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Is it though? If they are upfront that they provide a platform for people to compete and advance their careers and nothing else, are they obligated to front the money for people to come?

That last sentence is 100% correct. A BMX/Freestyle/Skate comp would have an entry fee & a prize purse. That's all. 10-20 dudes fighting it out for 3 to 5 checks. If your competition is a BIG TIME draw like you say, then the organizer is going to pay 10 deep. But that's it. Every dime a freerider/freeracer makes as "income" is determined before he/she gets on the plane. No one shows up for a financially incentivized competition before negotiating an appearance fee. And yeah, working hard at a real job is how the Aussies quite literally converted a decade of...

The NFL doesn't pay players. F1 doesn't pay Lewis. The NBA doesn't pay LeBron. The venues they play in don't pay them either. I don't think you understand who the riders "work for".

I'm not 100% sure but I think Redbull is looking to make money off of this via YouTube... I was watching via Redbull TV and all they kept talking about was getting people to subscribe to the YouTube channel.. Subscribers is now the main way to get monetized...

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!