Crankworx World Tour | Rotorua SlopeStyle Results & Review
History was made at the first ever Crankworx Women’s Slopestyle event! Plus, a glance ahead to Cairns in May…
Crankworx Rotorua was, yet again, a groundbreaking event. Not only did we see the first ever women’s Crankworx slopestyle event, but we saw the entire field of male athletes withdraw from the competition at the last minute in a unified stand for athlete rights, and we have to offer our full support to them- but more on this later. As usual the Rotorua Crankworx event was part festival, part competition, and all the events served up some major excitement, be sure to check out the replays on Crankworx’s YouTube channel- every event is great to watch and the downhill in particular was incredible this year. Our main focus here though, is the slopestyle.Rotorua Women’s Slopestyle Finals | The Perfect Stage
It’s kind of hard to put into words just how historic an event this actually was. In the long and complicated history of mountain biking, there has never been a women’s FMBA Diamond level slopestyle event- never. In the beginning, some time around the 80s and 90s as the sport was being developed, there were simply not enough female riders of the right level to stage a competition; and as we all know, there were lots of things wrong with the world back then which meant that women just weren’t mountain biking. Now, things are changing, girls are shredding and the sport is progressing at lightspeed for female athletes- and we’re here for it. The girls came out of the gate swinging and delivered an awesome competition under immense pressure after it was announced that the entire field of male competitors were withdrawing from the competition. Men’s Event Cancelled
We’re obviously here to focus on the female athletes at this competition, but it’s important to talk about this major moment for a couple of reasons.The male riders made a stand against the terms under which they compete as athletes, and we should all be supporting them on this decision. Crankworx actually doesn't offer any money (known as an appearance fee) for competitors who don’t reach the podium positions- which when you think about it is actually pretty crazy. These riders are travelling across the world, drawing huge paying crowds, risking their bodies and lives by throwing down huge tricks, all whilst not earning a single penny for their troubles. They have to fund a trip half way across the globe (twice!) to ride Crankworx Rotorua and Cairns, only to return empty handed and out of pocket and this does not even take into account their training costs, food, preparation and medical bills- it’s simply not fair, and we hope they get the compensation they thoroughly deserve. The other reason we should be talking about this is the fact that, after a few rounds, when the women’s field is more established, they will be facing the exact same issues. The male riders weren’t just thinking of themselves, they were trying to ensure the longevity and health of the sport for all those who perform on the biggest stage in mountain biking, both present and future.We were disappointed not to see the guys out there this time around, but their cause is a good one and we support them- hopefully a resolution can be reached before Cairns. The lack of male competitors obviously meant that the spotlight on the women’s competition was intensified by about 100 times, and the pressure to put on a good show increased- thankfully, the five competitors did not disappoint. Women’s Slopestyle Results
There were six women slated to compete, but when the riders lined up at the top of the course the young and incredibly exciting Patricia Druwen announced she would not be competing due to an injury she picked up in a crash during practice earlier on in the day. Safe to say everyone was gutted not to see her ride, but we can’t wait to see her compete in the next round- it’s gonna be awesome! Check out her Instagram here, it’s worth a look. Let’s take a look at the results, and a quick trick rundown from each rider. 5th- Shealan Reno | 74.50
Shealan seemed to struggle with a few missed tricks her first run, but carried great speed throughout- she had a lot more to give. On her second run she added a whole lot more steeze and chucked in some wicked combos; with a 5th this time around we can’t wait to see her progression over the course of 2024- the foundations are set for a podium challenge, and with this much style it’s only a matter of time. 4th- Natasha Miller | 79.5
Natasha’s first run was a belter; she tricked most of the jumps and gave us a super clean bar spin, some sick style, massive tuck no-hander and some wicked combos. Nat’s second run was arguably the steeziest run of the day; she somehow seems to combine aggression, control and pure style and just looks so damn good on the bike. Her barspins are second to none and her ‘street’ style is so enjoyable to watch. We are dead certain she has at least one podium in her this year, and probably a win.3rd- Caroline Buchanan | 80.25
Caroline was the first ever woman to drop into a Crankworx women’s Slopestyle run- which is a pretty cool thing to be able to claim. Her first run was by no means up to her usual high standards and had a couple of dead airs- although we loved her superman seat-grab on the last jump.The 22 and 23 Queen of Crankworx was down but not out, and came out strong for her second run. She tidied it all up and even squeezed in more tricks, most notably a sick toboggan off the wall ride- a place none of the other girls were tricking. Her extension and execution were perfect, and we are really looking forward to seeing her pushing her own limits in the future- we know she has a lot to give. 2nd- Harriet Burbidge-Smith | 85.50
Haz came charging off the start platform with her usual aggression and attacked every jump on the course. She carried great speed and went upside down not once, but twice with two perfect flips in her very first run.She just has so much bike control and never looks flustered. She’s strong enough to move the bike around in the air and carries speed like a downhill racer. Don’t be surprised if she’s chasing the win in Aus next time out. 1st- Robin Goomes | 90.75
Goomey was up next and just nailed the perfect run on the first try, in similar style to Emil Johansson- it was an absolute beaut. She went upside down twice and managed to throw in some flip combos with a back flip one-footer on the last jump that really got the crowd going. She scored a huge 90.75 and secured the win in stunning style. She’s the world number one for good reason, and this run just proved her technical prowess. One thing is for sure, we can’t wait to see a Goomes Vs. Druwen showdown in Cairns- it’s going to be off the chain. Haz & Goomey Give us a Sick Train
After having executed two perfect first runs, Harriet and Robin decided to call it a day in style and gave us the sickest train we’ve ever seen in competition to end the day, with both riders showing off perfect flips back-to-back on the last jump as a special treat for the crowd. This was one of the most important steps in women’s slopestyle history, and with 5 clean runs, new tricks and pure adrenaline, we loved every second of it. Be sure to catch the replay here, or check out the top 3 runs below- be warned, it will leave you wanting to go and learn some new tricks!The Road to Cairns
You could feel it in the air; something special happened in Rotorua. As these 5 legends celebrated together and the podium ceremony took place, there was a real atmosphere of history in the making. As we look to Cairns at the end of May there are several things that really get us excited. We are expecting the level to be raised yet again as these 5 women train even harder in the build up to the event, and we might even see a few new additions to the rostrum. And speaking of additions, Patricia Druwen will hopefully be going head-to-head with Robin Goomes in the ultimate showdown- can Harriet Burbidge-Smith get involved too?We are hoping to see some more flip combos being added into people’s runs and we will have our fingers crossed for the first in competition 360.Cairns Course Correction
Last year’s course was pretty incredible and forced the male riders to be creative and include a bit of street style riding into their runs, so we are hoping it’s the same this year as the women push their limits to the max. The last jump was a bit of a concern with a serious lack of speed on entry which will affect the women more than the men, so hopefully the awesome trail crew in Cairns can come up with a good solution so we can actually enjoy a good final jump and some banger tricks. The Legendary 5
The path is set, the women of MTB all over the world have something to aim for and a genuine route to the top for the first time in this awesome sport. We watched as tricks were thrown down, and boundaries were pushed; from this one event, countless riders from every corner of the world will be inspired to emulate these legendary 5, the first in the history of slopestyle.We cannot wait for the next round. The Cairns Slopestyle event will be held on Sunday 26th of May and will be streamed free and live on Red Bull TV so make sure you don’t miss out. 