Looking Back On The Events Of The Summer
October 5, 2022
The past three months on the 2022 FMB World Tour have seen more world firsts than we could have hoped to see in an entire season. Or two. From Tomas Lemoine’s already infamous huck of the final feature at Red Bull Joyride to the first female riders sessioning the Red Bull District Ride course… Have we been living in a fever dream?
Add in a total of 24 events across the summer, the return of many beloved competitions and destinations (Sentiers du Moulin Slopestyle brought the FMB World Tour to Quebec for the first time since Mud Rocker 2016!), and gold events galore… this may have been one of the best summers of mountain biking in recent years.
Keep reading for a recount of summer ‘22 and a look at what’s ahead.
This Season’s Gold Level Events Did Not Disappoint
Eurobike Skyline Ride kicked off this season’s FMB Gold level events in a big way as more than 60,000 spectators gathered in Frankfurt, Germany for three straight days of Slopestyle action under perfect weather conditions. Finals saw 10 riders take to the course, with David Godziek grabbing his first of what would become three gold medals in a row at FMB Gold level events. Following closely behind was Nicholi Rogatkin and Erik Fedko, who between the three of them saw a point differential of only 4.33. See full results here.
However, it was the performance of the young Spanish rider, Miguel Guerrero, that really stole the show, as his fourth-place finish secured him a spot on the Red Bull District Ride start list. His 360 Tailwhip Triple Bar also earned him a first-place finish in the Best Trick Contest. No biggie.
The momentum continued for Guerrero as he took first place at O Marisquino and earned himself a wildcard for Crankworx Cairns. Joining him on the podium was fellow Spanish rider Alejandro Bonafe, who also secured a wildcard for Crankworx Cairns, and Sweden’s Felix Törnqvist. With a crowd of nearly 180,000 filing in, the event made quite the return after a two-year hiatus. Check out the full recap of the 2022 edition here.
The season’s Gold level events were rounded out with two Canadian stops – Title Slopestyle at SilverStar Bike Park and Big White Invitational. World firsts were landed, wildcards were distributed, and winning streaks continued. Read about the FMB World Tour Canadian stops here.
The Return of Red Bull Joyride and Red Bull District Ride
Diamond level events were back in full force this year with the return of both Red Bull Joyride and Red Bull District Ride after a two-year and five-year hiatus, respectively.
The 10th anniversary of Red Bull Joyride saw the largest crowd to date as fans flocked to one of the world’s top mountain biking destinations for Crankworx Whistler. Emil Johansson seemingly effortlessly continued his winning streak and made it eight in a row on the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship (SWC) as he once again stood atop the infamous podium. Following closely behind was the French rider and 2019 Red Bull Rookie of the Year, Tim Bringer, who found his Joyride debut to be a very successful one. However, it was the fellow Frenchman and third-place finisher, Tomas Lemoine, who took home the title of crowd favourite after he gapped the entire final feature with the send of the century. This one is worthy of a replay.
A few weeks later and riders were off to historic Nuremberg, Germany for the return of Red Bull District Ride after its half-a-decade-long absence. While a double victory for the Swedish Slopestyle powerhouse, Emil Johansson, with the overall title and Best Trick Award is nothing short of impressive, it was the quintet of female freeride athletes that really got the crowd of 120,000 fired up. For the first time in the event’s history, Red Bull District Ride welcomed five of the sport’s leading female riders – Patricia Druwen (GER), Caroline Buchanan (AUS), Kathi Kuypers (GER), Gemma Corbera (ESP) and Ellie Chew (NZL) – to check out the track in two progression sessions over the weekend. Get the full event replay here.
The Summer Vibes Were Real
If you’ve been following along on social media, whether it’s through @fmbworldtour, your favourite rider, or the local bike park, you’ll know that the vibes were very real this summer. From the more than 7,000 spectators at the GT Malverns Classic and clear blue skies at the Muret Bike Show to the return of smalltown British Columbia’s Hucken Berries Bike Jam and Wam Bam Dirt Jump Jam… The past few months have been full on. Here’s a snapshot of the highlights:
- Dirt Wars UK wrapped it’s six-part National Series
- Paul Couderc sent it right into first place at 4 Bikes Festival
- Caroline Buchanan took the gold at Big White Freeride Days
- Renata Wiese rode the largest line at Freebird Slopestyle Series
- Nathan Compartino put it down at Sentiers Du Moulin Slopestyle
What’s Still to Come Before the End of the Year?
The 2022 Crankworx FMBA SWC is still underway with two stops – Crankworx Cairns Slopestyle and Maxxis Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza – left to go. After Red Bull Joyride, Emil Johansson has effectively eliminated all other Slopestyle athletes from the running for the 2022 Triple Crown of Slopestyle, but can he win it two years in a row? Tune in to Red Bull TV to watch the Crankworx FMBA SWC live.
The first edition of the Australian Slopestyle Tour is set to wrap mid-November, after which the 2022 Red Bull Female and Male Rookies of the Year (ROTY) will be announced. Take a look at the current FMBA Red Bull Rookie Women’s and FMBA Red Bull Rookie Men’sstandings.
Submissions for Best Trick Award will remain open until November 30, 2022, at 23:59 PST with fan voting commencing the week of December 12 and award recipients being notified the week following.