Red Bull Rookie of the Year

This year, the FMBA and Red Bull are looking for the best Mountain Bike Slopestyle talent out there! Riders will have to compete throughout the season at FMBA events to be considered for the “Red Bull Rookie of the Year Award” on the FMB World Tour. The rider honored with the title will be treated to a trip to the grande finale of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship, Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler, taking place on August 18.

Red Bull Joyride is the pinnacle of the Slopestyle calendar and even more so since the installment of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship. Crankworx Whistler is THE event every rider dreams of going to and this dream will come true for the most talented rising star on the FMB World Tour. One rider will be able to secure himself a sponsored visit to the “Super Bowl of Slopestyle” this year, which will include the flight and transport to Whistler, accommodation and a bike park ticket. A jury consisting of FMBA Board and Advisory Board Members Martin Söderström, Geoff Gulevich and Greg Watts, will be on the prowl these next months, until the end of July, to finally decide who will become this year’s “Red Bull Rookie of the Year”.

“I was super pumped when I heard about the award! It’s always fun to help and reward hard working athletes! I am really looking forward to hang out with the Red Bull Rookie of the Year in Whistler this summer. I am going to look for dedication and hard work more than talent. I have seen many talented riders out there, but if you’re not ready to put in the hard work, you will never make it all the way to the top.” – Martin Söderström

Criteria to be considered for the award

• FMB-licensed athlete listed in the FMB World Tour Ranking
  • Rider must be below the age of 22 (year of birth 1997)
  • Rider must not yet have competed at an SWC Event or FMB Diamond Event unless via FMB Wildcard
• Cut-off for the award is July 31

If you are an athlete and still haven’t signed up yet, you can sign up for your license here: https://fmba.memberpro.net/main/body.cfm?menu=register

Only athletes meeting the criteria above will be considered. Multiple now well-known Slopestyle elites may have been potential ROTY candidates in the past. Most recent examples are Emil Johansson (SWE), Erik Fedko (GER) or Reed Boggs (USA), each of which have made a case for themselves in the past two years. It will be exciting to see which young talent will make the leap to the next level this year and head to Crankworx Whistler to see the best athletes in the world at one of the most iconic venues in the world. The Red Bull Rookie of the Year will also be awarded with his FMB World Tour License for the following year by the FMBA supporting him on his adventure to becoming a world-class athlete.

To take a closer look at the new point split and additional information about the FMB World Tour structure head here: http://www.fmbworldtour.com/en/FMB-WT-Structure.html

The jury will be looking at event selection by the athletes as well as, of course, their results during the season. Athletes that manage to qualify for an SWC Event via a wildcard may still be considered as the “Red Bull Rookie of the Year”.

Overview of FMB Wildcards 2018 for SWC Events:

•    2 FMB Wildcards at Swatch Rocket Air (Thun, SUI, April 28) for: Crankworx Innsbruck (AUT, June 16)
• 2 FMB Wildcards at FISE Montpellier (FRA, May 12) for: Crankworx Les Gets (FRA, June 24)
• 1 FMB Wildcard at Big White Invitational (Kelowna, CAN, July 7) for: Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler (CAN, August 18)
• 1 FMB Wildcard at GlemmRide (Saalbach, AUT, July 14) for: Red Bull Joyride at Crankworx Whistler (CAN, August 18)

Keep your eyes peeled for further information about live webcasts and calendar updates on www.fmbworldtour.com or stay informed and sign up for the FMB World Tour Newsletter.