The Whip-Off winners. CRANKWORX/CLINT TRAHAN
With the reigning World Whip-Off Champion, Finn Iles, sidelined by injury and serving as a judge, Californian Ryan "R-Dog" Howard rocked up and walked away with a win at Crankworx Rotorua.
"I've never really won anything, so it's pretty huge for me. I'm stoked," said Howard.
He will also compete in the Mons Royale Dual Speed & Style today and hangs with the best of the Slopestyle gravity scene. The Whip-Off, he said, suited his riding style.
"It's a jam format and I really like jamming, so that's when I ride the best," he said. "I'm just having fun riding bikes."
A large crowd was going crazy last night as Howard threw down 90-degree whip, after whip to secure the top spot, and New Zealand's Brandon Jackson from Whanganui, who crashed twice and finished the event on crutches, was given an honourable mention by the judges.
"It was daunting to see all the pros, but awesome to have that much fun and just go all out - the Whip-Off jump was huge, awesome and a little bit too big for me - but it's good fun," he said.
"As for the crowd, they're perfect, absolutely perfect. I can't believe how many people are here! It's pretty nuts. It's a great turnout for a new event in New Zealand."
Mountain bike photographer Sven Martin, creator of the Whip-Off and event judge said there's a lot of new talent from the Southern Hemisphere, which was awesome to see.
"R-Dog was the clear-cut winner though, and it was really tight from the second to seventh places; R-Dog was consistently the best this time round," he said.
As the first event of the new Crankworx World Tour and Crankworx Rotorua, the Whip-Off made its mark with 75 entrants and a hillside full of spectators.
Canadian Casey Brown said she liked how the venue made it more accessible for families and larger crowds than the mountainside perch where the whip was held in Whistler.
"The whip-off has definitely got the best vibe of every event, I reckon. This one is a bit of a one-hit wonder. You get one jump. In Whistler, you get three jumps - but this is fun."
Alana Callum, from Queenstown, was the only other woman to challenge the event and the pair had the crowd on their feet.
Iles earned the title of World Whip-Off Champion in August at just 14 years old, after fans rallied to see him compete in Whistler. He was two years under age and he had been trying to compete since he was 12. A wrist injury took him out of competition in Rotorua, which was to be his first overseas event.
"It was cool to see how the other guys were throwing down but it was hard wanting to go out and ride myself," he said from the judge's huddle.
Mens Results:
1. Ryan Howard (USA)
2. Connor Fearon (AU)
3. Bernard Kerr (UK)
Women's Results:
1. Casey Brown (CAN)
2. Alana Callum (NZ)
COMING UP:
Today: The Mons Royale Dual Speed & Style brings a list of 40 professional riders invited to compete in head-to-head battle a mano-a-mano-style competition to battle the clock, while still capturing bonus points for speed. The 40 invited riders include legends of the sport like Cam ZINK (USA), Kyle STRAIT (USA), Martin SODERSTROM, Brendan FAIRCLOUGH (GBR) and Greg WATTS (USA), but also saw several Kiwi riders invited out to compete on home turf-Phil McLean, Cole Lucas, Connor MacFarlane and Eddie Masters.
And three hours later, 18 women and 45 men, will descend on the Crankworx Rotorua Pump Track Challenge presented by RockShox. The Women's Pump Track is stacked with top riders and is the best lineup Crankworx has ever seen with four-time Pump Track Queen Jill Kintner (USA) looking to recapture her place atop the podium. She faces Anne-Caroline Chausson (FRA) - 2008 Olympic Gold medalist in BMX, Sarah Walker (NZL) - 2012 Olympic silver medalist in BMX, Anneke Beerten (NED) - BMX and 4Cross World Champion and world-class downhill riders like Tracey Hannah (AUS), Emilie Siegenthaler (SUI) and Casey Brown (CAN).