Nine Knights 2017 Contest Day Highlights and Results - Video

Emil Johansson Lands Six World Firsts to Win Slopestyle Bike Contest at Suzuki Nine Knights MTB 2017, while Brit Sam Reynolds Takes First Place in Downhill Bike Category




Current Freeride Mountain Bike world champion Emil Johansson (SWE) put down six never before landed tricks during the Suzuki Nine Knights MTB Contest, at Reschenpass in South Tyrol, Italy, to win the Slopestyle Bike category. In the last 25 minutes of a 99-minute jam format contest, Johansson landed an array of new flip combinations to beat Italian Diego Caversazi, whose Frontflip Superman and Cash Roll on the Sendolf Kicker earned him second place. As Diego and Emil pushed each other and the possibilities of technical Slopestyle biking to the extreme, most other athletes decided to participate in the Downhill/Big Bike Category.






Johansson’s world first tricks were:


• Backflip Quint Barspin
• Backflip Whip to Barspin to Unturndown
• Backflip Barspin to Tuck No Hander to Barspin to Can
• Backflip Double Barspin to Tuck No Hander to Barspin
• Backflip Triple Barspin to Tuck No Hander
• Backflip Triple Barspin to Can

Meanwhile, Brit Sam Reynolds, who served as course designer for the last two editions, took first place in the downhill bike category, besting Nico Scholze (GER) and Clemens Kaudela (AUT). Reynolds performed a “Flintstone” and a “Superseat” on the Sendolf Kicker with his Big Bike, sent a massive quarterpipe air and sped down the huge Big Bertha line in style. “It feels great to win the contest,” explains Reynolds, “but, as course builder, I’m especially happy that it went well and that everyone enjoyed it. The week at Suzuki Nine Knights is always special; we ride together, we’re not competing but working together to make amazing videos and photos.”

Following close in second place, Nico Scholze put down a “Flatspin Nac” and a “Tsunami Backflip” on the Sendolf, as well as a huge “Backflip Heel Clicker” on the Big Bertha kicker. Clemens Kaudela’s Big Bertha Line combos, a “Flip Tuck No Hander”, not to mention a huge Quarterpipe air helped earn the Austrian course builder a well-deserved third place.


These incredible accomplishments round out a week of outstanding athlete driven progression, which has pushed the limits of freeride mountain biking. Most notably, last year’s FMB world tour champion, Nicholi Rogatkin (USA) landed a never before done “1080 Twister” on a downhill bike, besting his world’s first Cashroll on a downhill bike at his first Suzuki Nine Knights MTB appearance in 2015. Additionally, podium finishers Sam Reynolds and Clemens Kaudela pushed each other further and further out of the Quarterpipe to reach what their fellow riders say, are the highest airs they had ever witnessed.



Suzuki Nine Knights MTB has and will always be an event that prioritizes the rider experience. Due to this fact, the Public Contest Day scheduled for September 9th was canceled because of bad weather on the mountain; making riding impossible. Therefore, the riders agreed to use the results from qualifiers from the previous day, as the event’s final contest results.

Sam Reynolds and Clemens Kaudela’s Highest Quarterpipe Airs:

Nicholi Rogatkin’s Twister:

GoPro Course Preview:

Masters of Dirt Airbag Session:

Behind the Scenes: