Wind, Nerves and Next-Level Riding: Ōtautahi Slopestyle Qualifying
Ōtautahi Slopestyle qualifying brought shifting skies and serious competition to Christchurch Adventure Park today, as riders battled gusty winds and brief delays on a revamped track lock in their place for Finals on Sunday, February 22. Despite weather-related interruptions, the course was lined with spectators from top to bottom, and the level of riding only escalated as qualifying progressed. The women’s spots for tomorrow’s Finals have been confirmed before qualifying, resulting in a men’s only qualifier round.
No Easy Spots
Qualifying proved one thing quickly: there are no free passes this year.
Fan favourites David Godziek, Nicholi Rogatkin and Kaidan Ingersoll delivered under pressure – last year’s winner Kaidan Ingersoll dominated with 88.5pts – but it was the depth of talent across the field that stood out. Young guns Saul Saunders and Callum Holloway kept the veterans on their toes with impressive bags of tricks. Experience ultimately proved decisive, however, as clean top to bottom runs remained the separating factor on the revamped course.
The next generation is not waiting politely. They are pushing hard and riding like they belong.
Standout qualifying performance came from 15-year-old fan favourite Lyon Hyldahl, who returned to Christchurch and impressed with composure well beyond his years. Putting together a confident run under challenging conditions, he firmly placed himself in the conversation heading into Finals.
Griffin Paulson delivered one of the defining moments of the session with a dialled front flip barspin over the step down – a technical, high consequence trick that caught both judges and crowd by surprise. On a feature that demands absolute commitment, it was a statement.
Heartbreak for Lukas Sköld, who looked poised for a top result after a blistering run before crashing near the end. It was a tough reminder of how unforgiving Slopestyle can be when precision slips for even a moment, especially in a format that leaves no room for error.
New Shootout Format Added
Developed with the riders, a Shootout round has been added to the competition format for the Ōtautahi Slopestyle, raising the stakes and keeping the door to the podium just slightly open until the very last second.
After the two competition runs establish a provisional ranking, any rider sitting within 10 points of the podium earns a place in the Shootout. This creates a tightly contested second chance scenario where athletes who were on the cusp get one final opportunity to shake up the standings. Each eligible rider drops in for a single, all-or-nothing opportunity, showing off their best trick on one feature of their choice, adding up to 10 points to their overall score.
Slopestyle Super League Kick-Off
The Ōtautahi Slopestyle officially kicks off the new Slopestyle Super League, replacing the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship (SWC) at the pinnacle of the sport. All details can be found here: https://www.crankworx.com/slopestyle-super-league/
Full start lists for Sunday’s Finals are available at crankworx.com.
Ōtautahi Slopestyle Finals are live tomorrow Sunday 22nd February 10am NZDT , where today’s qualifiers will have one last chance to lay it all on the line.
Best experienced on site, with tickets still available. Finals will also be broadcast live on the Crankworx YouTube channel, Pinkbike and Outside TV, with fans in Aotearoa able to tune in via TVNZ+.