Chatel Mtn Style 2012 - here's how the mountain looks like in the morning
Here's the view from below of the top part of this big mountain event
View from over the course.
The pros checking the big pro line jump.
I think we can talk about this course as the Champery of freeride regarding the steepness. The infamous Danny Hart's track is actually just on the other side of the mountain.
McCaul, Watts and Pilgrim checking the last sender before the final jump. Big, long and steep.
The boys are checking an all time classic step-up step-down on a rock.
The heli finally made it!
Tyler McCaul and Greg Watts going up!
McGazza and other riders are getting ready for some riding in the park..
Some action down the 'small' sender.
Same sender, different angle.
...and one of the non-pro riders decided to be the first to send it on the pro line! Good job man!
The mud is still heavily affecting the venue and the mud level is high alert!
Hopefully tomorrow will be sunny and warm!
Will dirt jump guys be able to handle it? Who do you think will win?
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Author Info:
scottsecco
Member since Sep 18, 2009
1,029 articles
As much as I like Semenuk, I really wanna see Dylan Sherrard win! I was super stoked to find out that he was invited to this this year because I know that this is his kinda contest and if he tries hard there's no doubt in my mind he'll kill it! He also came and visited me in the hospital with a broken femur the night before he flew out there which means a great deal to me. You got this Dylan!!
wouldnt mind seeing some video? dont know why, if its become illegal to film mtb events just seems to be alot less videos coming from some of the greatest mtb events.
Hahaha, look at the pictures, he already shat his pants!
But uhhh props to the insaniac who hit that step down in the rain. You either have way bigger balls than all the guys there or way less brains. Either way, that's really damned impressive.
Maybe because these jumps are at least 3 times as big as the biggest jump hes ever hit? Or maybe because he only knows how to ride his ns dirt jumper and he needs at least 160mm of travel to ride here? Or maybe because theres rocks bigger than his van on that course, not to mention he's going to be too scared shitless to trick anything? Maybe all three.
Whether or not he is able to use the Soda is what's actually in question here. The general assumption is that he does not have the experience required to not only handle this type of riding and bicycle, but to perform at a professional level on a bike like this in actual mountains. It is the sport of MOUNTAIN biking vs. back "garden" dirt jumping which he is accustomed that is being compared. And based on what happened at Whistler last year, people expect he will do no better. (He ignorantly rode a hard tail and flatted on all runs - although you would know more about that than me since he is a European rider after all.
great to read such a condescending comment VTwintips. Pilgrim is definitely not used to stuff this big but i think his accolades show he's up to a little more than back "yard" dirt jumping but you wouldn't know that because he's a european rider after all
funny Pinkbikekids. Sam Pilgrim is riding Big Mountain Stuff for years now. He can really shred and If Iam a guy who only jumps two feet Jumps I would calm it down a little bit.
Urrrrrrm... he rode the mountain style last year and he was riding a short travel full sus bike with swampthings in the dry and i did a run down chatel with him and he was pretty fast to be fair
@VTwintips - Sam Pilgrim ignorantly rode a hardtail last year. Mike Montgomery rode a hardtail to a podium at Crankworx only a year before. What's the difference?
Props to Sam pilgrim for actually having a go i'd say! He's never claimed to be anything but a dj'er @VTwintips and i'd say his 9th place at Chatel Mountain Style last year and 5th place the year before, were pretty good, especially considering his ' lack of experience of this type of riding, on Actual Mountains'!!!!!!!
i would say its pretty hard to gain experience on 'actual mountains' considering hes from the UK, we don't exactly have the biggest mountains over here to train on :/
Pilgrim has skills and surely a better rider than all the neg props guys, he may not be a big mountain rider but he's there and defiantly showing he has massive nuts.
Just to calm down this 15 person pileup of anger, I do hope he does well. I would like to see him bring his style to this type of riding. (I also want to see him go ride Utah or Gobi or something like that too, because I bet his style would be really interesting there.) Pilgrim if you are reading this... please??
But I mean, places like this are where people who grew up in the mountains are home. The GENERAL assumption is that he will not do well (meaning win it because he wins like everything else). I never said I don't expect him to do well. If you look, I was only answering adamwoodhouse's question about why other people above said he would die.
At any rate, half of you guys admitted that he was a dirt jumper by nature anyways - which was the point i was making. His go to bike is not his Soda. And that's what I was bringing to the discussion when the R of I kid pointed out that he does have a Soda now. Is that what all the trouble is about?
Or is it about the fact that I said, "you would know more about that than me since he is a European rider after all"? I mean, don't know everything about Sam Pilgrim, but I have never seen a single clip of him shredding anything gnarly/ungroomed like Utah, The Gobi Desert, wild places in BC or the European mountain's equivalents... like Chatel for example.
Its not like all of Europe or at least the parts nearest to him are devoit of DH/FR trails is it? He seems to favor the other stuff. Maybe he really doesn't have the money/transportation to get access big mountains, but I doubt it. He one of the top 5 freeriders in the world after all - if he needed it, you would hope his sponsors would be able to get him there. Otherwise, I rest my case.
Pilgrim will be fine. Hes got the skills and the balls to handle it. And major props to the amateur hittin that booter first. That guys got some serious kahones. Made the front page of PB i bet hes stoked!
On the Red Bull Berg Line replay the announcers said he didn't do the rampage because it wasn't his thing. Make of that what you will but you're only going to find out why by asking him yourself. That 360 he did off the starting drop was so sick as well.
thank you @vtwintips! took the words right out of my mouth! and to everyone who -26 propped me, i was only answering adamwoodhouse's question, and i actually do hope he does well, he is such an awesome rider and a pretty down to earth guy as well. he is just a bit out of his element, is all.
hahahahahahaha, do any of you think he has the time or patience to bother reading any of your comments? pilgrim can ride any form of terrain he wants and remain at the top end of the competition, I cant wait for him to do well in this comp just like he does at all comps simply to prove how uneducated and clearly blindly opinionated half of you are.......
right so by choosing not to ride in the mountains, it helps reinforce the fact that he is a dirt jumper and is out of his element up there at Chatel.
I don't see why this is still a conversation considering the fact that the contest is over and he didn't place just as expected anyways.
@ VT he didnt place high? It was the qualifier so a lot riders were keeping it low for the finals. Not to mention he was still above many good freeriders. He just didnt beat some of the other guys. I agree he is mostly a dirt jumper but placing middle of the pack shows he has some very serious big mountain skills. Claiming he has none is like claiming Aggy or Zink have no dirt jumping skills because they do better at Big Mountain events.
spaced- When you're usually winning every stop, 7th is hardly doing well. You're saying he didn't do well because it was qualifying so he and a bunch of others were "keeping it low" for finals and yet you say his 7th place is proof that he has big mountain skills? That doesn't make much sense, now does it? I think you should hold your opinion until you see footage of him actually riding the course and comparing that to the other "big mountain" riders' runs. That sounds like something a reasonable person would do, right?
Saying something is a possibility without using the word "possibility", impressive!
And yes I caught the top 3 runs on vital which is why I suggested waiting until his run comes out before you assume how he, and the rest of the field, preformed. After all they were told at some point that their qualifying runs may be their only runs...
does anybody know if thats messere with the red bull helmet and the fox top? he will be interesting to watch for the first time doing a run in the mountains
Without seeing this track live, most of the mortals don´t even imagine how hardcore it is...most of this kids here wouldn´t even be able to ride it down on the singletrack on the side. Big UP to all the riders competing here!
hes not going to be there this year hes been doing a lot of work with that new movie coming out "Where the trail ends" Im pretty bummed he always puts out a good run!
I thought that in the third pic from the bottom that those people in the background were standing on one of the rocks for a second and i was like DAMN!
Big mountain lines? I expect to see 1-3 West Coast boys up on the podium. Zink, Strait, Semunk, Gulevich, Sorge, Aggi + more, just way too much talent to keep us down.
This kind of contest is shit. Dirt jumping is way better. These guys are on huge big gay bikes and just have to ride down the hill....thats piss easy compared to dirt jumps! And they all wear wannabe moto stuff (which is gay aswell). jeans a piss pot and some tuck no handers FTW!!!!
Hey guys, look what i just found from nick1987 on his profile: "What about full bike for your glory frame and fork? lol. But seriously I'm looking for a dh bike now. " I think Glasgow will have a new gayfriendly on their way! Ahahahaha, love this 15 year old kids here at pinkbike
but he still has balls to make up for the dh speed
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7koaNIYViQ
edit: although i'm defending pilgrim i cant really see him getting podium but he'll give some of the other riders a run for their money no doubt.
But I mean, places like this are where people who grew up in the mountains are home. The GENERAL assumption is that he will not do well (meaning win it because he wins like everything else). I never said I don't expect him to do well. If you look, I was only answering adamwoodhouse's question about why other people above said he would die.
At any rate, half of you guys admitted that he was a dirt jumper by nature anyways - which was the point i was making. His go to bike is not his Soda. And that's what I was bringing to the discussion when the R of I kid pointed out that he does have a Soda now. Is that what all the trouble is about?
Or is it about the fact that I said, "you would know more about that than me since he is a European rider after all"? I mean, don't know everything about Sam Pilgrim, but I have never seen a single clip of him shredding anything gnarly/ungroomed like Utah, The Gobi Desert, wild places in BC or the European mountain's equivalents... like Chatel for example.
Its not like all of Europe or at least the parts nearest to him are devoit of DH/FR trails is it? He seems to favor the other stuff. Maybe he really doesn't have the money/transportation to get access big mountains, but I doubt it. He one of the top 5 freeriders in the world after all - if he needed it, you would hope his sponsors would be able to get him there. Otherwise, I rest my case.
The difference is Montgomery can do on a road bike what pilgrim does on his dj. Has the video to prove it haha
I agree he is mostly a dirt jumper but placing middle of the pack shows he has some very serious big mountain skills. Claiming he has none is like claiming Aggy or Zink have no dirt jumping skills because they do better at Big Mountain events.
Though yeah Im waiting for the vid so dont get your panties in a twist.
And yes I caught the top 3 runs on vital which is why I suggested waiting until his run comes out before you assume how he, and the rest of the field, preformed. After all they were told at some point that their qualifying runs may be their only runs...
Big UP to all the riders competing here!
Im pretty bummed he always puts out a good run!
but, this being said, Chatel would be even MORE scary on mud.
I think Glasgow will have a new gayfriendly on their way!
Ahahahaha, love this 15 year old kids here at pinkbike