Red Bull Rookie of the Year and Best Line Contests Launch for 2021

Riders, keen to make your mark in 2021? We’ve got two chances for you to get recognized and rewarded for what you bring to freeride.

We’re stoked to announce that the 2021 Red Bull Rookie of the Year (ROTY) contest launches today, while the Best Line Award opens for submissions on May 24.

The Red Bull ROTY title will be awarded to the #1 ranked Rookie Athlete of the 2021 FMB World Tour season. While 2020 went fully digital, this year rankings will be based on a combined score from the 2021 Rookie Rankings (from points earned at FMB World Tour events) and results from Best Line video submission. 

New for this year, more riders will be eligible to be named the Red Bull ROTY. In previous years, riders needed to be aged 16-22 to be eligible. Going forward, the age range has increased to 16-25.

The Red Bull ROTY winner will receive a wildcard entry to the first Crankworx FMBA World Championship contest in 2022, plus flights, accommodation, and spending money. 

Past winners include Lucas Huppert (2018), Tim Bringer (2019) and Garret Mechem (2020). Mechem will make his SWC debut at Crankworx Innsbruck this June, while Bringer and Huppert are now regulars on the scene. 

“It was super cool to get the first ROTY award back in 2018,” said Lucas Huppert. “That season went pretty good for me – I got that award and won a flight to watch Red Bull Joyride. It was crazy to see those jumps in person for the first time!” 

At the time entry into a Crankworx Slopestyle comp wasn’t a part of the prize, but Huppert says just seeing the event in person gave him the inspiration he needed to push to get there. 

“I made it a goal to make it into Joyride in 2019. I got motivated and rode almost every day. I got some good results and was able to make it happen!”

The Swiss rider has been in the top 10 consistently since making his Crankworx Slopestyle debut.

Alongside, and part of, the Red Bull ROTY Award, the Best Line Award is back in 2021. 

The Best Line Award is a virtual competition where participants submit a “4 best hits” video. Video submissions will be judged and ranked into finalists by an FMBA approved Judging Panel. FMB World Tour fans will then vote on the winner.

Cash prizes are on offer to the top three, with a top prize of €750,00. 

Best Line Video Submissions open May 24 and close on November 30.

The winners of both the Red Bull ROTY and the Best Line Award will be announced on December 20, 2021. 

The events calendar for the 2021 FMB World Tour season is growing steadily, so be sure to watch this space for updates as the season rolls on.

Meantime, get on your bikes and let’s see what you’ve got. It’s time to crown our next top rookie, and see what freeride athletes around the world have got in store for us.