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Freeride
Slopestyle at it’s best: Red Bull District ride in Nuremberg |
The world’s best riders traveled from all over the globe to Nuremberg Germany for District Ride - an urban Slope Style contest. Famous for its Christmas market and for the massive castle from the middle ages, nobody would have predicted that Nuremberg would throw down the biggest Slopestyle Contest ever held.
It was a real life fairy tale: a poor knight is forced into crime. He robs the rich, gets caught and thrown in the castle tower of Nuremberg. Hanging from a noose seems to be his destiny. But the knight with the fancy name - Eppelein von Gailingen - is smart and he begs for a last wish. He wants to sit on his loyal horse for one last time. The count of Nuremberg lets him have his wish. Why not let the doomed have his wish: the executioner is ready to go, the heavy castle-doors are closed. Eppelein gets on his horse and away he rides. Straight towards the deep castle ditch. Rider and horse jump over the wall, drop down into the ditch – freefalling to freedom.
Guido Tschugg riding in his homeland. Photo ~ Yorick Carroux/Red Bull
This was probably the first freeride drop over the heavy castle wall of Nuremberg.
Over 600 years later Tarek Rasouli, former pro rider and now visionary freeride organizer chose Nuremberg as the location for his urban Slopestyle event. His mission: to bring freeriding to the people by holding a freeride comp in the heart of a big German city.
If you think this looks hard - try it on a horse. Rider: Geoff Gulevich.
Last year he organized "Ride to the lake“ in Meersburg. But the people of Meersburg got scared. The freeriders were too wild, the obstacles too freaky and the show too gnarly for the average Hans and Heidi of such a quiet town.
In Nuremberg things are a little looser. B.C. - born course designer Cory Moore got crazy and built a huge freeride-trail right into the city. Big Drops, North Shore style ladder bridges, jump boxes, a street section and gigantic wall rides. When big trucks dump dirt right in front of the old town hall, the mayor comes running out somewhat perturbed. But it was too late and Nuremberg got a course that impressed even the prima donna pros.
Guido Tschugg got the biggest air over the castle wall.
The crux move of the course was the castle drop. The view over the wall would scare the hell out of the average biker. There is a huge 7 meter gap and a 15 metre (45 foot) deep abyss separates the castle wall and the wooden tranny. Swiss Pro Rider Samuel Zbinden believes he can make it and he makes the first attempt. Cedric Gracia gives some sage advice: "Take all the speed you can." Zbinden jumps his hardtail over the wall. He flies over the gap and hits the wooden ramp, 7 meters below but he comes up a little short, loses control but then manages to recover. Lucky guy number one!
4X world cupper Guido Tschugg drops next and also comes up short. The impact broke his bike instead of bones. Lucky guy number two.
Even the best riders check every stunt very carefully but even that research couldn't keep the riders out of harms way. Aaron Case hits Bearclaw in midair while they are filming each other. The Claw goes down heavy and spends the rest of his stay in Europe on crutches. Too bad for the crowd - Berrecloth is a real superstar in Europe and everybody was looking forward to seeing him in action. Darren didn't seem too bummed out. "I had a great season and I just spent two great days at the Oktoberfest in Munich. Sometimes it’s good for someone else to have a chance to win" was all he had to say.
Nathan Rennie. Depending on who you talk to this was either a barrel roll or a flat spin. Who knew? Photo ~ Dimitri Lehner
The riders have two runs to qualify for the final. The top 10 get another two runs in the final and a chance at a slice of 20 000 Euros. It's not easy to see all the different sections with their dirt kickers, North Shore bridges, jump boxes and step up/step down jumps. But the organizers were prepared and they erected several big screens for the crowd to see it all.
When announcer Mike Hamel gives the signal all eyes are glued on the huge castle wall. Gareth Dyer is the first on the course. He takes the smaller castle drop but still can't control his speed and he flies over the wooden berm and dives head first on the meadow. An average guy would have been airlifted straight to hospital. Not Dyer. He gets up, checks his spinal alignment and continues. During the event there is only one serious injury - Michael Bolmstam fell on a metal pole and fractured his hip. "If you fall here, you fall hard“, said Aaron Chase, "actually it’s all rock." The crowd seemed to be surprised that there weren't more serious injuries but not Tarek Rasouli: "These riders are the best of the best. They know what they are doing.“
Qualifying
Timo Pritzel starts strong: he takes the big castle drop with style, back flips onto the box and table tops off. Down in the street zone he does his signature move: " f-it, I'll jump the whole thing“ and back flips huge over a wooden spine. He ends his run with no foot cans and another high tabletop back flip. That puts him in an early lead and he holds onto number one until the end of the first qualifying run.
Young Cam McCaul shows the true meaning of new school when he combines hardcore moves like tail whips, indian airs and suicides with lots of play: a bar spin onto the box to a no-foot can off. The crowd loves it and McCaul would have won the contest with such a run at the beginning of the season. But the level of riding continues to ramp up. Even moves like a barrel roll (Nathan Rennie), a flip onto the box (Kyle Ebbett), tail whip (Grant Fielder) or back flip. x-up combo (Joscha Forstreuter) are no guarantee for the final.
Wade Simmons shows that he still has that special eye for lines. He jumps a transfer from one North Shore ladder to the other – 3 Meters in the air. But he goes down when he tries to endo drop the wooden spine.
Still rockin' - Wade leaves the castle in style wearing jeans and a t shirt just like the young punks. Photo ~ Dimitri Lehner
Kyle Strait, Cam McCaul and Paul Bas' take the lead after the second qualifying run.
"The two crucial section on the course are the skate park and the dirt jumps“ according to Aaron Chase, "Because this is were all the people are. They are cheering and you have 45 seconds to perform your street skills. That’s really hard. And then you go straight to the dirt jump to finish it off. These were the two main obstacles of the course. All the points come from the bottom of the course.“
The Finals
Last year Tarek Rasouli had bad luck with his "Ride to the lake“ in Meersburg. It rained the whole time. This time it was bluebird over Nuremberg for the 40,000 cheering fans. "The Red Bull District ride is definitely the biggest, best organized Slopestyle in the World,"said pro photographer Yorick Carroux, who had just returned from Whistler.
This may have been Cedric's last comp aboard a Cannondale. Rumours suggest he's signed with Commençal. Photo ~ Fabian Ziegler
Cedric Gracia on his Cannondale Prophet MX knew how to please the crowd. After a massive x-up down the castle wall he manuals down the street, takes one hand of the bar and honks the virtual trucker’s horn all the way into the next section.
It isn't always high scoring moves that make an impression. Gareth Dyer loses rhythm in the three dirt kickers and before he jumps the last one he lets the bike go. His Rotwild-Freerider flies through the air, lands perfectly and rolls through the big Red Bull gate at the end of the course as the crowd goes wild.
Paul Bas attempts a 360 whip for all the marbles. Photo ~ Yorick Carroux/Red Bull
Aaron Chase knows what time it is: "Play the game, give’em the show." Chase says it without hesitation: "The big drop would be the biggest drop I have ever done. I won't do it. Besides I'm on my hardtail so it’s all about tricks." Chase is on to something and his final run is textbook. He jumps the small castle drop but goes big on the wallride underneath where he pushes off with both feet against the wood. He flips on the box and spins a three off. In the North Shore section he copies Wade Simmons’ transfer, shows sweet moves in the street section and finishes off in the dirt with 360, x-up and another back flip. Could anyone top that? It was a tough bet - even with Paul Basagoitia still waiting in the castle for his last run - his victory at Crankworx still fresh in his mind. In Nuremberg he goes big over the castle drop with an nice x-up. Like Chase he flips onto the box and continues to pull high scoring moves like his signature tail whip drop, a 360-drop, a monster flip over the jump box. He works it in the street zone and seems to be the sure winner after the first two dirt kickers: 360 on the first, x-up on the second - he's looking like the champ with one jump remaining. |
 Aaron Chase putting his foot down. |
Paul Bas attempts a 360 whip for all the marbles. Photo ~ Yorick Carroux/Red Bull
Berrecloth, who wound up judging, later said "he could have just done a straight air on the last jump and still won. It was the most outstanding run I have ever seen." But Paul gambles. He pulls out a 360 tail whip He makes it back on his bike but comes off course and crashes straight into the crowd. The fans go nuts but the jury looks irritated.
The judges. Bearclaw, Cam Zink included.
Aaron Chase gets awarded the highest score. "It would have sent the wrong message if Paul had won after crashing“ was how Berrecloth explained the judges' decision.
Aaron Chase banks 6500 Euros - one of the heftiest prizes
yet in a sport short on big pay outs. A great success, but robber baron
Eppelein von Gailingen is smiling from the grave; he managed to win
his life. |
 Tiny bubbles for the victor. |
HIGHLIGHTS:
Back flip. onto the 3 meter box: Pritzel, Chase, Ebbet, Strait
Castle-Drop with hardtail: Samuel Zbinden, Michael Bolmstam
Biggest airtime over the castle-Drop: Tabletop von Guido Tschugg
Barrel roll: Nathan Rennie
Flair: Trond Hansen
Back flip. X-up: Joscha Forstreuter
Monster wallride: Michal Marosi
One-handed manual: Cedric Gracia
Tail whip over jump box: Grant Fielder
Transfer jump from North Shore ladder to the next: Wade Simmons
360er drop off the box: Aaron Chase
Biggest back flip.: Paul Basagoitia
Paul Bas making it look easy. Photo ~ Yorick Carroux/Red Bull
ROWDINESS:
Suicide No-Hander off the castle drop: Thomas Vanderham
Can-can off the castle drop: Kyle Strait
Tail whip off the 3 meter box: Paul Basagoitia
360 tail whip: Paul Basagoitia
For more info on the event hit redbulldistrictride.com
For video of the event head to freecaster.com
Words by Dimitri Lehner - editor of bike Germany's awesome new publication: Freeride
