CRANKWORX SUMMER SERIES CANADA – QUEBEC CITY: BRONZE-LEVEL SLOPESTYLE COMPETITION RECAP

We are now at the midpoint of Crankworx Summer Series Canada – Québec City, and yesterday we saw the Bronze-Level FMB Slopestyle competition Sentiers du Moulin. The day was full on with a training and competition for both open men and women, as well as practice for the upcoming Air DH race at Vallée Bras-du-Nord.

This is now American Shealen Reno’s second gold medal of the Crankworx Summer Series Canada – Québec City in two days. She received her first Gold Medal of the Crankworx Summer Series Canada at the Red Bull UCI Pump Track World Championship Qualifier at Empire 47.

From gold medalist, Shealen Reno on her tricks from her winning runs: ““There was a drop, then a dirt to dirt where I did a tuck no hander over the dirt to dirt, then I did an E.T. off the whale tail and then a table top over the cannon log, and then a nac nac over the last big jump. For the second run I did the same tricks but tried to clean it up a bit. It was getting dark and so I just wanted to make it a clean run.” | Photographer: Etienne Dionne

“It was so much fun,” the Texan rider said of the Slopestyle competition. “The course was super rad. It wasn’t too technical so you could really just focus on the tricks you wanted to throw. I did my first run and I felt pretty confident with it, so I tried to clean it up with the second run and it felt super smooth. I did what I wanted to do today.”

Fellow American, James Angiulo also took home the gold medal today in the men’s slopestyle competition. This is the 20-year old’s seventh slopestyle competition, and competed in his first Silver-Level in France just last week.

“For my first time at the Crankworx Summer Series, it was so fun to be out here in Québec being with such talented riders on a new course out here,” Angiulo says of finishing top spot in the men’s category. “It feels really good when the hard work pays off. Especially when coming off an injury a month ago, I broke my elbow. I’m just warming back up with the comps and getting back into it. I just always remember to keep positive and always go beyond.”

James Angiulo | Photographer: Etienne Dionne
James Angiulo | Photographer: Etienne Dionne
Silver medalist slopestyle rider, Kaidan Ingersoll fist bumpin’ the fans | Photographer: Etienne Dionne

The vibes from today’s slopestyle competition at Sentiers du Moulin truly aligned with the Crankworx Summer Series Canada’s overarching theme of paving the path for progression.

The crowd was hyped to see these ladies throw down on the slope course today at Sentiers du Moulin | Photographer: Guillaume Milette

“I really never thought about doing slopestyle before, and then when I was in SilverStar I got invited for the Crankworx Slopestyle Session at SilverStar Bike Park – I fell in love with it,” Shealen Reno said of her new found passion for Slopestyle. “All the girls told me there was going to be an event at Big White to follow, and I thought ‘I have to go to that’. Now I’m so fired up with this, it’s so much fun. Big White was my first event. I placed fourth, and I was super happy with it. I did everything I wanted to do and it was so much fun.”

Ilabb’s rider from New Zealand, Jayden Fleming, also dipped his toes in the slopestyle waters today competing for the first time at a bronze-level slopestyle event.

Jayden Fleming is no stranger to the Crankworx World Tour circuit, but this newcomer to slopestyle competitions is now hungry for more. “I would love to do a few more bronze and silver slopestyle competitions, slowly work my way up,” Fleming said of the day. “It was a really fun day, even in practice it felt like a big jam session. It’s a great way to get so many good riders together.” | Photographer: Etienne Dionne

“My first slope competition,” the Kiwi rider, Fleming said. “It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and it was cool to try out a bronze level competition and start on some slightly smaller jumps. The guys that are riding the diamonds and golds are pretty gnarly so I think this is a good place to start. Out of the 16 men’s riders today, 13 of us had our first go at a proper slopestyle event so it was pretty cool for this to be a part of the summer series, at the grassroots level.”

Crankworx Summer Series Canada – Quebec City’s Bronze-Level Slopestyle competition really ignited a fire for many of the riders today, like Shealen Reno, who’s already got plans in the works for her trick progression over the winter season.

“My plans for the future have actually changed completely within the past few months,” Reno said. “I want to go home and get an airbag and just learn as many tricks as possible.”

Results – Bronze-Level Slopestyle at Sentiers du Moulin

Open Women

Shaelen Reno (USA) – 73

Tania Lillak (CAN) – 63

KaJay Rooke (USA) – 62

Open Men

James Angiulo (USA) – 92

Kaidan Ingersoll (USA) – 91

Nathan Compartino (USA) – 86

Full Results: https://www.crankworx.com/results/

We’ve got Air DH up next for day three of Crankworx Summer Series – Quebec City at the spectacular Vallée Bras-du-Nord where the top two finishers of each category will receive a guaranteed entry into the Crankworx World Tour circuit at Crankworx Whistler 2023.

Additional Event Images: Flickr

About Crankworx Summer Series Canada:

The Crankworx Summer Series Canada is bringing Crankworx-caliber racing, with a grassroots vibe, to Canadian destinations outside the Crankworx World Tour. Summer Series festivals bring together seasoned pros, pinned locals, top amateurs, and up-and-coming youngsters, while attracting top riders keen to mix, mingle, and drop in. In 2022, the Crankworx Summer Series Canada will take flight from two Canadian destinations, bringing together riding communities in the country’s West and East. July 28-31, the Crankworx Summer Series Canada – SilverStar Bike Park will kick off the action from British Columbia. September 1-5, the action heads East with the Crankworx Summer Series Canada – Quebec City.

For additional information, visit Crankworx.com.