Highlights and recap: Emil Johansson extends slopestyle winning streak in Innsbruck
Swede soars to victory on possibly the most scenic slopestyle course ever
Photo by:
Kike Abelleira / Crankworx
Coming into Friday’s Crankworx Innsbruck slopestyle, Emil Johansson hadn’t lost in over a year. While there’s only been two events in that time, staying on top in the unpredictable world of slopestyle is always difficult.
With his win Friday, Johansson’s incredible consistency, and skill in the face of adverse course conditions, showed that the talented Swede is still the top rider on tour.
Incredible views, unpredictable winds
While Johansson’s immense talent is undeniable, the road to slopestyle victory in Innsbruck was anything but predictable. All riders had to deal with gusting winds, making the massive features in Innsbruck even more difficult.
Johansson walked away with the win, but the Swedish rider said he left alot on course, and was just happy to make it down.
“There’s a lot of things I would clean up, to be honest,” Johansson said of his winning run. “It was not really what I was looking to do with the run. Casing pretty bad mid-run. Needing to pedal for stuff I haven’t been pedalling for all day, just ‘cause of the wind conditions it’s so far from ideal. It’s so frustrating to not be able to perform at the level you know you’re capable of. But it’s the same for everyone, and to be able to get my run done, and it’s good enough for first place, it feels amazing.”
While winds added difficulty, most riders were happy to ride. And happy to make it down the course in one piece. Earlier in the week, weather added another element of doubt to a wildly unpredictable year.
“Coming into this week we didn’t know how it was going to be,” added Johansson. “It just looked so rainy and wet. The course…the first day. It was not ideal. So it’s been tough mentally, knowing that nothing is really guaranteed, but knowing that if something is happening, you go in, all-in.”
And when the 21-year-old phenom goes all in, it is something to behold. Over the eight judged hits, his run included a 360 windshield wiper/360 tailwhip to downwhip, an oppo truck driver to downside whip on the whale tail and an oppo 360 tailwhip to topside barspin on the final jump.
While Johansson wasn’t sold on his run, the judges were. They awarded his first run an impressive 94 points, putting him in the lead. Judge Geoff Gulevich said Johansson’s score was based on the technical and progressive nature of his tricks, as well as their smoothness and execution. Slopestyle judging is based on seven factors: flow, amplitude, trick selection, diversity, execution, use of course, and overall impression.
Johansson’s competitors were equally impressed by his skill under challenging conditions.
“Emil was pretty amazing today again,” said second-place finisher Tomas Lemoine. “I’m stoked to make it to the podium. Let’s focus again for Speed & Style now.”
Lemoine adds the slopestyle silver to his podium finish in Thursday’s Rock Shox Pump Track challenge. One of the very few slopestyle riders to branch out into other disciplines, Lemoine has another chance to build on his momentum in Friday’s Speed & Style event.
After scoring a 90 on his first run, putting him second, Lemoine decided he was satisfied with silver. He and Johansson rode down their final run together in a joint victory lap.
“I knew I couldn’t beat him, so we decided to have a chill and funny lap,” said the 24-year-old. “That was cool.”
Third place went to German rider Erik Fedko.
“Super happy because I messed up my first run,” Erik Fedko. “I was super nervous. I didn’t know exactly what to do in my second run, and then I thought positive about everything and thought ‘Yeah, I can do this.’ After landing my second run I was so stoked. Being on the podium now is even nicer now. I’m speechless.”
