Scott dethrones Kintner in Crankworx Pump Track Challenge
Zula wins thrilling men's race in Rotorua
With upsets and razor-thin winning margins, it was a thrilling night of head-to-head racing at the Crankworx Pump Track Challenge in Rotorua.
Jordy Scott used her momentum from winning the Speed and Style event to defeat Crankworx legend Jill Kintner in the women’s race. On the men’s side, teammates Tommy Zula and Collin Hudson faced off in the final, finishing nearly in a dead heat.
Scott dethrones Kintner
Jordy Scott pulled off a dramatic upset to win the women’s Pump Track Challenge in Rotorua. The 18-year-old defeated three-time Queen of Crankworx Jill Kintner to take the win. The head-to-head final was a rematch of Crankworx Whistler in 2019. Then, Kintner was able to hold off the speedy young rider. This year, Scott came out on top.
“I’m really happy,” said Scott after adding the Pump Track win to her Speed and Style gold from the night before. “This has been the one event that I’ve done for the past four years. I pushed to get in the big finals last year and then couldn’t make it happen, so I’m really happy I made it happen this year.”
“I just had to slow things down a little in my head and really just make sure I hit my marks and I was really happy with my ride. I’m stoked.”
Canada’s Vaea Verbeeck finished fifth, keeping her within touch of Kintner in the year-long Queen of Crankworx race. In other Canadian Pump Track results, Casey Brown was 10th, Georgia Astle 13th and Micayla Gatto 15th in Rotorua.
A showdown between teammates
On the men’s side, it was two Airborne/Fly Racing teammates facing off in the final round. Tommy Zula and Collin Hudson weren’t just matched in team kit. The two U.S.-based friends finished their first of two rounds in a dead heat. The time was so close that “Winner” displayed below both riders.
With the win on the table in the second run, the two riders times were just as tight. In the end, Zula edged out Hudson by the narrowest of margins. Just 0.01 seconds separated the two friends.
“I’m on top of the world right now,” said Zula, “Before, I wasn’t really digging the track, so to come out with a win…I can’t believe it.”
Canadian Tom van Steenbergen was fourth in the Crankworx Rotorua Pump Track Challenge. His result pulls him within a single point of Kyle Strait, who has the early lead in the King of Crankworx competition.
