The finals course seemed to offer more options and more potential to torque up the difficulty level. Exposure, size and the need for precision were all ramped up for the riders looking for high scoring lines. The morning was for line building and some warm-up runs and when all was done the riders, with the help of their teenage, delinquent, bike jockeys, made their way to the top of the course. I actually saw one of the jockeys slip off a ridge with Dave Watson’s bike, somehow managing to hold onto it and avoid falling off the edge.

Robbie Bourdon chose a steep exposed line on the north ridge that led him towards the canyon gap. Unfortunately he bit it hard on his first big drop and then again on a larger one and he pulled off his helmet signalling the end of his run.

Schley pulled a smooth line that was relatively conservative but he displayed his trademark flair off every drop. Richie squeezed big cheers out of the crowds. Somewhere on the way down he broke the Thrust Link on his RM7 but managed to keep it upright. Luckily Jonny Rockall was there with the Rocky trailer (the only team that stepped up big with support) and he managed to replace it in time for round 2.

Shaums rode a line that dropped below the south ridge. The opening drop-in looked huge, nasty and exposed from the judges’ vantage point but on closer inspection it was large but relatively straightforward – in short it was perfect. He flowed nice drops all the way to the bottom where he added some lube to the last launch by entering it from a natural berm – again to some hearty cheering.

Kyle Straight nailed a straight shot off the north ridge and then gapped the canyon, just barely reaching the tranny. It was a clean run but less than he’s capable of.

Chris O’Driscoll rode a conservative line smoothly until the bottom where he lofted a substantial ledge, tweaking his ankle on the landing. He was unable to return.

Thomas Vanderham rode the same top line as Bourdon off the north ridge, nailing it and then hucked a large one at the end (the one that almost pitched Robbie over the edge last year) crashing hard.

Darren Berrecloth took an original line with some big drops but his run was disjointed and he ended up walking and pedalling uphill often.

Andrew Mills crashed hard off the north ridge but he got himself back together to stick some landings only to bail even harder lower down. He stayed down awhile and took off his helmet but then summoned some massive cojones and finished his line by rolling off a high ledge.