{"id":16304,"date":"2022-09-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-28T22:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=16304"},"modified":"2022-09-30T10:11:09","modified_gmt":"2022-09-30T08:11:09","slug":"freeze-frame-freeride-funtimes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/2022\/09\/29\/freeze-frame-freeride-funtimes\/","title":{"rendered":"Freeze frame: Freeride funtimes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
FREEZE FRAME <\/h5>\n\n

FREERIDE FUNTIMES <\/h2>\n\n
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Tie-dye and mega-trains were the order of the day as riders thronged to Wind Hill B1kepark in Wiltshire for the inaugural Status Festival. The event was loosely aimed at showing off the capabilites of Specialized\u2019s new Status 160 freeride rig, but essentially just a little-needed excuse to get wild! <\/p>\n\n

\u201cIt started as a seed of an idea, which I planted with Specialized UK,\u201d explains West Country wild man and Spesh pro rider Joel Anderson. \u201cMonths later, the day dawned, a mega-train set off and everyone got involved, from 10-year-old shredders to dads trying to keep up. First up was the whip-off. Everyone was sending it! With bangers pumping from the Red Bull truck and the crowd roaring, it went off. I haven\u2019t seen that many good whips since Crankworx Innsbruck! <\/p>\n\n

\u201cNext, another mega-train was brewing. If you\u2019ve been to Wind Hill, you\u2019ll know about Payrise, one of the fastest, flowiest berm-tracks in the UK. So much noise, speed and excitement! After that was the high jump. The hype built and the cheers got louder as the bar got higher, and the vibe was awesome. Kids under 5ft tall were clearing the bar, taking out spectators!\u201d For Joel, the rest of the event is a blur. \u201cOver-excited and pushing too hard, I jumped over the maximum height of the bar, off-balance, and fell back to earth with a loud bang, open-fracturing my tibia. I think I killed the vibe!\u201d he says. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you much more about the event, because I was otherwise engaged, but come next year to join in with the fun!\u201d <\/p>\n\n

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Gear changes<\/h5>\n\n

Pedals worth a look<\/h4>\n\n

LOOK were one of the first brands to make clipless pedals, but it was only two years ago that they made their first foray into the flat-pedal market, with the Trail ROCs. They now have two new sets for your delectation \u2013 the Trail ROC+\u2019s, their flagship aluminium offering, and the Trail Fusions, a more affordable composite option. Both are made in France and have a generously-sized 107mm platform. The Trail ROC+ pedals\u2019 forged and machined body is just 16mm deep and contains 10 screw-in bolts working as customisable-length pins. Internals appear to consist of an inboard bushing and two outboard needle-roller bearings. Colour choices are black, orange or silver. You get even more hues to choose from on the Trail Fusions (black, ice blue, lime, purple or red), which sport eight pins, locked in by steel nuts. Both are up against some serious competition at these price points so we\u2019re keen to see how they perform. Trail Fusion \u00a344.90, Trail ROC+ \u00a3149 <\/span>www.lookcycle.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n

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FREEZE FRAME <\/h5>\n\n

JORDAN\u2019S JUBILATION <\/h4>\n\n

It’s been an amazing season for Jordan Williams (pictured), who\u2019s not only the UK’s newly-crowned Junior DH world champ, but also won three Junior World Cups, including the final round in Val di Sole, Italy. It wasn\u2019t quite enough to win him the overall title, which went to Jackson Goldstone, but tops off an incredible year for the 18-year-old Madison Saracen rider. All that practice in the Quantock Hills is clearly paying off! <\/p>\n\n

The final World Cup round wasn\u2019t as successful for everyone, with the tough course breaking both bikes and riders. Notably, Greg Minnaar suffered a broken back and Camille Balanche scrapped seeding to rest a recently-plated collarbone. Britain\u2019s Bernard Kerr continued his resurgence, bagging fifth in Elite and securing fifth place overall, while Loris Vergier took the round and Amaury Pierron the season. In the women\u2019s race, Myriam Nicole won and Camille Balanche took the series title, while Gracey Hemstreet did the double in the Juniors. Bring on 2023! <\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Say What!?<\/h5>\n\n

\u201cSOMEONE\u2019S WRAPPED ME IN A GOLD FOIL BLANKET. MY FRENCH IS ALRIGHT, BUT I\u2019M BREATHING HARD, GASPING FOR AIR, AND CAN\u2019T SEEM TO TELL THE PEOPLE AROUND ME THAT I DON\u2019T NEED THE HELICOPTER THAT\u2019S JUST BEEN CALLED\u201d <\/em><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

Tom Marvin\u2019s <\/strong>alpine challenge doesn\u2019t go as planned<\/h5>\n\n
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Rad riders <\/h5>\n\n

A CHAMPION ON AND OFF THE TRACK <\/h4>\n\n

Just two days after winning the 2022 Scottish XC Championships, Robert \u2018Rab\u2019 Wardell passed away at home in Glasgow, aged 37. It had been his dream to return to top-flight competition, as seen in his Old Enough to Know Better <\/em>video series. He won the Elite men\u2019s title despite getting three flats, in what was described as a \u201cshow of incredible resilience\u201d. Rab\u2019s other achievements included Junior and U23 wins, representing Scotland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games (in road and MTB) and setting the fastest time for the 96-mile West Highland Way (see MBUK <\/em>390). He was also a big proponent of cycling\u2019s mental health benefits. Many have paid tribute to him, including his devastated partner, Olympic track cyclist Katie Archibald, who was in bed with him when he went into cardiac arrest. Rab\u2019s dad Jack summed him up perfectly, saying: \u201cHe\u2019s touched many people\u2019s hearts, and inspired many more. He made us laugh, he made us proud. Rest in peace.\u201d <\/p>\n\n

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FREEZE FRAME <\/h5>\n\n

A Z-TECH! <\/h4>\n\n

For his latest urban adventure, MTB trials pioneer Hans Rey met up with DHer-turned-commentator Rob Warner in Mexico City. The duo wheelied their way through colourful neighbourhoods, enjoyed a breathtaking descent from the 15,000ft Nevado de Toluca volcano and rode at the Desierto de los Leones National Park, where local MTBers are working with the indigenous land owners to create a bike park (@desiertobikepark). One stop Hans wasn\u2019t prepared to miss was the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan. \u201cThese were something I\u2019d always wanted to see,\u201d he explains. \u201cWhen the Aztec found them, they\u2019d already been there 1,500 years. Nobody knows who built them, why or how.\u201d Of course, he and Rob couldn\u2019t resist a quick bit of back-wheel action in front of them! On their last day, they distributed bikes on behalf of the charity Hans and his wife Carmen started 17 years ago, Wheels 4 Life, which gives bicycles to people in need of transport in developing countries. Look out for Hans\u2019s video from the trip, coming soon. <\/p>\n\n

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FREEZE FRAME <\/h5>\n\n

THE DISTRICT LINE <\/h4>\n\n

The world\u2019s top slopestyle riders battled it out in front of massive crowds on a crazy multi-level course that wended its way through the central streets of Nuremberg, Germany, as the Red Bull District Ride returned after a two-year hiatus. There was some serious carpentry going on, with the course including 16 trickable features plus a lift halfway through the run, which took riders to the top of the next roll-in to perform their final move on a huge trick booter. <\/p>\n\n

Sweden\u2019s Emil Johansson has been on spectacular form this year and took his ninth win in a row with a crazy run that included opposite and switch tricks as well as an effortless 360 windshield-wiper, putting him well ahead in the FMB World Tour rankings. Second place went to the USA\u2019s Nicholi Rogatkin, who also had some massive moves and saved the best for last when he pulled a dizzying 1440 \u2013 that\u2019s right, four <\/em>full rotations! \u2013 even confusing commentator and fellow slopestyle pro Matt Jones. Germany\u2019s Erik Fedko was a popular podium attendee in third with a full trick bag featuring his signature Superman Indian seatgrab 360. Bring on next year\u2019s event! <\/p>\n\n

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FREEZE FRAME <\/h5>\n\n

TRIPLE TRICOLORE TRIUMPH! <\/h4>\n\n

As the dust settled in Les Gets, the French national anthem was ringing out loud. Hyped as the biggest downhill race ever, incredibly this year\u2019s World Championships actually managed to deliver. It was the men\u2019s race that really gave local fans something to shout about, with the podium entirely locked down by a trio of Frenchmen. Loris Vergier took bronze and Amaury Pierron nabbed silver as a grinning Lo\u00efc Bruni (pictured), returning from injury, became only the second-ever five-time DH world champ and edged closer to equalling the record set by his compatriot Nico Vouilloz. The sight of three French riders on a World Champs podium in France, belting out La Marseillaise, <\/em>was stirring for all who saw it. Rumour has it local fans are still partying! <\/p>\n\n

The French had to be content with third place in the women\u2019s race, where Myriam Nicole slotted in behind Germany\u2019s Nina Hoffmann and first-time World Champs winner Vali H\u00f6ll, of Austria. Jenna Hastings won the Junior title for New Zealand (riding a Carsthemed <\/em>bike, remarkably similar to Laurie Greenland\u2019s!), while in the Junior men\u2019s race, a pair of crashes by the USA\u2019s Jackson Goldstone left the UK\u2019s Jordan Williams (see p20) to take the win by nearly six seconds. <\/p>\n\n

Photo: Ian Lean; Brodie Hood; Red Bull Content Pool; Sven Martin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FREEZE FRAME FREERIDE FUNTIMES Tie-dye and mega-trains were the order of the day as riders thronged to Wind Hill B1kepark in Wiltshire for the inaugural Status Festival. The event was loosely aimed at showing off the capabilites of Specialized\u2019s new Status 160 freeride rig, but essentially just a little-needed excuse to get wild! \u201cIt started […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":16638,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ub_ctt_via":"","purple_page_number":"12","purple_custom_meta_purple_page_number":"12","purple_seq_number":"1","purple_custom_meta_purple_seq_number":"1","purple_source_article":"article_12-1.xml","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_article":"article_12-1.xml","purple_source_issue":"October-2022","purple_custom_meta_purple_source_issue":"October-2022","purple_external_id":"October-2022-12-1","purple_custom_meta_purple_external_id":"October-2022-12-1","purple_issue_code":"|0000112142||","purple_custom_meta_purple_issue_code":"|0000112142||","purple_android_product":"com.im.mountainbikingukmagazine.413","purple_custom_meta_purple_android_product":"com.im.mountainbikingukmagazine.413","purple_ios_product":"com.im.mountainbikingukmagazine.413","purple_custom_meta_purple_ios_product":"com.im.mountainbikingukmagazine.413","purple_web_product":"","purple_custom_meta_purple_web_product":"","purple_publication_id":"0638d426-1edc-44c5-8614-70723dfc91b6","purple_migrated":"","kt_blocks_editor_width":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2022-09-29T08:49:25Z","apple_news_article-theme":"","apple_news_api_id":"78b19c64-4821-4fce-89dd-03aeafaa7727","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2022-09-30T08:11:17Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AeLGcZEghT86J3QOur6p3Jw","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":true,"apple_news_is_preview":true,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_article_theme":"","apple_news_sections":"[]"},"categories":[28],"tags":[13],"apple_news_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MBK_413_front.Ilean_jOEL-STATUSJAM-MBUK_preview-scaled.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"7","apple_news_title":""},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MBK_413_front.Ilean_jOEL-STATUSJAM-MBUK_preview-scaled.jpg",2560,1706,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MBK_413_front.Ilean_jOEL-STATUSJAM-MBUK_preview-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MBK_413_front.Ilean_jOEL-STATUSJAM-MBUK_preview-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MBK_413_front.Ilean_jOEL-STATUSJAM-MBUK_preview-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MBK_413_front.Ilean_jOEL-STATUSJAM-MBUK_preview-1024x682.jpg",800,533,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MBK_413_front.Ilean_jOEL-STATUSJAM-MBUK_preview-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2022\/09\/MBK_413_front.Ilean_jOEL-STATUSJAM-MBUK_preview-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"FREEZE FRAME FREERIDE FUNTIMES Tie-dye and mega-trains were the order of the day as riders thronged to Wind Hill B1kepark in Wiltshire for the inaugural Status Festival. The event was loosely aimed at showing off the capabilites of Specialized\u2019s new Status 160 freeride rig, but essentially just a little-needed excuse to get wild! \u201cIt started…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16304"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16304"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17037,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16304\/revisions\/17037"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/mbuk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}