August 17, 2008 (Whistler, BC) – The Monster Energy Slopestyle @ Kokanee Crankworx dominated the Boneyard Slopestyle course in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park on Saturday. Every year this event draws the biggest crowd of the festival, watching the best athletes in the world of mountain biking compete for $30,000 in prize money.

With the live webcast on Crankworx.com and Go211.com keeping those watching at home glued to their screens, as well as the massive crowd seeing the action first-hand, this year’s Monster Energy Slopestyle was witnessed by tens of thousands worldwide.

KONA team rider Andreu Lacondeguy of Spain took top spot and $15,000 in the finals with a score of 94.3; second place and $8,000 went to Lance Mcdermott of the UK with a score of 91.5; third place went to Whistler’s own Brandon Semenuk, walking away with $4,500 and a score of 89.8. All the riders in the top eight took home cash for their amazing efforts today.

Lacondeguy’s winning run consisted of a long list of impressive tricks. He started out with a double back flip off the first table, a trick that has never been seen before in competition. He followed that up with a foot plant off the Monster Snake, a back flip X-up, flat spin 360, topside nac-nac, can-can step-down, superman, and finished off with a back flip onto the final Kokanee feature and superman off into the village.

“I just kept trying the double back flip,” says Lancondeguy. “It was that trick that did the job, it was gnarly you know.”

This year’s Slopestyle course was designed by John Cowan and as usual the course was nothing but perfect. With huge tables, dirt jumps, wooden spins, the Giro box and the always insane Kokanee drop as the last feature, the riders had their choice of line to impress the judges in the two-run format to advance to the eight man final.

“Slopestyle contests are about the all around impression, and all the guys in the finals had clean smooth runs,” says Head Judge Colin Duncan. With tricks like the double back flip, back flip tail whip and the back flip up onto the Kokanee box and a front flip off, it was an incredibly tough contest to judge. In the end, Lacondeguy’s stylish run, and the insane double back flip, just won out.”

The Monster Energy Slopestyle @ Kokanee Crankworx was the highlight of Day 8 at Kokanee Crankworx 2008. Day 9, the final day of the festival includes the Canadian Open DH, Pro and Amateur categories taking place from 11:30am – 5:00pm. The TELUS concert series finishes off tomorrow with DJ Science playing a set from 10:45-11:30am.

Day 7 – Minnaar Finishes #1 in GIANT Slalom
Beerten Takes Spot in the Pro Women Category

The GIANT Slalom took center stage today, Day Seven of Kokanee Crankworx 2008. With a list of world-class riders charging for the finish line two-at-a-time, spectators onsite and watching via webcast on Crankworx.com and Go211.com witnessed big crashes and big finishes in the high speed, head-to-head race event.

The GIANT Slalom weaved its way through the Boneyard Slopestyle course in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park with two riders going head-to-head over jumps and through berms into the finish corral in the village. Each rider had two runs with combined times counting for the qualifying rounds and seeding.

Reigning champ Brian Lopes crashed hard in the final race leaving him in second place overall. First place winner Greg Minnaar stopped on course to check on Lopes before riding down to claim first place in what could quite possibly go down as the most exciting final in Kokanee Crankworx history.

With Greg Minnaar of Pietermaritzburg, SA and Brian Lopes of Laguna Beach, USA finishing first and second respectively; Gee Atherton of Llangynog, UK took third and Guido Tschugg of Amerang, GER took fourth In the Pro Men category.

“The race was close in the first round,” says Greg Minnaar. “It’s a tiring race and we were both giving it our all, its good to win.”

The Pro Women category was won by Anneke Beerten of Marienvelde, NED; Sheryl McLeod of Dunedin, NZ took second; Helene Fruhwirth of Giesshuebl, AUS took third place; and Lorraine Blancher of Revelstoke, BC took fourth.

“It was a good race and a good course,” says Beerten. “I’ve been training all winter on the BMX track and it really paid off this year.”

The GIANT Slalom was the highlight of Day Seven at Kokanee Crankworx 2008. Day Eight includes the highly anticipated Monster Energy Slopestyle including a Live Webcast on Crankworx.com and Go211.com from 6:00 — 7:00pm as well as more live music on the TELUS MainStage featuring Hot Little Rocket from 3:15 — 4:00pm and Dana D &South Rakkas Crew 6:00– 7:30pm.

For more event results, videos and recaps of the of the Monster Energy Slopestyle, VW Trick Showdown and the “Giant Slalom” check out www.Crankworx.com and www.Go211.com

Mark the calendars now for Kokanee Crankworx 2009, as organizers have just announced next year’s dates. Next year’s Kokanee Crankworx will take place August 8 to 16, 2009.