Brett Rheeder wins big at Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza
Canadian takes his first win of the season as Crankworx rotorua wraps up
Brett Rheeder of Mont Albert, Ont. kicked off the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship season with an emphatic win at the Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza. “I couldn’t ask for a better feeling,” said Rheeder after taking the top step of the podium at the opening Slopestyle World Championship event of 2018. “I’ve worked toward this all winter. It’s been my goal. I’m on top of the world.”
Rheeder came out of the gate flying nailing a cork 720 on the step down. It was only the second time he landed that trick the first time being in training two days earlier. “I was super stocked on that,” he said.
The Canadian then flowed through the remainder of the redesigned course which for the first time since it was launched in 2015 had some new features. Technically strong, Rheeder ended his run with a 720 barspin on the final jump. He was awarded the top score of the first run.
As the riders came through some big tricks were landed but Rheeder held on. Notably Italian Diego Caverzasi landed The Twister and Nicholi Rogatkin of the U.S. posted some strong runs only to crash on the last jump taking him out of contention.
After Rheeder’s victory, a minute of silence was held for Kelly McGarry who helped shape the course, Rheeder led a train of riders down the track
Rheeder’s focus now shifts to the remainder of the season which will include the Slopestyle World Championship and the unclaimed Triple Crown of Slopestyle.
“There are three more Crankworx stops that are going to be equally as hard as this one, if not harder,” Rheeder said. “Everyone’s going to come back with new tricks, more aggressive riding, more practice. The next one will be even harder than this. I’m looking ahead to that one.”
After the nine-day Crankworx Rotorua, Jill Kintner of the U.S leads to the pack of pro women with 565 points, while Sam Blenkinsop of New Zealand leads the pro men in the Queen and King of the Crankworx World Tour.
