After a week soaked in sunshine, speed and festival energy, the second edition of Crankworx Christchurch closed with a statement performance at Christchurch Adventure Park. The Ōtautahi Slopestyle didn’t just wrap up the festival but launched a new era.
Crankworx Christchurch 2026 – day 4
Opening the inaugural season of the Slopestyle Super League (SSL) – replacing the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship as the pinnacle of the sport – today’s showdown delivered exactly what the sport promised: progression, pressure and unpredictability.
For the first time, the sport’s established top-level elite must defend their dominance across a season-long series against Gold-level riders, emerging talent and local wildcards. The result? A field where reputations matter less than execution.
Saturday’s qualification round had already hinted at the fireworks to come. In a wind-affected two-run battle that trimmed the men’s field from 29 to 16, defending Christchurch champion Kaidan Ingersoll qualified first with an 88.5 – less than a point ahead of 2024 Triple Crown winner David Godziek, while Switzerland’s Lucas Huppert sat just 1.5 points back in third. On the women’s side, five finalists emerged from practice sessions earlier in the week.
But finals day introduced something entirely new.
For the first time in Slopestyle history, a Shootout Round. Developed alongside the FMBA and athletes, it was added to the format, ensuring the competition would remain alive until the very last trick. All riders within 10 points of the podium after run 2 get a chance at adding up to 10 points to their score by throwing down one trick on a feature of their choice, making victory laps and early celebrations a thing of the past.
Shealen Reno Snatches Gold in Dramatic Shootout Finish
Momentum proved elusive early in the women’s final. Riders struggled to generate speed in the bottom section, with Morgan Antone and Chelsea Kimball unable to complete their lines.
When the dust settled after the opening runs, Patricia Druwen held the provisional top spot. But in run two, Shealen Reno responded, edging ahead with a 1.33-point advantage and applying late pressure – setting up a first-ever SSL Shootout between herself and Reno.
With both riders selecting the final feature, the stage was set directly in front of a roaring Christchurch crowd. Druwen threw down a backflip, pulling into the top spot. Reno answered with a Disco Can, a higher-risk, higher-reward move that ultimately sealed the deal. Reno snatched gold from Druwen in the final seconds, taking victory with 90.33 points to Druwen’s 90.
Behind them, Harriet Burbidge-Smith claimed third – securing her wildcard to the Rotorua Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza, while Antone and Kimball rounded out the top five.
Fedko Delivers Strategic Masterclass
If the women’s final was dramatic, the men’s contest was historic. From the outset, Erik Fedko set the benchmark. His first run scored 92.5 points and stood unchallenged for most of the competition. Head judge Pete Henke called out amplitude, style, great trick variety, and making it look “so effortless”.
The Shootout round, however, turned the leaderboard into chaos. Kaidan Ingersoll briefly jumped into second before slipping back to fifth. Chance Moore improved his score but ultimately finished fourth.
Then came the heavy artillery. David Godziek launched a Cashroll Tailwhip, adding 9.2 points and moving into first. Nicholi Rogatkin responded with a perfectly executed Oppo Cashroll, adding 7.8 points to slide into second.
Fedko remained last to drop. With Godziek in the hot seat, Fedko answered with a massive Three-Down Whip Seat Grab Indian Air, adding 8.2 points to his tally and pushing his final score to a staggering 100.70 – reclaiming the top spot and securing gold.
History unfolded in real time with the Slopestyle Super League ushering the sport in a new era and a new format changing up the game.
Crankworx Christchurch Ōtautahi Slopestyle podium:
- Erik Fedko (GER) – 100.70pts // Shealen Reno (USA) – 90.33pts
- David Godziek (POL) – 99.86pts // Patricia Druwen (GER) – 90pts
- Nicholi Rogatkin (USA) – 99.13pts // Harriet Burbidge-Smith (AUS) – 74.66pts
- Chance Moore (CAN) – 97.63pts // Morgan Antone (NZL) – 37.33pts
- Kaidan Ingersoll (USA) – 92.16pts // Chelsea Kimball (USA) – 25pts
Full results: crankworx.com/results
A New Era Begins
With the Ōtautahi Slopestyle Finals, the second edition of Crankworx Christchurch officially comes to a close, but the 2026 Crankworx World Tour is only just getting started.
The Slopestyle Super League promises a season-long battle between giants and hungry challengers across FMB events worldwide, while the race for King and Queen of Crankworx and the overall Downhill Series standings has already begun to intensify.
Next stop: Crankworx Rotorua, March 11–15.
Many of today’s riders will return to contest the Rotorua Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza, including Nicholi Rogatkin and Harriet Burbidge-Smith, who earned wildcard entries into that SSL event with their performances here.
The stage is set. The season is live. And if Christchurch proved anything, it’s that the Slopestyle Super League era will be anything but predictable.
About Crankworx World Tour
Crankworx is the ultimate experience in mountain biking. Born in Whistler, B.C. in 2004, Crankworx has evolved into a multi-stop international festival series. The Crankworx World Tour brings together the best mountain bike athletes to compete in elite-level competitions in a variety of disciplines. Crankworx World Tour festivals also host races for amateurs, Kidsworx contests for young riders, participatory events, and celebrations of mountain bike culture, all while showcasing amazing destinations.
Official website: crankworx.com
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