Gearing Up for Joyride - Thomas Genon

Thomas Genon will be one of the key riders to watch out when today's Red Bull Joyride contest at Crankworx Whistler gets underway. As a previous winner of the slopestyle contest in 2012 and a podium-finisher last year, the 22-year-old Belgian has shown that the legendary Boneyard course holds no fears for him.

Belgium isn't exactly the perfect place for someone of Genon's talents however. The weather can be unpredictable and facilities limited. To progress, Genon needs to be riding every day to dial in tricks and learn new ones. He consequently finds himself travelling most of the year to places outside Belgium to train for slopestlye contests like Red Bull Joyride. In a bid to be closer to home though, Genon now has an airbag that allows him to train nearer to his Belgian home town of Plainevaux.

Thanks to Red Bull, I can finally raise my level of training. The gigantic airbag that I can take with me wherever I go allows me to perfect my runs, timing and tricks so that I can continue to push my limits.

-Thomas Genon

Last year, Genon was the overall FMB World Tour Champion after a fifth place at Red Bull Rampage. A feat he hopes to repeat again this year. He currently sits third in the FMB standings for 2016, but at the moment Joyride is firmly his only focus.