Could Brett Rheeder be only Canadian taking on re-imagined Red Bull Joyride Slopestyle this year?

Canadian freeride and slopestyle athletes have a long history of winning at Red Bull Joyride, the crown jewel of Crankworx Whistler. When the world’s best start flying and flipping their way down an all-new course in Whistler, the home-crowds hopes could rest entirely on one athlete.

Crankworx has released the rider list for Red Bull Joyride 2019. There’s currently only one Canadian confirmed to start in Whistler this August. Brett Rheeder is on the six-rider list of pre-qualified athletes, and the lone Canuck. The eight-rider list of additional competitors includes Sweden’s Emil Johansson, runner-up to Rheeder in a thrilling Crankworx Innsbruck Slopestyle and winner of the recent FMB Gold event at Big White in Kelowna, but no Canadians. Athnony Messere, on the two-athlete reserve list, is the only other rider from north of 40 in with a shot.

Rheeder, though, is clearly one of the favourites to take the win.

At the two Crankworx World Tour slopestyle so far in 2019, Rheeder has been on the top step for both. He started early in the year with a win in Rotorua, New Zealand. At Crankworx Innsbruck, Rheeder faced down a challenge from resurgent slopestyle talent, emil Johansson. The young Swedish rider put the Canadian under serious pressure, throwing down two world-first mountain bike tricks on his second of two competition runs.

Rheeder stepped up under pressure, narrowly walking away from Austria with his second win of the season. The win kept alive Rheeder’s chances at bringing the Crankworx Triple Crown of Slopestyle. The award goes to any rider that can win three Crankworx Slopestyle events in one year. In 2018, American Nicholi Rogatkin became the first rider to ever capture the title. Rheeder’s been close before, only to falter at Joyride Whistler.

While part of the three-event Crankworx series, Red Bul Joyride puts much more pressure on competitors. The massive crowd, intimidating course and the events long history all add to the pressure.

“It’s the toughest course in the world,” says Paddy Kaye, owner of Joyride Bike Parks, whose been involved working to create the Crankworx Whistler Slopestyle course for the past nine years.

Kaye and a crew of 14 trail builders have been hard at work for three months putting together the legendary Boneyard slopestyle course. Eight massive, expertly crafted features, located in the heart of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, are taking shape to challenge the world’s best this August.

Riders invited to compete in Red Bull Joyride are made up of the top six pre-qualified athletes from the 2018 Slopestyle World Championships standings and the next top eight in the FMB World Ranking as of four weeks prior to the event.

Red Bull Joyride 2019: Pre-qualified

Brett Rheeder (CAN)
Diego Caverzasi (ITA)
Erik Fedko (GER)
Nicholi Rogatkin (USA)
Thomas Genon (BEL)
Tomas Lemoine (FRA)

Next top eight in the FMB World Ranking

Emil Johansson (SWE)
Dawid Godziek (POL)
Max Fredriksson (SWE)
Torquato Testa (ITA)
Alex Alanko (SWE)
Paul Couderc   (FRA)
Jakub Vencl (CZE)
Lucas Huppert (SUI)

Alternates

Lukas Knopf (GER)
Anthony Messere (CAN)