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That latest statement clears up a few things for me for sure - I can see where they are coming from now, I just really hope this doesn’t negatively impact the women’s event today!

Because it's not been posted in here yet, here's the statement from the riders: Dear fans and supporters of Slopestyle. As you will have heard, we, as the full field of male Slopestyle riders at Crankworx Rotorua, have made a joint, but very tough, decision to not take part in official competition tomorrow. But we will be at the event in full support of the girls as they make history, with the first ever female Diamond Slopestyle event. We will also be riding the McGazza train and out there for our fans. Today has been a tough day and there...

"One other way to think about this - If Crankworks stop supporting slope events, are there other organizers clamoring to host them because they are so valuable on the global stage? Are the athletes so valuable that there are organizers around the world just itching to setup events to fill this place? I don't think so." Yeah, I get the impression that many think this is some sort of massive moneymaker for... well, I have no idea for whom it's a big revenue stream. How many people attend this event and what do they pay for the privilege? Red Bull's...

It sort of was a hasty decision though. If they hadn’t shown up to the event at all then that would be one thing, but they’ve been there all this time training/riding/practicing and then hours before the main event they pull out. Lets not forget like any job (we all have one) there is always a choice. In the western world we’re so privileged and lucky to have that. There is always, always room for improvement and growth but for me there are better ways to encourage it. Whatever the outcome of this there will now be a sour taste...

The Rampage appearance fee is not really comparable to what the slope riders are asking. It is to cover costs of building tools, transport to and from the event, accommodation etc. Its amazing if you live close to the venue, but not so much if you have to fly from the UK with your builders, pay for hotels, truck rental etc. Brendog famously spent all his fee just to get there and build. I know there's more going on behind the scenes in both cases, but Rampage is not the best comparison as so much more goes into it for...

Saw a few posts mentioning ticket prices and a gate to watch the event. Not sure what it's like in NZ but Whistler Crankworx has always been free to spectate, it's streamed for free. I've heard before that most of these Red Bull events don't really make any money straight up from these events, but that they're all viewed as marketing. While I agree that riders should be properly compensated, I feel like it's up to the riders to market themselves better to help themselves make their living. They should be leveraging the fact they are in the biggest contests...

Wow... I was already in the process of planning my trip to Whistler not only to ride, but to see my favorite riders in the Crankworx event this year. Of course everything is priced higher (flights, hotels, rental cars, etc.) due to the event, but I figured it's worth it to see all the pros compete. I feel bad for any spectator who paid a premium to get all the way to Rotorua to be a part of the event... only to see the pros protest and bow out like that.

GT is really setting themselves up to be a strong contender in MTB, a real return to form. They just have to keep it going and be sure to invest in all their bikes.

ooohh Kenny!

Even Jackson and Laurie's follow cam made the parts in between the jumps look very tech due to being offcamber or very soft terrain. I think the organisers also learnt from past mistakes, Barreli was a podcast recently saying he was so relieved when he dropped out of the Welsh hardline one of the first years because the track was barely rideable in between the features, I don't remember the stats, but something like 10 riders turned up to finals out of the 30 invitees at the start of the week. Hardline to me is more like rampage than a...

All these average riders are super hyped, they love the track. Giving heavy Mrs Kurt Warner vibes, what are you doing lady?

I kind of agree with mrssamhill. Maybe Laurie and Jackson make it look easy, but it does look more like the ultimate bike park/jump line than the gnarliest DH track on the planet. Maybe the dry weather is making it easier to ride. A bit of rain will shake things up for sure.