FISE Montpellier 2016: Slopestyle Finals - Photo Epic

May 7, 2016
by Simon Nieborak  
Packed with more than enough surprises and close calls to keep both the riders and fans on their toes, slopestyle finals at Fise Montpellier were simply amazing, even if the windy weather did do its best to halt proceedings. Once again, we all saw that any predictions can flip up-side-down when it comes to this sport, which is exactly why we like it...


FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
  This is where it all starts.




FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016


FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
  Due to a decision made by the riders, the finals were postponed until the afternoon, which made it a waiting game. But in the end, patience is a virtue as they say and it was totally worth it knowing now what happened later on that day was pretty special.

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
Mehdi was on form all weekend. unfortunately he could not finish his run but he was the only rider to flat flip the drop.
  Mehdi was on form throughout the competition. But unfortunately, he could not finish his run, which he started with the flat flip of the drop. Who know where this would take him - if he only he reached the last jump in this run.

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
nicholi was all or nothing through the finals. he crashed on both runs that s why he did not place as high as we re used to see him in finals. this just shows you how high is the level at the contest nowadays.
  Nicholi's finals went down under a slogan, "All or nothing". It just shows you how ridiculously high the level is at slopestyle competitions, nowadays.

louis killed it building the course for this year and his style very unique style of riding was very visible during the finals
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
  Louis Reboul killed it co-building the course this year. His very unique style of riding was very visible during the finals.

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
Lukas is doing so well right now. He s really stoked and happy with his riding. He s also very motivated to go to many more events this year and keep gaining FMB points as well as experience.
  Lukas is doing so well right now. He's gaining more and more experience and confidence with every competition and he doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon.

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
Reed did not improve on his personal best at FISE which so far is 6th place still he s weekend finished in top10. Keep this awesome rider on your radar
  Reed did not improve his personal-best at FISE this year. Still, he was one of those riders who rode most. Keep this awesome guy on your radar!

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016

Max is perfectly capable of placing himself in top3. Unfortunately it was not meant to be on this event. Love it how recognisable Swedish style of riding is. Martin s heritage is strong
  Max is very capable of finishing in the top-3. Unfortunately for him, it was not meant to be on this event. It's crazy how recognisable his 'Swedish style' of riding is. Martin's heritage is strong!

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
Daryl Brown was battling for the honour of British riders and he did very well. As per usual big tricks and high amplitude jumps are what we can see in his runs. He dabbed a foot in his run what cost him a few points but he s definitely stoked with his result and personal best at a Golden Event.
  Daryl came back home very happy with his best yet result at a Gold FMB event - 6th place for the young English rider.

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
Szymon Godziek rolled out all his biggest guns for the super final run. A perfectly executed backflip cliffhanger was one of the highlights of his superficial run.
  Szymon Godziek rolled out all of his biggest guns for the super final run. A perfectly executed backflip cliffhanger was one of the highlights of his run.

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
Local rider from Marseille Tomas Lemoine went big for the crowd.
  Local rider from Marseille, Tomas Lemoine, went big for the crowd.

FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
Yannick stomped a sick tail whip of the drop in his runs and this trick among some other stunts earned him the 3rd spot. You can imagine how happy he is with that.
  Yannick stomped a sick tail-whip off the drop in both of his runs and this trick among some other stunts, earned him the 3rd spot. You can imagine how happy he is with that.




FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
  Ryan with a perfectly deserved podium! He's the man!




FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016
Thomas Genon wins the event with a surgical precision. He stayed focused and was landing his tricks very clean which was a must of that demanding tracks.
  Thomas Genon wins the event with surgical precision. He stayed focused and was landing his tricks cleanly, which was a must on this demanding course.




FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016

The man the legend Ryan Nyquist has proven yet again that he s not a random guy on the circuit. Skills consistence and many variations of spin tricks placed him in second.
  Ryan Nyquist REALLY is the man! Massive props for taking 2nd place at FISE. Skill, confidence and being fully focused are the way to do well at this kind of events.


bigquotesIt was an amazing day for me. This was just outside my comfort zone with the drop and a big set, plus the wind, but it feels amazing to walk away with 2nd place. The level of riding was insane, I am so happy for Yannick - that tailwhip off the drop, I don't know if anybody realises how crazy that is! - Ryan Nyquist


FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016


bigquotesThe slopestyle finals were a good show. The weather was nice and the wind was not blowing too hard, which was really good for us, the riders. I did a similar run in the qualification round, but of course, I added and improved on it with some tricks. I am especially happy with landing a decade after a double whip. I was quite stressed coming into it, but luckily, it all played out really well. I'm stoked to win here at FISE! - Thomas Genon


FISE Montpellier Slopestyle Finals 2016


MENTIONS: @lunatyk / @FMBA


Author Info:
lunatyk avatar

Member since May 4, 2008
92 articles

43 Comments
  • 61 0
 Godziek is the only one to pull the cliffhanger in contests, I don't understand why it's not more rewarding
  • 18 0
 I feel sorry for Godziek.... I enjoyed his run much more than Ryan's (especially variaty).
  • 8 0
 Made flipping the canyon gap at Rampage look damn easy too when others were getting taken out but not rewarded there either....
  • 8 0
 Godziek just does tricks that are more about style and steeze than flips and whips. Sadly in the time we are in, judges value the amounts of flips someone does, instead of how stoked people get watching a run
  • 6 4
 @Steezwhip: well to be fair that's the only way you can judge contest riding. All these riders are capable of doing super smooth stylish runs. Without taking into account difficulty and spins, flips, and whips there would be no way to differentiate everyone. It's like in snowboarding. There no tricks better than a huge method or a massive styling back 180, but you can't reward that in contests because every rider can do it.
  • 4 0
 @sino428: I was actually about to reference snowboarding, but decided not to. But since you brought it up...

Sage Kotsenburg's Run in the olympics was the perfect example of style being judged higher than the amounts of rotations. If more competitions were judged like that, I think rider's would be laying down runs that would get everyone stoked. He had a solid run, with some solid tricks in it. But he also threw his own flair by buttering tricks and pulling off tailpresses, even with some hand drags, but it looked damn steezy!
  • 6 2
 You're all forgettin Godziek didn't trick the drop!!
  • 1 2
 @Steezwhip: well I would not say that Sage Kotsenburg's Olympic run lacked rotations. The banger trick at the end of his gold medal run was a back 1620 japan. His run did not have any triple corks but along with that 1620 Japan ( which had never been done), he also threw a 1260 holy crail, and a front 1080 off the toes. He was very much rewarded for the difficulty and technicality of the tricks he did.
  • 2 1
 I expected Godziek to place higher too. Such a sick run!! My personal favourite due to style and trick choice. I would switch his place with Nyquists. Nyquist got me stoked with that last 720 bar, but that cliffhanger flip got me even way more stoked,it was the highlight of the event in my opinion.

Mad props for Granieri for whipping off that huge drop, as well as for how big Rogatkin went! Rogatkins all or nothing riding is so sick to watch. That dude will either take first place or end up last for crashing / not completing the run. Gets me really stoked when he's next up to ride and I really hope he nails his dream run the next times!
  • 1 1
 GODZIEK GOT STRAIGHT ROBBED
  • 37 15
 When a lifelong bmxer can come in and win second place... It might be time to take slope style in a little more "mountain" direction and less street. Props to Ryan, but still...
  • 20 4
 Totally disagree....Ryan is only going to inspire people to bring their game up...including himself like he said...
  • 10 6
 @takeiteasyridehard: his run was dope no doubt. I think it's the difference between the FEST series and this stuff that shows what I mean the most. FEST is mtb to the core. This is more "made for tv" in my opinion.
  • 5 0
 Made for TV is a good thing. It gets these superstars the recognition they deserve! The Tour de Frace gets mainstream media coverage for a month, what would you rather watch?
  • 6 1
 So to paraphrase: "How dare anyone who started on bmx also be good on mtb too."

@preach events like this are more for the spectators. FEST and Rampage are more for tv because hardly anyone can get close enough (or rather hardly anyone is allowed to get close enough) to watch.
  • 4 0
 @preach: yeah I can see that. But we have those events...dh, enduro, rampage, fest....the tricksters need their canvas also....
  • 8 0
 it's not like he just picked up a dj bike that day, he's been traingin for it. The fact he's showing up kids 30 years younger than he is is super gnarly! those kids gotta up their game!
  • 5 0
 I'm just waiting for Drew Bezanson at Crankworx... that should be amazing to watch! Props to all these guys, way way way harder than it looks
  • 2 0
 Mountain biking is pretty diverse so there is something to challenge everyone and Ryan knows a thing or two about riding a bike so we can't be too unhappy... he did rather well on a BMX too Wink
  • 3 0
 @peach some things to take into account: Ryan's been taking part in various contests, it's not like he just shows up in rocket air and now takes a 2 place. 2nd thing is that most riders didn't trick the step down (idk how could they forget about that) so riders that put a solid run together like Knopf and Godziek got underscored. Let's see what happens at the diamond series...
  • 2 0
 And slopestyle is pure mtb dude look at how are the courses in bmx dirt
  • 7 0
 Nyquist is a skilled rider with lots of experience. He's also been working hard at riding his big bike. I give him a lot of credit. He's also almost twice the age of some of these guys. Tremendous respect.
  • 3 5
 totally agree man, when a 40 yo old school bmxer come and kick some ass means that that shit has nothing about mountain biking, lets call it bmx 26 dirt jump better. Nicholi too, then he goes rampage and gets the last one every year! Cant believe this is part of the FMB (Freeride world tour), this shit has nothing about free ride come on !!
  • 2 5
 @jeremyclark: thank you sir
  • 5 1
 And another thing "How dare they take mtb to the inner cities to create a massive event that encourages new participation. What is this sport coming too?"

Pretty much all tricks done on our bikes were first done on bmx, and now you're whinging because a bmxer has crossed over and is doing well.
You could not have it more wrong. 'Free ride' events don't have to be life threatening for them to be legitimate.
Just enjoy your bike (whatever it is) and quit bitching because someone else does it differently.
I suppose you should also give Kye Forte some of your crap too, he's doing pretty well on the UK DH scene.

This BS elitist attitude does nothing but restrict the growth of the sport... go join the UCi, you'll fit right in.
  • 4 1
 @T1mb0: no man, kye forte is actually riding MTB! dh racing is mtb! Im sure nicholi or nyquist they can't race like him. Not hating, just having a different point of view on that. Im sure key forte can ride rampage way better then nicholi, thats for sure !
  • 3 0
 You guys are all nuts... did you watch his run? It was good! If it was anyone else's run you wouldn't have anything to say, but because he's a bmx guy suddenly the contest is easy? You should all take a look back at some mid school bmx to see how rad those dudes were/are. It wasn't all jibs, they went huge.
  • 6 1
 Nyquist has been around forever and always gets the same criticism for doing the same comp run all day, running pegs and generally lacking style in comparison to the dedicated trail riders. GOAT?
  • 5 0
 In BMX ive always followed Nyquist and appreciated his riding, but haven't always necessarily been a "huge fan". Seeing the level of riding he is bringing into MTB and how clean and perfectly executed his run was, no doubt he is one of the GOAT. I've never been so pumped on a Nyquist run before! That was sick.
  • 3 0
 @mtnbykr05: I gotta agree, he is mister smooooth. Makes his run look effortless...
  • 10 2
 Nyquist is GOAT
  • 3 0
 sooo stoked that we all can still delight of his old style riding, Simple Session, FMB... this guy defintly rejects to get old!! L E G E N D
  • 5 0
 I just read Nyquist actually took first at the Kentucky Derby this weekend too. GOAT. Total crossover athlete.
  • 3 1
 A couple of thoughts on Nyquist... 1) He's spent the last few seasons working up to this... This is his first year doing more than a few random events. 2) Ryan has the experience to know how to put together a contest run.. The younger guys will roll the dice with a big all or nothing trick while he will put down a run of big tricks that he can hit consistently. One amazing trick rarely beats a clean run full of hard tricks.

Congrats to Ryan on the second place.!
  • 2 0
 They're nuts man, can't complain about it. Those jumps are massive.
  • 2 1
 Looking at the comments... wondering what GOAT means
  • 3 0
 greatest of all time
  • 1 0
 @BrianK24: YES THANK YOU!
  • 1 0
 Is Matt Jones on Banshee or Saracen Bikes ?







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