Five is the Magic Number - Red Bull Joyride, Crankworx, Whistler

It’s been a week for repetition here in Whistler. Marcelo Gutierrez winning the Garbanzo for the fifth time. Jill Kintner winning the Dual Slalom for the fifth time, now Brandon Semenuk has won Red Bull Joyride, the crown event of the Slopestyle World Tour, the big show during the Crankworx week, for the fifth time.

Semenuk may have crashed on his victory lap, but it was the first run that counted.

Brandon was the first competitor down ‘the boneyard’ where he pulled off a super clean run scoring an 89.80. No matter what they did, no-one could beat that score, try as they might. Serious podium contender, Brett Rheeder gave it his best shot but crashed in both runs.

That’s not how Brett Rheeder wanted to land…

Nicholai Rogatkin was up to win the Triple Crown, which hadn’t been done in over two years, but with the pressure mounting, he too was unable to stay on the bike.

Nicholai was very close to getting the Triple Crown this year.

The biggest threat to Semenuk’s score was eighteen year old Emil Johansson. The new Red Bull signee threw together a huge run, and Brandon himself even referred to Emil as ‘the future of the sport’.

The Sunday crowds watch on as Emil sends it in on his second run.

In his second year of riding Slopestyle, Ryan Nyquist was super stoked to get on the podium, to the joy of the crowd. Ryan at twenty years Emils senior, was only two points off his score, and you could see just how elated he was to get that result. Ryan has been riding professionally for the whole time Emil has been alive!

Nyquist. A crowd favourite.

Coming up in fourth was Anthony Messere, with Diego Caverzasi just behind him. Diego is yet to pick up a ride yet, so if you own a bike company, maybe get in touch?

Joyride really is the biggest event on the slopestyle calendar. The pressure, the crowds, the atmosphere, it all comes together for these runs. Sometimes the pressure can be too much, sometimes it can push ordinary people to do extraordinary things. Enjoy some of the images from this iconic event.