while!
  • 5 2
 exactly! It's called slopeSTYLE for a reason. No matter what he does, Rogatkin just doesn't look smooth. As technical as his tricks are it's almost unpleasant to watch haha. You can't teach that calm collected style that emil showed, you either have it or don't, and Rogatkin clearly lacks it
  • 3 3
 @jackmasta: Emil was flailing hard on that double downside whip because guess what? The harder trick you throw, you can't make it look smooth on a bike. No one can make a cashroll 1080 or triple whip on jumps of those sizes look smooth/steezy other than getting it around and stomping it. I'm sorry I don't have proof because Rogatkin is the only one that does these tricks. Rogatkin doesn't lack style, the other riders lack harder tricks.
  • 5 0
 are we just gunna ignore the fact that medhi gani was out there tearing it up with a broken jaw?? mad props there
  • 3 1
 Love these competitions. Some amazing riders out there!

Tell me if I am the only one that thinks this way: I wish there were some other stops on this tour that would be kind of like a downhill course with trick jumps thrown in, massive big air road gaps or something, and huge drops that would take serious technical skill as well as tricks. Because it's disappointing to not see guys like kurt sorge, james dorfling, norbes etc. until rampage or unless they put out a video. Don't get me wrong, i really like watching these events, but big freeride competitions i think would be a serious hit.
#BRINGBACKTHELEGENDS! #freerideaintdead
  • 17 16
 Emil desved it, got style and tech tricks over no style bangers of rogatkin, + he just did a flip on the step down and his run wasn't so varied. Emil just trew insane tech tricks with style and control.
  • 11 7
 His style was nicer because his tricks were simpler. Put it this way: Nicholi could have performed Emil's run with similar technique, but Emil probably could not have performed Nicholi's run.
  • 4 2
 Rogatkin got robbed.. whatevs bud.. Keep shredding you got 1st the next 7 stops!.. thats right.. you heard it hear first.. bah
  • 3 0
 Was that a front flip tailwhip?
  • 3 0
 yes.
  • 3 4
 For anyone complaining about the results:

- It's called slopeSTYLE, not slopeHuckHugeTricks. Emil undoubtedly brought the style, his run was silky smooth.
- Rogatkin's run was insane, yes, but it didn't look as effortless & smooth as Emil's run
- Rogatkin did a triple tailwhip, followed by a double tailwhip. Yes those are different tricks, however it's ultimately a lack of variation. Had Rogatkin did an OPPO double tailwhip up, possibly even an oppo single whip, maybe it would have beat out Emil's score
- Emil's truck driver keeps coming up & nobody seems to mention that it was opposite

All in all, Emil's run had a bit more variation, and was smoother
  • 2 2
 Ok, in RAMPAGE, Semenuk wins with tricks and style. Not big hucks.
  • 4 3
 totally disagree! johansson has a flow and style to rival semenuk and some sick trick combos! he def deserved to win
  • 2 1
 That commentators blaring voice makes me want to shoot my ears off with a shotgun, how does he have this job???
  • 5 4
 That's about as robbed as you can get! All of Nicholai's hits were bangers!
  • 2 0
 three letters.... W T F ?!
  • 2 0
 Robbed!!!
  • 6 5
 triple whip + triple 360 = questionable judging
  • 3 0
 +front flip tailwhip
  • 9 8
 Emil threw down combos well nicoli just did straight tricks in a row
  • 4 3
 I think the videos are titled wrong, only thing that makes sense
  • 1 2
 I think a cool trick would be an inverted superman seatgrab. Like a regular superman seatgrab, but tilted backwards a lot so the bike was held above the rider.
  • 5 5
 Robbed... so darn robbed...
  • 3 2
 My personal opinion is that emils run was way cleaner and grace full, but rotagins run had better tricks but wasn't as clean and grace full. They were both a killer run. I would personally like to see slopestyle judged by the people.
  • 3 1
 @bikeordie2772: true! but i think the level of difficulty and the innovation of rogatkins tricks trump "clean and graceful". no other rider can pull what rogatkin can pull, so there is no comparison of someone who can pull his tricks cleaner or more graceful.
  • 3 3
 I would like to report a robbery, the perp used all his style and grace
  • 1 0
 dunno why you got downwoted, i thought this was quite funny indeed Wink
  • 3 2
 Got RoRobbed!
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