From XCO to Slopestyle: Alma Wiggberg’s Journey (So Far)
She popped onto the Slopestyle stage just a few years back but has since redefined what Slopestyle Mountain Biking stands for. Aside from battling her fair share of injuries in recent years, she’s the first woman ever to win the Crankworx Whistler Slopestyle (backing it up with another victory in 2025), and remains one of the kindest – and grandest – forces in the current field. Part of the Specialized family since her early days of racing, she’s since been dubbed “undefeated in Slopestyle” by Nicholi Rogatkin after a season of gold-medals only, and stands as a role model for female athletes across the globe.
“It’s a big step and feels very special. Super grateful for this opportunity and I’m excited for the future together,” says Alma of her brand new partnership with Red Bull, cementing her spot at the top of the Slopestyle scene.
But Alma almost got her start in Slopestyle by accident. She grew up racing XCO with her brothers before a move to Falun put her in the middle of Sweden’s hardtail and Slopestyle scene. Ahead of the final stops of the 2026 Slopestyle Super League, we sat down with Alma Wiggberg to talk progression, pressure, and what’s next.
Interview
When you made your Crankworx debut in 2022 at Speed & Style – finishing with a silver medal – did you know then that Slopestyle was going to become your primary focus, or did that realization come later?
No, not really. I’ve been riding bike parks, Enduro and big bikes for a long time. In the beginning of 2022 I moved to a town in Sweden called Falun where pretty much everyone rides hardtail/Slopestyle [bike]. Before this, I barely touched a bike during the winter months. But moving to Falun everyone was riding the indoor spots on their hardtail during the winter and that was how I got into that kind of riding.
Then throughout the years my interest for Slopestyle and the whole parts of learning tricks has grown quickly. I also didn’t really have much knowledge about the whole Slopestyle scene back in 2022. I’ve always liked riding bikes and looking at how all new platforms and events have become available and evolving for the women’s side over the past few years have made the transition quite natural for me.
You won the first-ever Diamond Level Slopestyle competition you competed at (Crankworx Cairns 2024), and in the same year became the first woman ever to win the iconic Red Bull Joyride in Whistler. How does it feel to hold this record?
2024 was a super exciting year. Personally, it was a huge step just riding these venues and getting comfortable. But both events mentioned above I’m very happy with my performance and how I progressed, and worked around my fears during the competition week.
We’re now in the third season of women competing at the Diamond Level in Slopestyle. From your perspective on the podium, what excites you most about where women’s Slopestyle is headed?
I like how it’s all changing at each event. The sport is fairly new on the women’s side and watching everyone progress, trying new stuff, and seeing new faces entering this part of mountain biking has been amazing.
Are there still gaps or opportunities you’d like to see addressed for women in Slopestyle?
Allowing women on the same terms as the men has been a huge step and i think it’s so needed for the sport to grow and progress. Things can always improve but Crankworx is a huge platform and having them make this step and opening up for this opportunity have been so valuable and important for women side of Slopestyle.
Sweden has produced some of the most iconic Slopestyle names – Martin Söderström, Emil Johansson, Lukas Skiöld – and now you’re adding to that legacy. What do you think makes Sweden such a breeding ground for Slopestyle athletes?
Community and opportunities!!!
Around Sweden there are lots of good spots both outdoors and indoors which runs for the long winter months. We are also lucky with having lots of public spots which makes it easy and accessible for everyone to get into it
Growing up in Sweden, what kind of terrain shaped your riding style early on? Did you grow up riding Slopestyle features, or did you come to the discipline differently?
I grew up competing in XCO actually. My two bigger brothers were competing so it was a bit of a family activity we did from when I was around 6-11 years old. I then took a bit of a break from biking and played soccer, gymnastics and skiing for a few years.
When I was 15 years old, I started riding bike parks with my brother. The past few years have definitely included a “high volume” of biking and im very happy with the progression im making and how I feel on the bike, however im definitely feeling like im lacking some of those young years of skatepark grinding haha
You’ve been an almost unstoppable force in the sport for several years now. What’s your mental approach to staying locked in during competition – especially at the highest pressure events like Whistler?
I’ve really just been enjoying it all. Maybe not always the competition day itself but every single bit that leads up to it and the feeling afterwards. The surrounding back home is also an important part. There is a good community in Falun wich has such a positive an hungry approach to everything around biking and progression.
With Slopestyle Super League events now spread across the full season, how do you structure your year to balance competition windows with recovery and progression?
I always try to have a good overview early on and build different “event blocks” and in between every block try to get valuable time home for training and recovery
Specialized has been with you since early in your career. How has that continuity in partnership shaped your progression as a rider?
I am very grateful for all their support throughout these years, they are a super exciting brand to work with, always developing and improving! It’s really been a huge help having them by my side and they have always been positive and supportive in me trying to navigate, trying different disciplines and finding what I want to do.
When it comes to your competition setup, what are the key characteristics of your Specialized Slopestyle rig? Are there specific geometry, suspension, or component choices that matter most for your riding style?
I’m not super nerdy when it comes to this, but I ride the new Specialized P3 frame geometry released 2023 which I’m a big fan of. When building my competition bike I want a light end result that feels “stiff”. Did some changes to this years build compared to last year and I would say that its the best setup I’ve ever had.
Outside of competition, do you still ride other disciplines and bikes? What does your setup look like?
For the P3, I always ride the same setup. However, I ride a bit of single tracks on the Specialized Levo SL at home in Falun and then lots of bike park and Freeride around Sweden and when traveling. Almost always riding the Specialized Status 170 DH for those occasions. Its setup is fairly stiff so it feels playful but still good while riding big jumps and doing tricks.
Is there anything from other disciplines (or even non-biking sports) that you’ve brought into your Slopestyle training or mental approach?
Not really, but I’ve been involved in a sports program here in Falun who taught me one saying that I try to keep in the back of my head. It is that “⅓ is gonna feel bad, ⅓ is gonna feel okay and ⅓ is gonna feel good”.
The purpose of it is basically that it can’t always be perfect but every block is important, which I think is important to remember while training for progression.
What’s next for you? Are there specific tricks or goals you’re chasing in the rest of 2026 and beyond?
I had a really good offseason before coming into this year. Then I went to NZ for the first block of events but got injured just before the first event started. My body is feeling good again, but it’s been taking some time to feel good mentally again, my confidence while riding really took a hit. With time and the body feeling stronger and stronger this bit has also been improving a lot!
With that said, I really want to enjoy the last event and find the good feeling during competitions. Next up, just a few weeks away, are the last events of the Slopestyle Super League and play offs. I love the courses and venues in Canada, so I’m super excited for this part and hoping to bring out some new stuff in my competition runs.
If you’re talking to younger riders, what’s one piece of advice you’d give them about pushing progression in Slopestyle?
Put in the hard work but don’t forget to enjoy it, it’s just biking after all.
The Road Ahead
After a rocky start to her season – an injury in New Zealand that sidelined her before the first event of the year, and the slower work of rebuilding confidence that followed – Alma Wiggberg is heading into the final stretch of the 2026 Slopestyle Super League with her sights set squarely on Canada. “I love the courses and venues in Canada,” she says, “so I’m super excited for this part and hoping to bring out some new stuff in my competition runs.”
We can’t wait to watch ride – next up: Rhapsody Slopestyle at Crankworx Whistler