Slopestyle

One of the many styles of mountain biking includes Slope-style. This is similar to Slope-style skiing and snowboarding. The riders track includes large gaps, drops, jumps, and wall rides. Again the track is similar to a ski track, but made of dirt and wood instead of snow. Slope competitions aren't about the fastest time, they are about the tricks they do off the features on the track. Its very rare to see a clean run without somebody crashing, as this style is very technical and it leaves no room for mistakes. Some of the tricks involved include backflips, front flips, 360's, Tail whips, and more.


Competition is scored by judges and points are given for trick complexity, big air, and smoothness. There has been a lot of controversy on how accurate the judges are. Some of the athletes have been "robbed" of a higher score. The bikes used for Slope-style are small, light bikes made for giving the riders as much maneuverability as possible. The bikes have around 4 inches of suspension travel, which doesn't seem like much, but its better then nothing when landing off of 30 foot drops.

 

The bikes are also simple, usually with one brake, one speed, smooth tires, and simple components. pricing is from around $800-$3000.


The largest Slope competition is the Kokanee Crankworx in Whistler, Canada. Thousands of riders and spectators come to watch the best of the best riders lay down their crazy tricks on the slope track. To win this completion leaves you with serious bragging rights. It takes not only the guts to go big, but the technical ability to do some of the tricks as well. Many crash and break bones trying to get the run they want. Some riders wear pads and full-face helmets, while others where open-face helmets and skinny jeans with a T-shirt.

 

 

Crashes can get gnarly, as most of the landings are really hard packed or loose dirt. and flying from 20 feet in the air down onto concrete hard dirt isn't very forgiving on the body.