Men's Category of Slopestyle Will Not Proceed - Crankworx Rotorua 2024 [Updated with FMBA Statement]

Apr 1, 2024
by Sarah Moore  

After a series of negotiations aimed at addressing Rider requests around remuneration and support infrastructure, the male competitors of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship event on Sunday, March 24, have decided not to participate in this year’s competition. The first-ever Diamond Level Women’s Slopestyle World Championship event will proceed as planned.



Update: Thursday March 28 12pm PDT

bigquotesThe Freeride Mountain Bike Association e.V. (FMBA), as the governing body for Slopestyle, Dirt and Freeride Mountain biking and the organiser of the FMB World Tour, acknowledges the concerns that the male Slopestyle athletes voiced during the first Diamond Level Slopestyle Event of the 2024 season at Crankworx Rotorua. The FMBA respects the decision of the athletes to boycott the event but we strongly disagree with the process, method and timing of this action. We are committed to seeking viable solutions to uphold a sustainable future for the sport, benefiting both current and upcoming athletes as well as event organisers. The FMBA is actively engaging in conversations and negotiations with the male athletes to address their concerns and discuss their demands to find a constructive path forward.FMBA


Update: Saturday March 23 3 am PDT

Following the news the male competitors decided not to participate in this year’s Rotorua Slopestyle event the 16 slopestyle athletes have released the following unified statement:


bigquotesDear fans and supporters of Slopestyle.

As you will have heard, we, as the full field of male Slopestyle riders at Crankworx Rotorua, have made a joint, but very tough, decision to not take part in official competition tomorrow. But we will be at the event in full support of the girls as they make history, with the first ever female Diamond Slopestyle event. We will also be riding the McGazza train and out there for our fans.

Today has been a tough day and there have been plenty of questions about why we aren’t riding and why this decision was made now. We all came to Rotorua with the full intention to start our season, commit fully to this amazing event and ride to our full potential. So why aren’t we riding?

The short answer; we want to secure a stable and sustainable future for Slopestyle - including the current and future generation of riders. This decision was made to ensure a minimum industry standard is achieved moving forward with rider welfare, safety, compensation, but also communication and decision-making established. Not just singularly for the Crankworx Rotorua event, but for the whole Crankworx and FMB World Tour.

Unfortunately, after years of negotiations, countless meetings, and many letters today we have finally decided to take a stand for the benefits of all Slopestyle riders and the sport. This timeline is not what we hoped for. At this stage we won’t be discussing the specifics of the conditions we requested from Crankworx as an organisation, as we don't believe this is the right place or time to do so.

But we want it known that this is not a ‘shakedown’ for compensation - it’s bigger than that.

Specifically we have raised the following issues as critical:

Safe competition conditions

As riders we always want to put on the best possible show and competition. As we're putting our bodies on the line we believe our requests and feedback on competition timings and practice sessions have been ignored, and once again we weren’t being heard. This is not isolated to a single year or event, and there have been ongoing issues over many years.

Basic rider welfare and participation costs

In the past we’ve come together as a group of riders to personally fund flights for upcoming riders / alternates. We believe in putting on a show with a full field and having a healthy Slopestyle rider collective - we love pushing each other and being pushed by the new blood. But how does new blood make it onto the circuit if they can’t even afford to show what they can throw down?

This year there has been a major reduction in travel support for riders, and especially the alternates. Due to the event locations many riders simply aren’t able to accept their rightful invitation to compete. Rider welfare is basic at best, and when there’s a buffet for the Crankworx members but absolutely no catering at all for the riders, something is drastically wrong.

These are events that we ride in, risk our bodies and careers on, and are a key drawcard for and we believe we should have a seat at the table.

Now is the time for change - time after time we’ve either been ignored, denied or simply not taken seriously which has left us with no other option but to make a point the only way we can. We have felt disrespected and unheard when all we’ve requested is simple support for all riders.

We love this event, we love Rotorua and the fans. We hope that we can find a resolution with Crankworx and FMB to continue the growth of Slopestyle, to showcase incredible riding, and to continue creating amazing memories for fans of mountain biking across the world.
Slopestyle Rider Statement



bigquotesI'm up here representing all the riders and have this small note on behalf of us. The news that has come out from Crankworx of the men's Slopestyle being cancelled is obviously not the situation that any of us want. Especially after all the discussions we have had with the organization this week.

The issues that have been raised over the last few years that were under discussion have had impact on everyone involved. It was finally time for a change.

As the top slopestyle riders on the planet, we come to these events and risk everything for the fans around the world and for the event to happen every time. The way the events have been set up has become unsustainable and for some an unattainable situation. We are deeply sorry to the fans and to the organizers that this has to be the outcome right now. This is a decision we do not take lightly. We all love this sport and we are striving for it to be better for the future and the next generation of riders of the sport.

We'll be there for Sunday to support the women who have been killing it all week as well as for the legendary McGazza train. We'll have more information for everyone in a timely manner.
Nicholi Rogatkin

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See the full statement from Crankworx below or watch Dan Wolfe read it in this video:



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PRESS RELEASE: Crankworx

Crankworx wishes to inform our fans, participants, and the wider community of recent developments regarding the upcoming Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship event scheduled for this Sunday.

The male competitors of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship event on Sunday, March 24, have decided not to participate in this year’s competition. This decision came after a series of negotiations aimed at addressing rider requests around remuneration and support infrastructure.

We are committed to delivering an exceptional experience at Crankworx Rotorua, with a full schedule of events still set to go ahead. This includes the first ever Women’s Diamond Level Slopestyle World Championship event, along with other competitive and community events that celebrate the rich culture of mountain biking, giving the next generation a platform to ride and compete.

The flagship event for Crankworx 2024 - the monumental Diamond Level Women’s Slopestyle World Championship event, will proceed as planned. We look forward to showcasing their talent and passion for the sport.

We respect the athletes' decision and remain committed to fostering a positive and supportive environment for all athletes within the Crankworx community. While we have been listening, onsite feedback has shown that some male Slopestyle athletes feel that their voices have not being heard by the event organizers when it comes to weather and course build decisions. Crankworx is committed to giving all athletes a stage and decision-making power by establishing frameworks and processes as well as continuing to have an open line of communication between the riders and the Crankworx management team. Despite a 10% increase in prize money from 2023 to 2024 for Crankworx Rotorua, and similar increases for other Crankworx World Tour festivals, the athletes also demanded the establishment of an appearance fee for all male athletes as well as another significant raise of the prize money across all Crankworx World Tour festivals. Whilst the Crankworx World Tour agreed to an additional prize money raise for Crankworx Rotorua, bringing it to a 37% increase (compared to 2023) after conversations and negotiations with the athletes, this offer has been refused and countered by the male athletes. Given the structure of the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) and the framework the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship operates in as a professional sport, Crankworx cannot effectuate an appearance fee or an additional prize money increase as demanded by the male athletes.

We know many will be disappointed that the men’s category of the event will not proceed as planned. Crankworx Rotorua extends its gratitude to our partners, volunteers, and the wider mountain biking community for their continued support. We remain dedicated to the sport of mountain biking and to delivering events that reflect the passion, unity, and incredible talent of our global community.

For those affected by the change in the event lineup, please contact rotorua@crankworx.com  

For updates and further information, please visit www.crankworx.com and follow us on Instagram @crankworx.


Author Info:
sarahmoore avatar

Member since Mar 30, 2011
1,330 articles

650 Comments
  • 468 2
 Time to dust off the old dirt jumper, it's my time to shine
  • 45 116
flag heavyp (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:40) (Below Threshold)
 I get it but also now they don’t get paid at all so even if the money goes up for the next round overall I bet they are missing out, once again the sport is dangerous and people will get injured but surely they are all on retainers from sponsors and make extra money from views and shares and so on from social media so once again they are missing out on thousands if not millions of fees which doesn’t help with them earning money only hinders it, it’s also another missed opportunity to preform and possibly show sponsors why they deserve more money or pic up extra sponsors or even get poached by bigger sponsors!

Maybe someone with more of a business marketing and commonsense should be part of these unions and meetings

And if they think this will hurt redbull as they have nothing to televise, MTB is prob one of the smallest parts of their business and it won’t hardly make a difference and to be honest you annoy redbull and they pull out of MTB altogether and then everyone’s going to suffer a lot more than they think they are now.
  • 45 106
flag lumpy873 (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:47) (Below Threshold)
 @heavyp: That's just it.. Now, they spent the money to get there and they were hoping to squeeze more money out of the organizers.. However, it's not like that there is an endless supply of money coming out of the organizers pockets. So, the organizers did what they had to do.. Let's see what happens at the next round..
  • 95 1
 @lumpy873: “squeeze more money out of the organizers” ? Sorry I thought we were talking about a mountain bike event
  • 67 2
 There’s no way for us to know if redbull should be paying more or the riders are being unreasonable without knowing more of the financials. How’s the revenue split? What are the operating costs?
I love slopestyle and the riders, I wish the negotiations were handled a little sooner though.
  • 48 209
flag hohmskullkrishten (Mar 22, 2024 at 20:21) (Below Threshold)
 @gmiller720: Red Bull is a private business and has no obligation to share every detail about everything with athletes who choose to show up at their events.

I have very little respect for slopestyle since it's like ice skating on dirt and has had a completely terrible effect on rampage.

Hopefully this will be the end of it on the men's side and Red Bull kicks it to the curb and the spinners and flippers can start their own series. It doesn't really fit into Crankworx because it's such a specialty event that has nothing to do with the overall Crankworx points.
  • 186 13
 @hohmskullkrishten: Pretty dumb take. Slopestyle is the reason Crankworx took off to begin with. It's the main event drawing viewership worldwide, the event that the most spectators turn up to watch. It certainly does count towards the overall points ranking, the riders just typically don't race the other disciplines because Slopestyle requires so much focus and practice many of them aren't willing to give up.
This is why the riders are asking to be compensated more fairly. They are the show.
  • 34 200
flag hohmskullkrishten (Mar 22, 2024 at 20:44) (Below Threshold)
 @Joyrode Not as dumb as yours. I didn't say the points didn't count, I said they had nothing to do with the overall. I never watch slopestyle at crankworx cause every run is essentially the same, stupid flips and spins with an over-hyped celebration at the finish.

Now that UCI Downhill racing completely sucks Crankworx is the main downhill focus and that should be Red Bulls focus. Ditch these spoiled whiners and focus on destroying UCI Downhill racing.
You don't agree to compete in an event and then show up and go on strike unless you want the fans to hate you. I'm proud to be the biggest slopestyle hater and now I have justified hate for the athletes also. Kill it before it spins and flips more.
  • 116 0
 @heavyp: I'm mean, that's what a labor strike/walk out is. Making short-term sacrifices so that the future can be better even/especially for the next generation of riders.
  • 51 103
flag MountainLive2 (Mar 22, 2024 at 23:20) (Below Threshold)
 To everyone saying it’s unfair or selfish that they are asking to be paid to compete? f*ck you. It’s extremely dangerous what these riders do and some of them go away with life changing consequences and injuries. None of you can talk shit when you f*ckers probably can’t even ride. And another thing, to all the f*cking bitches and simps in the comments saying the men are selfish and ruining the event for the women who get to compete? Just shut the f*ck up and go back to being a complete retard. The women are competing and that is massive on its own. It has nothing to do with the men not competing and it changes nothing for them. So grow up and shut up.
  • 88 16
 @MountainLive2: That last sentence, could you do that? Thank you.
  • 16 29
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 1:14) (Below Threshold)
 @gmiller720: they are paid by their sponsors. Prize money is not a revenue stream just like it isn’t in most sports
  • 116 10
 @chrismac70: its not about price money, as much as the orginisers want to make it about. it's about accommodation and travel fees. to cover that is not the job of the sponsors. While the emils and eriks will get this paid for by the sponsors, many others will not.

Hence many sponsors only care about social media anyway nowadays. For them it's more beneficial if you just stay at home and produce viral insta clips. If so though we as viewers wouldn't have this competition to watch. If I remember correctly last year or so the riders even chipped in for a Spanish rider to be able to compete. While I do see the argument that cwx will be afraid that dh racers and other competitors will potentially demand the same. We must not forget that cwx is for the slopestyle riders what the UCI WC is for the racers. Hence why plenty of racers are expressing solidarity on social media right now.

Imho asking for accommodation and travel fee isn't much compared to the ammount of viewers this broadcast reaches. We as community als need to start to abandon the thought (or If I do say so excuse) that we are only a niche sport anymore. MTB as a hobby is a very much growing sport that is gathering a lot of new fans rather quickly. Yes we might not be as popular as football, basketball or similar, but we are also a different target group. Hobby devices aka bikes are not cheap, holiday trips with bikes are not cheap, equipment has a price etc. Yet we all pay at least some of it out of joy. This means we are a highly profitable target group, were audience targeting and marketing value is equivalently higher than in sports with a different target group.

The request of riders to get some money from this cake is only fair. Their main income should thereby, as many here have correctly pointed out here, be their sponsors. However the requested attendance fee and accommodation in question here is nothing that is going to get any of these riders rich. I can imagine the top end will probably not even care. I also believe that without these incentives the trip to these competitions will for many of the riders at the back end of the pack not be sustainable. One can also add that the organizers also get sponsorship money. Yes they need to pay themselves and their staff as well, but they should also look out for their talent (riders) and to open a path for the next generation that will definitely not have the sponsor backing in the beginning of their careers.

As some people from the industry have pointed out (below this post or beneath pinkbikes insta posts), the money within the industry is definitely there. It's about time that the riders start making their voices heard in regards to how unsustainable the situation currently is. It's a bummer that plenty of people putting the blame on the riders here for ruining the show. I personally hate that it seems like it was an unnegotiable demand by the riders, but it could be that we are missing some viewpoints here. None the less I believe they have not made themselves friends with that wording nor the non transparency regarding this possibility. It could be that its due to a loose connection of mates making these claims instead of a professional union, but by now its just second guessing. I'm pretty sure though that this isn't the first time this has been spoken about

However the riders demands don't seem to outrageous to me personally. I believe we should rather blame the industry for neglecting their talents, not handing out appropriate pay etc. than jumping on the riders as of now. I believe there were plenty of ways to not let it come this far. E.g. I can imagine emil being fine with the 25k being scrapped of the triple crown price money co cover parts the costs, or the overall price money being reduced but therefore accommodation and travel fees being payed. It's very unfortunate that now we all have to pay the price for it by missing out on the competition.

Cheers for the read, sorry for wasting your time reading my gibberish...

edit: spelling
  • 28 0
 @heavyp: they’re looking at a short term loss for a long term gain.
  • 15 2
 @hohmskullkrishten: "Destroying UCI Downhill racing"? You know Hardline and Crankworx are UCI sanctioned, right?
  • 42 18
 Personally I can't wait to see Nikki Rogatkin and Erica Fedko slay it in the women's comp!
  • 33 0
 @heavyp: You're doing a lot of assuming on there income in a sport that you said is tiny in comparison to others. Here's my assumption...Guaranteed half those guys barely make a livable wage. I would have done it for pennies on dollar to get that opportunity back in the day. But, Invites should include travel and basic lodging and at least a meal or 2 a day.
  • 14 0
 @chrismac70: ...actually prize money would be considered income if you get some, so yeah it's a source of revenue for the athletes. The tax man doesn't care about feelings and opinions.
  • 11 36
flag fattyheadshok (Mar 23, 2024 at 6:59) (Below Threshold)
 @lumpy873: You’re obviously a right wing pick your self up by your bootstraps conservative. Go fly your damn MAGA flag.
  • 15 20
flag lumpy873 (Mar 23, 2024 at 7:20) (Below Threshold)
 @fattyheadshok: sticks and stones... I prefer to think of myself as more of a realist.. As for politics, I'll leave it at there's no real good choice in November.
  • 7 26
flag trillot (Mar 23, 2024 at 7:37) (Below Threshold)
 @Brestling: funny part is, it sounds like the girls are all getting an "appearance" fee - so now the guys want it as well. But I think paying the girls an appearance fee was necessary because the up and coming girls don't have big sponsorship deals, so flying around the world could be a deterrent. For the boys though - hey, if you're in the top 5 or 10, you've got a sponsor covering this. And if you're not - well, just show up to the ones on your continent, until you're a true contender. So, don't love the analogy that if the girls all get paid, we want that too.
  • 3 1
 @trillot: if the women are getting things that the men weren't like the appearance fees, I can understand why they would be wanting more... Hopefully some more details come out in regards to this..
  • 18 0
 Never bunnyhop a picket line
  • 23 0
 @hohmskullkrishten: yep, I know that Redbull is a private organization. I was just implying that all of the arguments playing out in the comment section are moot because for all we know crankworx may not even be profitable to begin with.
As for your opinions on slopestyle, cool, don’t watch it. I don’t watch xc, so I also don’t open articles about xc athletes and say that I don’t respect the sport and it should end. Maybe I don’t have as much free time as you though.
  • 31 4
 @trillot: please go read this article again, with the slopestyle riders perspective as well. Then let me ensure you that not everyone in the top 10 is getting this from their sponsors. Hence re read my comment as to why.
If you only participate the once on your continent. cwx has no business calling this the world class diamond event. And we all have no interest in watching it.

Don't trust me as I don't have any credibility with my pinkbike account? Go to the pinkbike Instagram post from the press conference and read Kade edwards comment on all this.

Allow me to quote him:
"@crankworx have been taking the piss out of you lot for years. It’s time to stand up and you did.I can’t believe the shit show this has turned into. We know what they get out of you lot. It’s a show at the end of the day. So all I can say is that i am beyond proud of every single one of you. Hopefully they see how valuable you boys are to the sport and give you what you need and deserve. The girls shouldn’t drop in my eyes too.. but it’s new and exiting so I also get that… end of the day you go and risk your life for @crankworx benefit. So where is your benefit? Sort it out @crankworx … maybe don’t turn off your comments too and be cowards.. shits gunna get said either way…. Anyways that’s what I got to say❤️(also don’t come hit me with your opinions people… you don’t know half enough to comment on these situations.. you’re not athletes in this industry… I don’t want to hear your bullshit opinions)"

Now go tell him you know better.
  • 23 2
 @Brestling: The only thing I would say in regards to Kade's statement is I question if the riders know the true financials on the events..I suspect, much like us here, they don't know the true numbers on what the organizers take in vs what they have to payout.. To put it on a smaller scale, this is something I would see in my BMX racing days.. The average person only see the $10 per rider coming in and thinks it is easy money. They don't see the rent the track pays for the land, the money the sanction gets paid, the money paid for trophies, the utilities, etc... Not to mention a lot of time just maintaining the track..

It's not always crystal clear...
  • 10 1
 @chrismac70: but it looks like they're paying to be there out of their own pocket. Flights and accommodation will really hurt the bank, especially for new upcoming riders without sponsorship/that level of sponsorship whixh ia their point. They're not trying to cancel Crankworx, they're just making the point that if they make one of the main events there they should be listened to more and actually taken more care of than what they are.
  • 10 1
 @lumpy873: I totally agree with that, there is more to it and we will have to see how it plays out. Is still think kade might be a bit closer to the organizers than we might be, but It's once again just second guessing until we know more.

I would like to add however, just like the slope riders didn't do themselves a favor with the wording of the request and no communication with the public that this might be on the table, the organizers haven't done themselves a favor either, by trying to frame the situation like this was all about the money for the slopestyle riders.
  • 38 4
 @TimJohnSmith: But isn't that the case with most professional sports? I might be a good enough golfer to play in the Masters, but unless I make it to Sunday, I'm not getting paid. I might be a great marathon runner, but unless I'm in the top 10 of 28000 people, I'm not getting paid. Might be a world record weightlifter, but up until a couple of years ago, there wasn't any prize money. And regardless, the PGA is not paying for my travel or accommodations. The Boston Marathon is not paying for my food or accommodations. The IWF is not paying me to show up, to travel or for a hotel. It's the same with skiing and snowboarding. The FIS just has a World Cup half pipe comp in Calgary and they gave some info on what hotels are offering some discounts, but the FIS isn't paying people to show up, let alone pay for travel and accommodations.

Most professional athletes in most (individual) sports have to figure out their own travel and accommodations if their sponsors aren't paying for it. This is especially the case for smaller and less mainstream sports.

I think the athletes need to decide if they want to be professional, competitive athletes who compete for prize money, or I they want to get paid to put on a show, like Nitro Circus.

I absolutely agree that prize money should be increased and athlete safety is important, but disagree with appearance fees, accommodations and travel expenses.
  • 4 2
 @Brestling: I agree with you on that.. I almost feel like if it's true that the women did get some of what the guys are asking for, they didn't want to say it to either A) they didn't want to throw the women under the bus or B) mention it and risk losing that for everyone..
  • 5 4
 @Brestling: that’s still for riders to agree with their sponsors. It’s not upto the organisers to fund their travel. If sponsors don’t want to fund it then clearly they don’t see the value of them being there
  • 3 4
 @MikeGruhler: true. What meant is that if your relying on it to make a viable living then your not earning enough from sponsors
  • 5 5
 @TimJohnSmith: then they need to have a word with their sponsors and put a proposal together that governs them the funding to be there. If the sponsors don’t want to fund it then clearly they aren’t bothered about them being there
  • 6 3
 @Brestling: let’s hope that they aren’t in breach of contract with sponsors for this stunt. If competing is part of your agreement then you could be in real trouble
  • 1 1
 @commental: Are you sure about that?

UCI has its DH series and Pump track series.. I'm sure it's not a coincidence that as soon as Redbull was no longer the UCI broadcast partner extra Hardline events were added..
  • 14 5
 @jsnfschr: they all have the choice to get a real job if they want. Plumbers make decent coin. Not that fun of a life, but it’s a choice that slopestyle athletes have to make just like everyone else.
No one owes you a living.

On th flip, if you think you’re getting f*cked then you’re absolutely right to strike.

See how it plays out I guess. We’ll see what their value is soon enough.
  • 8 8
 @kleinblake: Really? I thought we were talking about a basic commercial agreement and subsequent entry on declared terms with the event organiser who has significant capital at risk with very low % margin, and then commercial parties to the terms of the agreement at last moment and about to go live/production refusing services and agreement as pert the terms.

Damages claim incoming. Rightfully so.
  • 9 5
 @masters5: womp womp go back to your hedge fund
  • 10 13
 @Brestling: Sorry, the event organiser in writing agreed to these provisions over and above the agreed entry terms, to which these athletes entered and commercially signed up to?

These athletes are about to find out how competitive riding your bike around the world, media, profile and fame is.

They also use the false assertion "in real world jobs/other sports/comparable blah".

In these other comparisons, these parties who agree to commercial agreement and appearance are subject to damaged clauses - if you take this job, agree to enter and appear, and are part of our named event you will sign this damages clause whereby if you willfully withdraw your appearance or competition, there are significant penalties which is going to happen for every event these guys now enter to.

Who wants to take so much on to hose an event to demonstrate, give airtime, and put so much at-risk capital on the line with counterparties that do this to you as the event goes live.

Damages claims incoming, rightfully so.
  • 7 5
 @MikeGruhler: If thats the agreed terms up front and signed to, yes. Retrospective negotiation and withdrawal of participation after agreeing clear terms and commitments sees damages claims.

These guys are about to find out at mixed MTB events if the Slopestyle is not there and present in the amphitheater, the crowds wont walk up the hill to watch it, but the DH course top to bottom will be lined several deep.
  • 4 5
 @kleinblake: Make MTB serious and get rid of false drama. It will make the events more investable, and thus the athletes benefit as a greater pool.
  • 8 0
 @lumpy873: Hardline has Cat3 UCI status, at least it did last time I looked. I think RB got UCI sanctioning as the rules state that theoretically the UCI could remove a rider's race licence for attending a non sanctioned event (unless anything has changed) although to my knowledge they've never implemented that rule..
  • 2 1
 @commental: interesting...
  • 1 1
 @commental: I just took a look.. Looks like Crankworx shows up on the UCL calendar, but I didn't see Hardline on there...
  • 2 2
 @TimJohnSmith: I thought this was an invitation elite only race in which case they are sponsored or not giving sponsors what they want
  • 7 4
 @lumpy873: Almost sounds right - given how equal it has been for female athletes compared to male athletes so far...
I'm assuming the appearance fees for the females are needed to get them there as their salaries and sponsorship deals are generally far lower than their male equivalents, so they just couldn't make it (or only 1 or 2 could) - I suspect the organisers are trying to get more female coverage to be less male dominated.
I don't get appearance fees for male athletes - if you are good enough to be there, then you shouldn't be getting paid for the privilege. Privilege is earned from the countless hours of practice...as that is what is needed to be the best. As you get good, sponsorship comes along and should support progression to the top, if it doesn't then it doesn't sound much like sponsorship and more like an advertising banner - which isn't good.
  • 8 1
 @masters5: I could see that being the case if the riders were being paid to turn up and perform, but isn't the whole point that the riders are the ones paying to turn up? I can't see any damages claims being levelled at the riders... What are the organisers going to say? "You paid us to let you compete and then didn't, so give us more money?"
I think you have this back to front.
  • 3 6
 @teebeeess: Bringing the event into disrepute, collective actions and damages for forcing event cancellation......
  • 6 1
 @ShoodNoBetter: I can understand the organizers paying to get the women there, if not I'd guess the field would be 2-3 riders.. But, the men also have similar expenses to get there. Not all of them have sponsors to cover the travel. If you are paying out of pocket to get there and someone else is getting a trip paid by the organizers, you aren't going to be happy..
  • 4 6
 @lumpy873: that is how this all works though...you get better and you get more...given the imbalance in the world of sports, everything that can be done to get more female athletes should be absolutely encouraged. However, it isn't the same for males and it shouldn't be...
  • 1 1
 @commental: I guess I didn't search deep enough...
  • 5 2
 @masters5: and then what?
Think about this year's competition as a whole for a minute. How many big name international riders made the trip out to NZ to compete? How many world cup riders raced the downhill? How many in the dual slalom? Let's face facts here..... this year's event was already a bit of a fizzer. By far the biggest international field of top talent was the men's slopestyle, and they apparently did not feel that there was enough incentive for them to take the risk. So let's say you are right and Crankworx takes them to court for bring the event into disrepute. How does that incentivise the same field of top athletes to keep paying for the privilege of turning up at further Crankworx events? How long will the Rotorua event last if the main draw cards are being dragged through the courts? If the organisers want to risk chasing away the only people who make it a real spectacle then cool, but personally I can't see it happening.
  • 8 3
 @Joyrode: drawing in viewership worldwide .
Your having an absolute laugh aren't you. Do you have any idea how small, that viewership is .
Worldwide figures for crankworks as a whole didn't even make a million ....that's every single venue event combined
Because they event is put on the locals will, turn up.
Theh put a duck race on in most Towns people ill show up its just what we do .
The money going out to put this event on is way above what ig brings in
It's likely then organisers will call there bluff and throw in the towel
  • 5 0
 @jsnfschr: while it’s agreed that that’s how a lot of these things work, it makes for a thinner (and arguably more boring) field of competitors of only those with the backing of large corporations or their rich parents are able to actually make it to matches or compete regularly. This was actually, from my admittedly limited understanding of things (I’m not a golfer), a major reason for LIV golf’s success in competing with the PGA tour. The lesser known names were interested as they received money for simply being good enough to enter and compete, which was a considerable draw, given that the only other way to make money, if you weren’t a sponsored big name, was to take a top spot
  • 3 1
 @vtechsaz: When the people that tune in to watch these events are based all over the world, thats worldwide right?
The slopestyle is the event that pulls in the most viewership, draws the local families out to watch and builds the most excitement. Without the slopestyle event Crankworx would drop off in an instant. Most regualr people/non mountain bike fans want to watch people doing tricks and jumps. It's the draw card.
  • 2 0
 I call next drop
  • 14 2
 @pmhobson, @Brestling: Bingo, it's about the power of collective action, and this is a historic moment for MTB as a sport, which up 'till now has never managed to have an entire starting field unanimously refuse to provide a spectacle until sustainable, safe, & fair conditions are provided by those profiting from the spectacle. How did major-league stick & ball sports come to have such huge salaries? The players joined together for collective bargaining agreements. No top players, no top game. The majority of the posts above are fixated on what other sports are most analogous to MTB, but seem to miss the single most crucial parallel: Rogatkin & his unified field of Slopestyle riders have entered the arena of big-league *collective bargaining* that has elevated wages for every other sport whose athletes have employed the strategy. Will slope riders suddenly be earning NBA or F1 money? No, but they will be in a position to command a bigger piece of the pie that organizers & broadcasters have been keeping for themselves.
  • 19 4
 @powturn: What money? I'm sure there's some, but I doubt there is as much as people think. Some money from sponsors and people attending in person, but as of right now, it's a free broadcast online. Even if they get a million people watching online, how does that translate to more money to riders?

Big sports have big salaries because there is revenue from venues, merchandise, licensing and broadcasting. And millions and millions of fans/viewers every week. Not four events per year.
  • 9 7
 @Brestling: I’m not sure I would take kades view of how the crankworx business works
  • 3 12
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 24, 2024 at 0:34) (Below Threshold)
 @teebeeess: it doesn’t. But how will riders feel when crankworx sues them for breach of contract and they have the only series anyone noticed taken away. Bye bye sponsors and income
  • 3 6
 @panthermodern: welcome to professional sport. That’s how it always has been and always will be
  • 3 15
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 24, 2024 at 0:37) (Below Threshold)
 @Joyrode: not for me it’s not. It’s the most pointless event at crankworx. Everyone always complains about the result. If you want to watch people doing spinny flippy trick on bike watch bmx. Far more impressive
  • 3 14
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 24, 2024 at 0:39) (Below Threshold)
 @powturn: this is an historic moment marking the death of professional slopestyle as organisers pull out of taking the risks which leads to sponsors pulling out
  • 11 3
 @jsnfschr: Riders are asking for what they need to sustain professional careers in the sport, and it's not just money. Recognition of their value on a human & professional level in form of having a say on course conditions, wind, and start times is a central part of their collective stance. Their further demands are pretty modest in the grand scheme of things: appearance fees to cover travel, a modest increase in prize money, and basic hospitality in the form of catering. We're talking five to low six figures per event here. Will Crankworx & FMB open the books to give the riders an honest look at how big the pie truly is? The riders will never get a chance if they don't ask. Asking as a unified block *is the entire point,* not the exact number of zeros behind the dollar sign. The modest, 5-figure minimum salaries for ProTour cyclists are hardly "big money" by any standard, but they exist because road riders have unionized and the CPA negotiates to assure them a living wage. Slope riders aren't even aiming that high yet, but one thing is certain: they'll never get more out of those who organize and market their performances if they do not ask.
  • 6 0
 @chrismac70: Quick, call the NBPA and call them to tell them Lebron's income is in jeopardy! There will be no more income if he is part of a collective bargaining agreement!
  • 2 0
 What would happen if a non-NZ citizen got sued for damages in New Zealand and lost?
Is there anything the Nz courts can do to make them pay? I suspect not. They’d just have to avoid travelling to New Zealand again I think.
  • 7 1
 @powturn: I agree with the concept of what you’ve said about collective bargaining. Not sure how much money is in slopestyle though. I can’t see it being a lot. Bums in seats, TV money and clothing sales are what drive the dollars up. Does one even have to pay to watch Crankworx, and if so how many people actually spectate? Does RB pay the organisers for the broadcast rights.
If I had to guess there is not much to go around.
  • 3 1
 @Joyrode: so if the slopestyle riders are the big draw, why aren't they negotiating better sponsorship deals for themselves? If they're the big draw for broadcast, free to air views, fan (paid or unpaid) attendance on site, that's a lot of eyeballs, so they should be leveraging that better in terms of building up athlete image/value and pitching sponsorship deals. Maybe this is another indication that we really do need more agents in MTB to help athletes, just as in every other sport.
  • 4 1
 @chrismac70: I don't think the riders are under contract with Crankworx.. If they were, the items they are wanting would be addressed in the contract.. Now, I'm fairly sure that some contracts that riders have with sponsors will address which contests the riders are expected to be at.
  • 4 4
 @lumpy873: by entering the event you form a contract between entrant and organisation. What that contract says is anyone’s guess
  • 8 2
 @powturn: Honestly, if I was the Crankworx crew, I would be opening up the books and show them what the bottom line is... Here's what we have coming in with our contracts and here's our expenses... I think there would be some surprised people..
  • 10 0
 @jsnfschr: That's what I've been thinking about. We all get to watch and enjoy the redbull events for free, and seek ways around paying for the world cup races. They aren't making any money from the broad cast, so the only way Redbull brings in money is through the event sponsors, like Sram or Toyota. I have no idea how much money there is after all the other costs for hosting an event like this is covered, but I can't imagine it would be that much, relatively speaking, and they already offered the 37% increase in prize money. This is setting aside the consultation on course design and safety that the riders are asking for, which is absolutely fair for them to have. My real question is, what are these riders sponsors paying them? At the end of the day, being a sponsored athlete is having a marketing job, and the company sponsoring you should be paying you. Events and contests are only part of that job, you need to be making advertisements, filming video parts, being an ambassador for the company. I'm not sure that Redbull or other event coordinators are the people that the riders should be having these talks with, but maybe they should unionize, and then negotiate with the brands that sponsor them for minimum salaries and medical coverage that they feel are appropriate.
  • 2 1
 @MountainLive2: can ride just fine..just not doing spins and flips..Doesn't mean you can't ride just because you're not doing that shit.. I'll take a Wyn Masters, follow cam Friday or a Kendall-Weed edit any day of the week before I tune into a slope style contest..But to each their own.
  • 2 1
 @lumpy873: absolutely, there are probably a lot of factors that the riders don't know.
  • 4 1
 @chrismac70: probably the closest there is to a contract upon entering a contest like that is a release of liability and maybe permission to use the riders image and likeness..
  • 7 3
 @powturn: you're spot on. We will have to see how it pans out, but this is a massive step towards fair pay for these athletes. Many people here in this comment section seem to think the riders want to make a fortune or that the event will go broke. As sad previously, I have no insights into that, but I doubt an event will just fold, if there is money to be made off. And it's certainly not to shaby even with the current state of the industry as well.

We all here are just second guessing since all, if not most of us are not within the private circles the details get discussed at. As some people here have pointed out, like @masters5 @chrismac70 their will certainly be actions that could be taken, but I doubt that this will actually happen as this will shine a light on how cwx will take care of their talents needs going further. I highly doubt that these actions will be taken, rather believe that this will actually start another round of negotiations. After all, the riders could've just ridden 0 score runs for all of them on the broadcast and fulfilled their terms if such a threat would've been on the table.

I don't know the people in charge, but juding by the actions NOT taken and the waves this has produced so far, I highly doubt this situation will be taken lightly. Judging by the takes some people have written about Dave? the founder of cwx if i'm not mistaken here, has his hart at the right place for the sport. He himself will be devastated about this entire situation I believe. And he certainly does not want cwx to go tits up over such a situation. They are all smart people and now have gotten a reality check on how far they can go with their talents. Whatever happens will be in their hands, and I'm sure they will have great talks and come up with a solution to this mess.
  • 6 2
 @ShoodNoBetter: you assumed wrong - no appearance fees are paid at CWX. Slope athletes historically get a room. WSL, UCI, PGA etc - none pay appearance fees. Only exhibition events - like Nitro Circus have appearance fees. Maybe the athletes need to find a soulless group of Saudi's to start a LIV MTB tour.
  • 17 4
 @eae903: Redbull doesn't own or run the CWX events. A Local non profit organization tied to the community take all the risk for CWX rotorua. Massive commitments of funding are made by the community and huge volunteerism goes to make it happen. A lot of disrespect has been shown by the riders on this one to those who work tirelessly to create this event. The athletes knew the landscape clearly before the arrived and pulled a stunt that is biting the hand that feeds them.
  • 5 2
 @mdtsports: This. This should be packaged and sent to the Riders.
  • 3 1
 @mdtsports: Thank you for clarifying that for me. I would still assume that Redbull fronts a lot of money to cover costs as a title sponsor, even if it isnt run by them. That doesn't mean that there is a surplus of money, there is still a lot of work to do and a lot of people to be paid before the riders even get there, which I feel supports my thought that the riders probably need to take issues of pay up with their own sponsors, not CWX themselves. We all want to be able to watch these contests and the riders to get appropriate pay and medical coverage given the risks they take. Would you happen to know if non contest events like Darkfest, or Freeride Fiesta pay riders appearance fees since they are exhibitions?
  • 3 0
 Is Redbull a title sponsor of the Crankworx series? Watching the coverage i didn't see much as far as Redbull signage...
  • 2 5
 @teebeeess: Then the event can be cancelled and not bother.
  • 2 1
 @mdtsports: I don't think I said appearance fees were paid...although someone mentioned that the females were getting an appearance fee - I did say everything that can be done to encourage females is a good thing...I'd hope onc ethe numbers were there, then appearance fees wouldn;'t be needed as the competition would be there to make it enticing enough.
Many have suggested this isn't really competition though and is more a show of style...so competition itself may not be the right word for this.
  • 3 1
 @jsnfschr: The big difference here is I question how much value crankworx brings riders that they can't get themselves.

This sport is very YouTube friendly. Beyond the course layout what does crankworx bring to the table for these guys? For the cost of travel they could throw together a cool Edit that likely nets far more exposure and then the rider controls the risk, revenue and audience.

It's not about crankworx making or not making money (I'm sure they get plenty out of it even if the balance sheets don't show it). It's about the riders saying you need us more than we need you.
  • 1 0
 @lumpy873: I would assume so, since they do all the broad casting for all of them, I thought they were part of the redbull signature series, but now that I think of it that might just be the slope style at CWX Whistler
  • 1 2
 @jsnfschr: I think PGA is a bad example, if you're on the tour as exempt you apparently get $500K/yr. Lower ranked players receive $5,000 in expenses when they miss a cut.
www.golfmonthly.com/features/do-pga-tour-players-earn-a-salary

I don't think it's unreasonable for people that qualify for the event get basic expenses covered. There are what, 16 people in that picture above? Even at $5k per that's $80k. I think they can find that money, or at least reimburse them for flights and offer a bunkhouse or hotel room. We're not talking about the thousands that show up for a marathon.
  • 6 1
 @mattpi: PGA is a bad example and I acknowledged that somewhere else in the comments. The PGA also has ALL the money to throw at people. I imagine the revenue they generate from massive sponsorship deals, nearly weekly broadcast coverage and merchandising is insane. Crankworx doesn't have any of that (or a tiny, tiny, tiny fraction if there is anything).

As far as I know, athletes don't have a contact to perform at Crankworx. They're offered an opportunity to compete. If any athletes have contracts, it should be with their sponsors. If they don't have sponsors, work hard during the off season so you can travel and chase your dream, just like every other privateer in mtb (dh, enduro, xc, etc). It's not Crankworx responsibility to ensure you're making a living competing in their event.
  • 1 3
 @lumpy873: they won’t do this because it will show how they spend more than the $30,000 the riders are asking for on banners and snacks for the event. Or other superfluous crap that is less necessary but more corporate than what they should be spending on. If they shifted that money to the riders they would magically have the money for that signage and banners again the next year. Money appears magically in budgets when the organizers want it. Have you ever seen them put on a show sans any of that? Nope. But every single show they have put on has been missing basic stipends for their riders INCLUDING the women who rode this weekend.
  • 2 0
 @s100: but.... Crankworx does needs that branding to create the look they need to be a showpiece event. If you took the Crankworx Taniwha DH for example. In early Feb a national series DH was run on same track (very similar line), with similar track prep and logistics, and many of the same riders. However the Crankworx version is perceived as the much more "impressive" event to general public, because of the branding, signage, marketing and set-up of the event. Even though the quality of track and athletes was largely the same.
  • 1 1
 @Cabin: Crankworx does needs that riders to create the look they need to be a showpiece event. If you took the blah blah blah for example. It would look mighty silly to have all those banners and tents and no riders on the trails!!


It's all priorities my man.
  • 2 0
 @s100: yeah. I didn't say anything about the riders/athletes. Simply stating the signage, branding, presentation is important. Because to the general public (who is the market for the NZ edition of CWX), even if you have top riders, without the presentation, it looks like a very low key, unimportant event.

So for CWX to be CWX as its pitched... it needs both
  • 205 8
 I would like to see riders compensated for the insanity they produce out there…they are amazing athletes. That said, slopestyle has become like figure skating to me, and that’s not a compliment
  • 31 4
 Fully agree with this. The time and effort they have to go though to even make it to diamond level events is insane. Everyone that takes to the course at a diamond level event is an amazing rider and they should all get recognised by some form of payment instead of just the ones on the podium.
  • 29 61
flag jsnfschr FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:52) (Below Threshold)
 @zrbikeman: That's not how competitions work. Any professional athlete works hard to get to the highest level of competition in their respective sport, but you don't get paid by an event just for showing up. You get paid when you're the best of the best.
  • 42 1
 @jsnfschr: that's not true... many professional leagues have set up their minim salary if you are part of it
  • 18 25
flag jsnfschr FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 18:12) (Below Threshold)
 @PauRexs: For individual competitions? I get team sports (ie - football, hockey, baseball, etc) have salaries for players, but individuals? But even in those leagues, it's not the league that pays the player, but the teams.
  • 21 3
 @PauRexs: the bigger the overall sport revenue the more the mid to low level elite players get paid. mtb is a niche sport that unfortunately will never payout against the perceived risk.
  • 40 5
 @jsnfschr: tennis - first round competitors get £55k for completing a match at Wimbledon if they lose
  • 17 4
 @jsnfschr: pretty sure team sports athletes get paid without having to win, just do their job. How is this different?
  • 33 1
 @luke7below: I guess you can do that when there is £45 million in prize money to throw around. Obviously that's not an option in slopestyle. Outside of races like Tour de France, the money isn't there in cycling. Individual races such as Paris Roubaix (which has been around for 120 years), only has a total of £90k total prize money (£30k for the winner, down to £500 for 20th). And guaranteed more people are watching Paris Roubaix than Crankworx.
  • 18 5
 @hot-beef-sundae: they get paid by being sponsored. Same in all other forms of racing.

You don't get paid by hoe hard you work, you get paid by how hard are you to replace
  • 7 5
 @luke7below: @luke7below: The prize for winning Wimbledon is £2.35M, and if I remember right a single Crankworx event was $25k. So with those proportions and the 37% increase that's ~$800. That would be a pretty underwhelming proposal for an appearance fee.
  • 6 0
 @jsnfschr: show up money was very much a real thing in Arenacross in the early 2000s
  • 2 0
 @sharpiemtb: this isn't racing, it's expression
  • 6 19
flag PauRexs (Mar 23, 2024 at 0:02) (Below Threshold)
 @mobil1syn: I m tired to hear MTB is a nice sport... Damn wake up ppl... we have the second most practiced sport where ppl buy mini F1... a sport everyone more or less has practiced get in touch at some point on their life... I ll repeat again and a again... only a conspiration must had stopped this sport to not have gone trully big... otherwise makes no sense...
  • 3 2
 * niche sport
  • 15 14
 They are. They are paid by their sponsors. If they carry on like this then their sponsors will wonder why they bother
  • 7 16
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 1:17) (Below Threshold)
 @zrbikeman: That’s like saying everyone who enters the Olympics should get paid for turning up and they don’t. No one does. If you need prize money to earn a living then you’re not in the right profession as your income cubes from sponsors
  • 5 9
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 1:18) (Below Threshold)
 @luke7below: which means they are in the top 64 in the world out of a sport that is played by millions. It’s also peanuts compared to what they earn from sponsors
  • 8 15
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 1:21) (Below Threshold)
 @Fmxexo: And for every person who watched crackers about a million will watch Wimbledon.

To win Wimbledon you have to win 8 matches that last anywhere between 2 and 5 hours. To win crankworx you have to do 1 90 second run
  • 15 5
 @Fmxexo: @luke7below:

The way I read the statement seems to be that the organisers are saying this event is the world championships for slopestyle? If that is the case then as far as I'm aware it's not standard practice to get an appearance fee for a world championships in any sport?

I only really know about triathlon, ironman in particular as I'm competing to qualify for world champs for that, and for that you do not get an appearance fee for the world champs. You get prizes for winning, pros have sponsors who pay them and will probably provide bonuses, but there is no appearance fee. I've got a few friends who have done it and don't get a fee. Same with Olympic triathlon and standard distance euro/world champs, I've got a few friends who raced them for team GB and didn't get an appearance fee. Wimbledon, tour de France etc are totally different as they are exhibitions rather than a sanctioned world champs event, and athletes definitely get appearance fees for exhibitions. I think it's the same for track, athletics etc in general as well although granted I don't race them so don't know. Maybe someone else knows about some other sports and can shed some light?

I think the issue is more to do with working out where slopestyle/crankworks etc is right now. Athletes should definitely get renumeration for taking part in exhibition events and series events etc, of course they should, but I don't think they should for an official world champs event as, as far as I'm aware , that is line with other sports.

Do the DH and XC guys and gals get an appearance fee for world champs? I'm not sure they do, and don't think it would be unfair if they didn't. Should they get an appearance fee for the world cup series? Damn right they should. Slopestyle should be the same, in my opinion.
  • 17 1
 @everythingscomingupmilhouse: I don't think big events with hundreds of starters are a fair comparison especially if its an open sign up. This is an invite only that spans across the globe and functions more like a global nitro circus / freestyle show rather than a marathon world champs...
  • 11 2
 @jsnfschr: yes golfers get paid a minimum to be on the PGA tour.
  • 4 0
 @Fmxexo: yeah and how many people play tennis world wide compared to those who bike no matter what format is the overall revenue must surely be greater!
It’s a shame mtb in general doesn’t get the attention or prize money it deserves!
  • 4 7
 @bill-curran: Pretty sure they don't and that's why so many left to go play for LIV. LIV guys have signed a contract to play in x number of tournaments. PGA, you get paid by sponsors and performing. Many will get some kind of pay out if they make it to the final day of a tournament, but if you don't make the cut, you don't get paid.

Also, we can have the conversation about appearance fees when the money and sponsorship is there to make it happen. There is exponentially more money in golf than slopestyle. Come back when the top 20 slopestyle riders are sponsored by brands like Rolex, Omega, Ademars Piguet, Richard Mille, Hublot, not Swatch.

I absolutely think that the prize money should be increased, but I disagree that things like transportation, accommodations, food and appearance fees should be included. That should be covered by rider's sponsors.
  • 3 4
 @Brestling: Nitro Circus is a show and a demo, not a competition with prize money (even if the prize money is crap). Sure there are lots of open competitions, but there are many that you still need to qualify for. You need to qualify for events such as the Boston or NY Marathon or Ironman triathlons, even if there are hundreds or even thousands of people participating.
  • 8 0
 @everythingscomingupmilhouse: I don't believe there is any standard practice on that outside of maybe athletics, like boxing, darts and snooker are examples where an appearance fee (or prize money for qualifying for the tournament which is effectively the same) are standard.

I'd also say that slopestyle is always an exhibition event even if it's the most serious competition, by the nature of the sport and it being judged by a panel of judges, the same is true with other freestyle sports and when people are taking major risks to compete it's not quite the same as playing tennis or doing a triathlon.

It's also worth remembering that many of these sports not giving appearance fees is rooted in tradition from when they were entirely amateur and often largely restricted to upper class population and prize money was considered vulgar. When you make it expensive for people to compete in sports like this you only get trust fund kids doing it
  • 6 1
 @PauRexs: where the f*ck you get that MTB is the second most popular sport?? You high?
  • 14 14
 Fair point. Last year in Whistler was a good example, where 30000 people have been waiting for riders to decide to drop
There was no hold up on the organization side to speak of, but the riders wouldn't drop in because it's too windy.
While I understand they want to do their best run and wind may prevent that. I don't see a difference from a downhill rider in the gate saying they'll wait until the muddy track is dry so they can do their best run. It's mountain biking, and while I have full respect for the riders skills and most of those I've met are great people, we're still mountain biking and I'd like the sport to stay that way.
I don't hear DH riders not participating because it closes them money. Damn I race poorly, have no chance of winning money and still pay to go do it. Some of Canada's best dh racers work 9-5 to support their racing. It's a small sport still, and while I'd certainly like to see people make a decent living competing on bikes, where do you draw the line who should get compensated if everyone gets a bit? Where does the money come from? I don't recall Darren driving around in an expensive sports car to his mansion.
Maybe we're paying for raising a generation where everyone gets a participation trophy and now they're bummed they have to win to come out in the green Smile
  • 7 0
 @jsnfschr: Quote from Golf Monthly: "All exempt players on the PGA Tour are guaranteed $500,000 against earnings. But it’s not a salary. It’s a base level. Exempt PGA Tour players will receive $500,000 (rookies can claim it up front) and they only start to collect prize money when they earn more than that $500,000 base." And if they earn less than $500k, they don't have to give back any money.

Pretty sure one PGA player's base is more than the entire pool of prize money in all slopestyle events plus any three other MTB disciplines.
  • 3 3
 @Marquis: Okay, so I'm off about the PGA. But it demonstrates how much money there is in golf. Pretty sure they're still responsible for to pay for their own accommodations and travel (which is much easier when you're getting paid $500k+) or sponsors help out, not the PGA itself.
  • 12 1
 @MrDuck: DH racing and slopestyle are very different in regards to how the elements impact the sport. If the DH track is muddy/wet, you can make it down by slowing down and taking extra precautions, and with those lower speeds, you are less likely to get hurt. Plus, the moisture will soften the ground, leading to a less hard impact. We have all ridden mountain bikes in the rain/ wind, and it's all very doable.

In slopestyle, if it's windy, you eat shit from a huge height onto rockhard dirt regardless of skill. It's the same for Rampage. If it's windy, you are blown 5-10 feet to the side, which means you miss the landing on an already blind drop. Same goes for Hardline, as we all saw (or didn't see rather) how that played out.

The other issue is that the women WERE given the things the men are asking for. It's obviously tricky for them, because it isn't their fault. They also can't take a stand with the men, as this is their first time being in the event after years of effort. Rampage has an appearance fee, as does Hardline. This should be no different.

DH has a much broader competition base. There are not many slopestyle events out there, particularly at the pointy end. 4 major events a year with only 14 + 2 alternate athletes. There are regional high level DH races across the globe that are actually significant and attract the same top athletes.

Not to mention, if the Crankworx organizers can afford daily buffets for their staff, they can probably toss a few bones to the stars of the show.
  • 4 1
 @luke7below: I guess the difference is that millions of people watch Wimbledon and thousands buy tickets. Mountain biking on the other hand… is not a sport that many people care about.
  • 4 1
 @Fmxexo: they should all take up tennis
  • 3 2
 @luke7below: Also tennis. Hundreds of millions of spectators, prime time MSM coverage. RedBull Hardline. Just clicked 1 million? False analogies aint going to cut it. Also, withdraw your commitment to appear at event at or during game, receive damages claims which is what these guys have guaranteed into all event conditions going forward.
  • 2 3
 @Marquis: And yet 2-3 Billion know what is the PGA Tour, and maybe if lucky a few million know what the is CrankWorx........look, over there a squirrel.
  • 9 1
 @leon-forfar: Well I don't know about daily buffets in Rotorua, but that's certainly not a thing in Whistler. I would know. Crankworx sure has grown, but there seems to be less support for organizers compared to a few years ago. While there's noticeable shift in how the company seems to operate recently, it's still a fairly small crew and none of them seem to be exactly "cashing in", just trying to put on events and keep it rolling.

I understand the differences between slopestyle and DH, and I know it's not so clear cut. But in the end this is a competition, and if the conditions aren't ideal, you dial it down. The jumps aren't THAT big, and a lot of expert riders could get over them. It wouldn't be a very good show, but that's not the point. Most expert riders aren't a great show on the DH either. I know, I'm one. While DH has much bigger attendance, even at the highest level there's many privateers that just pay to play.
But these guys here are pro athletes, paid by their sponsors to show up there. Not always a lot. But sticking with last year's example, you'd see Tom Isted just do laps on laps while the others kept saying it's too windy, then the sun's in the wrong spot etc..
There's gotta be a balance. I believe Rampage sorts that out rather fairly - there's a window the riders can delay start, then each rider has a time limit to drop in once started. It's a compromise, but I'd rather see them do a 60% run than sit around watching thousands of people get upset and intoxicated because nothing is happening at an event they've travelled to.

I can recognize that it is odd to give some riders a participation compensation and not others. But to refuse to compete on a day that's huge for women in the sport and realistically probably significantly affect the viewership, I think it's a poorly timed move. Having slept on it, I actually have bit less understanding for the riders.

There's a lot of pressure for everyone leading up to the event. I have friends among joyride competitors and you can see the personality change so much over the week leading up. It's serious business and definitely dangerous. But it's a position they've all worked up to knowing very well what they're doing. Sounds like the DH comparison doesn't cut it for ya, but in reality DH is absolutely not safer than slopestyle, and it's not like at Slopestyle you just show up. There's smaller FMB events all over the shop which I'd argue very well compare to local DH competitions. Where I'm from there's more competitions to get into jumping bikes than riding them fast down hills.

I'm all for support and more money to the athletes. But from recent experiences I may just stop caring for slopestyle.
  • 10 1
 @MrDuck: I mean, they are pretty big jumps across the tour. Certainly not in your typical size range. Sure, a lot of riders can get through them with basic tricks with a bit of wind and sunlight in the eyes. But add in doing your hardest combos and being upside down or corked out in the wind, and it's a different ball game. Getting blown off balance/ off course while upside down 25 feet in the air is not chill at all, and leads to crashes/injuries. Whistler's course specifically is completely in the open, and the event generally happens at the windiest time of day against the riders fair wishes.

I know for a fact that most of the slopestyle athletes are not sponsored to the level that they are earning a salary. Most get discounts or a free bike, and some gear, but that's it. Heck, Tom Isted didn't even have a frame sponsor last year and literally bought a $350 glory frame online to go to Dark fest. Giant rightfully signed him after, but you get the point.

Again, as a privateer in DH, you have access to MANY more events and races. There are smaller FMB events, but there are WAY more dh races. It's not even a close comparison. There was 44 FMB events world wide last year from Bronze- Diamond. There are probably more than 44 DH races in the States alone. Privateers are able to piggy back off some of the bigger factory teams (share pits, etc) car pool, stay in vans etc. especially in europe/ the states. Slopestyle has 4 main events across 3 continents spread through the year which all require significant, and more importantly, separate travel expense.

I'm not saying DH is safer than Slopestyle. Overall, I would say DH is less safe, but for different reasons and causes. The big DH slams generally mess people up much more than a big slopestyle slam. I'm just pointing out how the elements affect the sports differently. Any time you are riding fast at the limit opens up the chance of a hard crash. But ultimately, that is in the control of the rider. Wind for slopestyle athletes removes their control over what they do in the air. Looking back, Camile balanche had a nasty crash on the road gap at a race from the wind, and as a result, they closed that feature for the race. They can't really close all the jumps and still run a slopestyle contest.

That is all beside the point. Crankworx has said they are open and willing to change the safety challenges around slopestyle, but they are just not willing to give the $2k appearance fee, and the major sticking point is that the women DID get that. From what I understand, the men are happy for the women, and want the same treatment to be applied at every event for both parties moving forward.

If no up and comers can afford to make it to events, then eventually, it will fizzle out and die. If you think about Chance Moore, as first alternate, he had to spend probably $2k in flights, lots in accomodation and food for the time there. If he got into the event, he potentially makes a name for himself and may be able to make a career. If he doesn't then he's out $5k-10K when all is said and done. If that is the case for all the rookies/ top 6-16, then how many times can they afford to travel like that? Doing that 4x a year is enough to rival some peoples yearly salaries in regular lines of work. The other athletes shouldn't have to pay for the new comers to attend so they have a full field. It's not sustainable, and it will lead to the death of slopestyle if it goes on forever. $2k each is not a huge ask at all, especially considering the small size of the field. Could the timing have been better? Yes. Could Crankworx have been willing to work with the stars of their show at any point in the years prior? Yes. Ultimately, the riders are proving that without them, there is no show period, and they are just as important as the organizers themselves. It takes two to tango, and crankworx has been out of step.
  • 4 0
 @leon-forfar: I agree with many of your points, but I think you also outlined two that may be a reason we don't quite align here.
I am curious what's behind the decision to offer it to women only. At the same time, then why stop at slopestyle?
First one is the point of "But add in doing your hardest combos and being upside down or corked out in the wind, and it's a different ball game.". Expecting to always throw down the best is essentially expecting always having the right conditions, which is unrealistic. Rampage makes it work. Every other MTB discipline makes it work. I know that slopestyle is a lot about pushing the bigger trick, but in the same argument DH is about pushing the limits of speed. Both are going to be affected by conditions to some degree. And while slopestyle certainly wouldn't be any good in a downpour, the conditions last year were good enough for some riders to just play with it. I've been there for the past 12 years, heard the morning start discussions and feel like the morning often is less windy, but there's much bigger players than Crankworx involved in that call. Think broadcast etc..
Another one is the fact that "he had to spend probably $2k in flights, lots in accomodation and food for the time there. If he got into the event, he potentially makes a name for himself and may be able to make a career". Now that's a pretty good deal on a shot at a career! Try that in any other discipline. I don't think it's that simple. Of course it takes a long way and tons of effort to get a chance to go as an alternate. But I've had friends who did, and other than the competition they'd have a blast riding the area, realistically spending much more than the 2k but living a pretty good life.
I kind of support the idea of helping people out with the costs of competition, but this feels like a sh!++y form of protest to bail out last minute on the first one the women got to do, sort of taking the wind out of it..
I hope it gets resolved in a way everyone's sort of happy with and believe it will, just expressing I've been losing interest in the discipline watching the biggest events "not happen" due to riders bailing. Whether it's due to wind or not getting paid enough..
  • 5 0
 @leon-forfar: The buffet comment from them was so weird considering most of the "staff" are volunteers. So its the absolute least they could do.
  • 130 9
 Pinkbike comments section "I refuse to pay to watch Downhill, that's a waste of my money, RedBull gave me this for free"

Pinkbike comments section "RedBull needs to pay the riders more, they deserve to be paid".
  • 35 24
 What if I told you "pinkbike" wasn't a person and you are cherry picking the views of thousands of different people and mashing them together for your galaxy brain argument.

Redbull isn't exactly going broke and can afford to pay athletes... so they should, regardless of whatever "subscription model" they are hoping to implement.
  • 25 7
 @RonSauce: uh redbull pays a ton of athletes and literally foots the bill 100% for things like rampage and hardline. All for what a couple thousand die hard mtbers to watch, in a way they can’t monetize at all? It’s seems to be popular to bite the hand that feeds in this sport and tbh I don’t know why Red Bull even bothers… when they decide it’s just not worth it PB is gonna be really moany.
  • 12 1
 @pbfan08: they do those things because they generate viral video content that helps them sell their drinks. No problem with that, but lots of people on PB seem to confuse them with a not for profit benefactor who are supporting our sport(s) out of their own pockets.

Of course they are making money from their involvement in action sports, otherwise why would they do it? They are not above criticism, and the riders involved are entitled to withdraw their participation.
  • 6 3
 @elbandido77: dude did you even read my comment?

Can you seriously look in the mirror and say fully funding Rampage and Hardline makes any meaningful difference in Red Bull sales? I’d be willing to bet it doesn’t. And you’re correct the athletes involved are entitled to withdraw, but let’s reverse the roles. Let’s say red bull “withdraws” this sport has essentially no marquee sponsors which is necessary to get the athletes paid. We still have a long way to go down from where we are, look at what happened to rollerblading in the 90s, paintball in the 00s and the whole lot of other action sports which never remotely “made it” (BASE jumping, wake boarding etc…).

It’s not popular to talk about on PB but the reality is there isn’t much money in mountain biking as a spectator sport and lamenting the handful of sponsors that make it happen is counter productive in the long term.
  • 4 0
 I'd be fine with paying if I knew the riders actually got a significant cut
  • 2 1
 @robotdave: Curious what you'd feel like paying for it to meet the threshold of what you'd deem acceptable and reasonable? I don't have any idea what that would be.
  • 7 6
 @pbfan08: There is the real danger of killing their own sporting niche by such a performative walk-out. There's making a point, and then there's cutting of your nose, to spite your face. RedBull might just say 'f*ckiit' and look elsewhere....as there is a lot of other sports out there clamoring for a piece of the pie. And, you didn't see the women riders walking out.....that says something.
  • 3 3
 @RonSauce: Not even a blib in RedBull's revenue or eyeballs, when 99.999% of eyeballs are on Melbourne Grand Prix at same time.

If they took the slopestyler's to the Grand Prix paddock, no one would leave their seats to observe.
  • 2 4
 @RonSauce: Why should they. Riders can always not turn up to their events if they don’t think it’s worth it. Clearly most of the elite don’t hence why hardline is so badly supported by the top 20 in the world
  • 1 4
 @pbfan08: RB is very very good at monetising these events that’s why they do it.
  • 1 3
 @pbfan08: of course it does or they wouldn’t do it. It is that simple. That’s why they have professional influencers at the events to get the value on social media they want
  • 2 0
 @chrismac70: Slopestyle athletes can't turn down these events if they've made the cut. It takes years of training and solid results to rack up the points to get into the Diamond Series. If you turn down the opportunity once you've made the cut, you could be pushed out by the time the next Diamond event comes around.
  • 4 3
 @masters5: so what? Just because there is a grand prix at the same time doesn't mean they are operating in the red. If the athletes are so cheaply replaced... then do it.

If riders don't think they are getting what they are worth then that conversation is over. They don't owe you anything, if you want the privilege of having these athletes on your stage pay them. This really isn't complicated. Too much of this comment section seems to think top teir freeriders are are a dime a dozen.
  • 6 4
 @RonSauce: Personally I think the riders probably do deserve lots of what they are asking for. However, I am extremely disappointed in their timing and as a result have no respect for them whatsoever. This should have been settled months ago, and if it wasn't settled, the riders should have said months ago 'we're not coming'. Fine, no issue with that. The market will decide their true value. Pulling out 24 hours before, and particularly at an event that is so significant for the female riders is just a dick move in my mind, and makes them out to be spoiled brats.
  • 7 5
 @rmt: you can't strike when there isn't work. This is how striking works. Should they wait until the off season and see if they are offered more shout-outs and exposure?

Its really too bad for you that people looking after their own own livelihoods and future made you sad. Suck it up, you'll get over it with time. This isn't your decision to make, its not effecting your career, this isn't hurting your streaming numbers, this isn't lowering your take home from concessions.

Its a bunch of dudes doing 720s for money and they aren't happy with the offer they have been given. You could always sell you own 720s
  • 6 5
 @RonSauce: Most strikes that I know of don't start with going to the boss on Friday and saying "unless you meet these demands, I'm on strike on Monday"
  • 6 7
 @RonSauce: It's just bad form. Do you think in the future, that race series promoters are going to invite these same striking riders, for they might pull that shenanigan at a future event? Doubt it.....I think they didn't think this thru, and for all their impeccable timing their riding requires, they lack that entirely when making business decisions that will likely torpedo their careers. But hey - it's their life, they can do what they want with it and I can spout off from the comfort of my internet throne of all encompassing knowledge of the future and past.
  • 4 4
 @rmt: my guy, thats almost exactly how strikes work. You are assuming alot about negotiations that you actually know next to nothing about. I would say this is more of a "walk out" than a strike, but the two aren't much different.

@jokermtb yes, I would say smart money that these riders will definitely still get invites. I would think blackballing them would be such a bad look for organizers that up and comers would be less likely to even want to attend. As for torpedoed careers, thats laughable in the current time of social media revenues. All of these riders can and will survive without this event, thats the reason they are putting pressure on organizers, because they can. Action sports athletes have a very VERY short shelf life and are treated as disposable and should get every penny they can.
  • 6 4
 @RonSauce: My guess is that, while some of the bigger names are probably generating some kind of revenue from social media, I'm guessing a bunch of the newer and/or up and coming athletes don't know how to navigate that world.

I know a few guys in a different social media space who generate some income from having an online presence. I wonder how many young guys looking for sponsors are approaching companies with solid business plans (this is who I am, this is what I offer, and this is how I will benefit you as a company if you let me represent you, etc, etc) as opposed to just "hey, who wants to help me to get NZ to pursue my dream" (I've seen that from at least one of the up and comers).

I'm curious why it's just the slope guys who are making this a thing. Are the speed/style, dual slalom, pump track, air dh, regular dh, etc, different? What makes the slope guys (including up and comers) different from every other privateer racing enduro, dh, xc, etc? Most of those guys work crazy hard during the off season so they can take the summer off to race in Europe, North America, etc. There are dudes bike packing between events.

I agree the riders should have more of a say when it comes to event timing and safety, but its the riders responsibility if they want to make a living riding their bikes, not the organizers of the events they choose to participate in.
  • 122 7
 Rider's Union. WC DH needs this.
  • 4 91
flag s100 (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:07) (Below Threshold)
 They seem to be doing just fine without it. Women too.
  • 38 0
 @s100: by fine do you mean less prize money for a championship than a hardline win? Or do you mean how they can't even be watched because they aren't on ESPN/tsn/Redhill? I feel like I'm the same level of fine just being able to go to my 9-5 and I don't have work worry about being in a wheelchair after work every day.
  • 20 120
flag sharpiemtb (Mar 22, 2024 at 18:51) (Below Threshold)
 Fucking bust every union
  • 14 2
 WC DH already has a union. They just don’t seem to be nearly as vocally against discovery and the uci as the fans.
  • 10 4
 How much do riders get paid for the events they organize themselves? Like are they earning more for Fest series events? It seems kind of harsh, but I think that your payday from a crankworx event isn’t in prize money and appearance fees but on your own ability to monetize on the opportunity. It gets your name and face out there for sponsors and followers. There’s a lot of arguments against that. I’m a huge fan of slopestyle and I respect the hell out of the riders, but I’d be curious to know how much redbull is actually making off of this event. We’re all speculating wildly over what is fair but none of us know the revenue split.
  • 16 1
 @gmiller720: there isn’t a lot of money in being a slopestyle rider unless you are consistently winning. Whether it be from sponsors or prize money at events, only the top handful are making any money.

I feel the appearance fee should be seen as a compensation for the personal expense to attend these event. Most riders aren’t trying to get payout, they are trying to minimize their losses. In the past some riders have dropped out of these events because they simply could to attend.

At the end of the day everyone is competing because they love the sport. If they were doing it for the money they would choose any other career.

Just my 2 cents
  • 18 0
 @lanebodor: Exactly, bigger prize purse only helps the few guys that are consistently on the podium. An appearance fee helps the smaller/ up and coming/ less supported riders to actually make it to the event they've trained so hard and fought their way into.
It's so hard to be at that level of competition and work a full time job to have enough money to fly to 3 different countries/continents to make it to the event. All the focus to be this good basically makes riding full time the only viable option to keep up the skills and there's definitely a number of the guys in the field that have been struggling to find support in terms of frame deals, let alone monetary compensation to make it easy to travel also...
  • 44 10
 @sharpiemtb: #UNIONSTRONG
  • 2 0
 @TheSlayer99: because they are getting what they wanted. Less riders, safer tracks, more money.
  • 4 5
 @willtriv: I mean they are working together as a cohesive group to get what they deserve. If they added a union they would loose a slice of the pie.

They are already totally united. Focused. Got cwx attention and are sitting at the table. Good for them.
  • 2 1
 @lanebodor: travel, 2 hots and cot is all they need. As well as better safety around wind and weather. Design it to run with the wind maybe? Make stuff 5% smaller to handle wet conditions and keep it running safe? Add some more flow and pull the speeds down a little bit? You can see the concern these guys have whenever someone drops in cause they all know they're up against the edge of what can be done on the given setup. Hopefully they find a resolution to their concerns.
  • 32 10
 @sharpiemtb: few possibilities:
1. You don't understand what a union is or the benefits they bring in a 2024 labor market (i.e. ignorant)
2. You do understand what a union is, but you stand to lose money from their existance (i.e. you exploit workers).
3. You are a rock (I think this one is pretty self-explanatory).

My guess is 2 or 3.
  • 2 0
 No soup for you! Fu&k you! Strike!
  • 8 2
 @sharpiemtb: my union is great and I couldn't afford life without it
  • 3 2
 @MikeGruhler: Then they should ask their sponsors to pay for it. If they don’t want to pay then don’t go.
  • 146 35
 Double the prize money for the first women's event!
  • 35 81
flag luckynugget (Mar 22, 2024 at 20:04) (Below Threshold)
 million dollar strait airs while the guys double flip and switch cork 7 for nothing! We can all pat ourselves on the back for being great allies if more of the dudes crash and permanently disable themselves
  • 15 57
flag thelastrun (Mar 22, 2024 at 20:10) (Below Threshold)
 That has to be a joke double for what t bogs some suci’s and maybe a flip. Please
  • 4 5
 Yeeeees.
  • 19 3
 @luckynugget: but the guys won’t be double flipping anything now, will they?
  • 7 2
 I can certainly understand the guys decision in this situation. It's a blow for Crankworks though - the men's slopestyle is one of the top shows.
  • 2 2
 Do that and the boys will want theirs doubled as well. Is it a coincidence that the girls are all getting an attendance fee here and now the boys want the same?
  • 10 3
 @trillot: Where does it state that female riders are getting something the males are not? It would appear to me that the female riders have had it a worse than the males for some time now. The timing of this action from the male riders has overshadowed their moment.
  • 10 1
 @luckydan: The women have had it worse/ not at all, which is likely why the organizers probably went out of their way to do something nice for them. It's just a shame they didn't consider the needs and requests of the men at the same time when they have been asking for similar things for years. It does not state that publicly, but the women were given those things. This is directly from people invited to ride in the event, and insiders.
  • 3 3
 @leon-forfar: OK, so rumour.
  • 4 1
 @luckydan: ... directly from people in the slopestyle event.
  • 3 0
 @leon-forfar: Sorry, I wasn't trying to be a d***. It just seems that there are some underlying motives running through comments from others on here trying to make out as though the women have it better than the men or are undeserving of support. I expect we agree that it would be best if a good solution could be negotiated that makes things sustainable for all athletes and organisers.
  • 3 3
 Damb right. The women are strike breakers!
  • 2 8
flag smith888 FL (Mar 24, 2024 at 2:08) (Below Threshold)
 @luckydan: yes, because they’re not as good! You’re hilarious! Someone who is 5/10 at something should be paid the same as someone who is 10/10 at that same thing because one of them has a protected characteristic
  • 1 3
 @luckydan: I think the key word is 'sustainable'. It is great to see more females competing in mtb competitions but the growth should be as organic and natural as possible IMO. That way female participation will be a permanent long-term (and sustainable) thing. If the participation is created artificially (through positive discrimination), then it is likely to be short-lived and potentially damaging to the sport overall which will be a disservice to both male and female riders.
  • 1 0
 I'd say with 100% certainty that the men would all support that...
  • 72 8
 Going to be interesting to see how this plays out... The riders knew the payouts before they signed up. They got an increase and kept pushing for more. They are the big draw and they know it. But, if you push too far, you might lose everything. I wonder if the current state of the industry affected things a bit.. I bet some riders may have had to take a pay cut and now they are hoping to make it up from event organizers...
  • 51 3
 They will certainly be getting a pay cut from their sponsors if they stop competing.
  • 44 0
 Seems like part of the problem is maybe that it's the same few guys in the top spots at most of these events. So when all the pay is based on results, the guys that aren't consistently in the top tier aren't taking home much money. But those guys are still necessary for the comp to be legitimate, and they're still incurring a lot of expense by traveling and competing. I can understand the desire for an appearance fee for these bigger events that generally require international travel.
  • 24 2
 Keep in mind you're reading the event's side of the story, not the riders...
  • 9 1
 @toast2266: I think another part of the problem is that I don't think there is a ton of revenue coming in.. Redbull broadcasts the event at no charge to us the viewers.. In the NBA, MLB, and other professional sports TV revenue gets shared amongst teams in the league. It would be interesting to see a P&L from the Crankworks crew on an event like this..
  • 3 1
 So, without knowing the financials, what if this makes Darren and crew decide it's not going to be viable? Does Crankworx and FMB tour possibly go away? Does Redbull take over?
  • 11 5
 @luckynugget: the riders side of the story is there, it just lacks substance. Their statement didn’t give any details of what their requests are. I would actually l really like to hear more from them to get both sides of the story (why they rejected a 37% increase in prize money at a time when the sport is not doing well)
  • 5 4
 @toast2266: That’s in many sports. You work to get sponsors until you get results. I used to race Hare Scrambles and you’d have to foot the bill until you proved that a sponsor could use you.
It’s even easier now if you have an online presence.
  • 8 3
 @manybrouce: in the statement made by Darren in which he read the list of demands made by the riders, the riders stated that those were non-negotiable. The organizers gave them everything but the appearance fee. Usually, there are compromises in negotiations. The riders seem to have an all or nothing stance and they might end up with nothing..
  • 4 0
 @lumpy873: Seems like a complex issue. I think for Redbull, broadcasting for free is part of their marketing expense, and their business model is across so many action sports that they are involved with. Yes, they could try and charge a pay per view or add more advertisements, to offset higher payments to athletes, but they probably don't want to change the formula for one - or the other sports ask for the same (heck - see what happened here - they gave the girls an appearance fee, now the guys want it too. Me, me, me.). At the end of the day, with most competitions, the prize money isn't the big source of revenue - athletes get bonuses for placing from sponsors. That said, right now, I bet a lot of bike companies are getting tighter with that. And why not - just because X rides a Y (at slopestyle no less) does that really affect your next bike purchase? Maybe when I was 10 years old... And the guys at the tail end of the invite list - well, if you can't get a sponsor to pay, maybe you just have to stick with those events on your continent, until you can find someone to pay your way.
  • 4 1
 @trillot: I don't think Crankworx is a Redbull event like Rampage and Hardline. They just broadcast it. Watching the pump track replay as I type this and I see no Redbull signage.

Equality has been a hot topic for several years in our sport. And, if the women are getting travel, lodging, and appearance money, I don't blame the men for wanting the same.
  • 1 0
 @lumpy873: good point and thanks for the correction. But either way, Redbull must pay a big licensing fee to Crankworks to broadcast. And if prize money goes up, Crankworks probably wants to offset that somewhere - meaning charging more for broadcasting rights or...?
  • 4 1
 @trillot: Here's the problem for the organizers.. These contracts that provide the money to run these events have been signed and done well before the event. So, when the men come asking for more, (or the same as the women possibly) that money doesn't just appear. I suspect these terms apply to the whole series and not just this one event. That suddenly becomes a pretty big number. I see a lot of Sram, Maxxis, and Pinkbike banners.. Do they have more money to throw in? Is Redbull willing to throw in more money? I would guess that they have the deepest pockets of all involved...
  • 55 4
 Seems strange this wasn’t handled prior to showing up to the event?
  • 15 14
 Putting eyes on the layout of the course isn’t possible until the boys arrive in person. Weather is pretty last minute too.
  • 7 0
 Yea almost everyone had to travel 30+ hours and spend lots of time and money.
  • 8 10
 @ethanrevitch: but so did crankworx… and they can’t control the weather
  • 8 2
 @angryWaki: control the weather? This is about money.
  • 3 3
 It was. The riders changed their minds at the event
  • 1 9
flag trillot (Mar 23, 2024 at 7:55) (Below Threshold)
 "union" negotiations strategy 101.
  • 8 1
 @trillot: it's not striking if you don't hurt someone / the org with your actions bud. Striking 101
  • 49 10
 Rider made 3 extremely reasonable demands
- 32,000 fixed “turn up” bonus given to all riders + alternates
- Free accomodation (it would be very easy for crankworx to outsource this to a local buisness in exchange for publicity)
- ride before noon.
Now do you really think these are unreasonable demands?
Side note: don’t want to bash this managing director guy but I can guarantee he’s on a fat salary
  • 12 3
 Exactly what I thought. It seems reasonable and affordable.
  • 3 21
flag greenblur (Mar 23, 2024 at 8:09) (Below Threshold)
 $32,000 x 20 riders x 4 events?

That's $2.5M.

I would be very surprised if the promoter could afford that. Especially with nothing additional in return from the riders. Like are they gonna go bigger for that $2.5M?

It's a negotiation. Both sides are trying to do what's best. Hope it works out for everyone.
  • 20 1
 @greenblur: $32,000 per event, not per rider. They are asking for $2000 per rider per event.
  • 2 1
 @sickdj17: that makes more sense.
  • 6 1
 Seems simple, lower the overall podium prizes, distribute that to all riders to provide free accommodations and travel.

You can most certainly bet that many riders would take a free trip to attend one of the premiere global events. That in itself is a prize.

Downside will be that many riders might not get invited because the event doesn’t deem them worthy. Should they be able to pay to play? I wonder if that already happens - top riders get attendance remuneration, but alternates do not? The thinking being to the alternates - “you don’t have to attend.”

I wonder what the total prize money looked like? Could the winners just have agreed to distribute those funds among fellow riders? Split the pot, so to speak?
  • 3 0
 @PHeller: Splitting the prize money would make the situation even worse as that is the whole incentive to compete against each other to begin with...
A reasonable compromise would be to have a minimum payout, that the Alternates also receive, that covers costs to attend the event, as Alternates are also important to have a full rider list if a couple athletes are unable to compete. But that payout would start from the first rider not winning that amount in prize money. Rather than the people on the podium also getting an extra payout. It would cost Crankworx less money (If they are so hard done by that they aren't making significant profits throughout the year..) and would be a better solution than being dead stubborn and the sport fading away completely. Some parts of this do need to be somewhat open to negotiation...

Also, they don't just throw invites out to the handful of riders they like. These athletes have to work their way up the ranks by doing all lower level FMB events to earn enough points to make it onto the Diamond (Crankworx) series. It is the highest level of Slopestyle competition and it shouldn't cost the riders in that top 16 to attend the events they're exclusively invited to, after they've spent the past 5+ years fighting their way to that level.
  • 2 0
 @Joyrode: doing away with the slopestyle triple crown prize would cover the appearance fee for 1 of the 4 events. Only Emil is winning that anyway and I doubt he is hurting for cash.
  • 4 5
 Then why did they sign up to compete if they didn’t like the deal on offer.
  • 12 5
 You want to negotiate that at invite time. That's great.

You want to demand that at the last minute in the middle of the event? Nope. That's not how any business deal is done. These guys have shown they can't be trusted and have burnt the event, their sponsors and their fans.
  • 4 5
 @PHeller: So participation money in addition to a participation trophy? Why don't they just all get paid the same, call it a show instead of a race, and manage the story line like fake wrestling.

Easy. And no one gets hurt. Sounds like a win for everyone involved.
  • 11 3
 The demands may not be unreasonable. The way they made them was. I don’t expect a slopestyle rider to be the sharpest tool in the shed, but that was impressively naive. Going down there (already incurring all the travel cost they now talk about, showing the world they can obviously afford those, even if there is to be no price money at all in the end), then making three separate demands and requesting those be fulfilled within three days. Do they actually think any of the corporate sponsors will free additional marketing budget within that kind of timeframe? Or that the local organization in Rotorua just has that money lying around?
  • 2 0
 @FuzzyL: more difficult to organize across the globe with everyone’s different schedules and some riders being harder to contact and communicate with.

Get everybody in a room together or around a campfire and suddenly the complaints and consensus starts to freely flow.
  • 42 2
 I know it’s not the point but, the correct word is remuneration.. and on that, pay them.
  • 2 2
 Thank you
  • 9 0
 Maybe the riders just wanted to count a bunch of stuff?
  • 8 0
 Thank you for allowing me to not be the guy
  • 3 0
 @warmerdamj: Gotta be good at math to count how many barspins and tailwhips they do now.
  • 54 17
 Not sure how I feel about this. Riders are the reasons the event exists (and the only reason I bought tickets), but at the same time DH and XC competitors would never expect an appearance fee. Feels really entitled.
  • 21 3
 Pro riders should get start money. It’s pretty common for cross riders, though most of it goes to top guys like WVa and MvDP
  • 42 3
 I mean, they have to operate essentially private bike parks to train. They aren’t really on a salaried factory race team like DH/WC. They probably have some of the highest personal costs to operate, and arguably have the biggest content reach of the mountain bike scene.

My dad isn’t sending me random videos of dh racing, but I’m getting 2015 cwx highlights.
  • 4 13
flag bgracewood (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:32) (Below Threshold)
 @xciscool: interesting. I was trying tot think of examples where pros get appearance fees (as opposed to sponsor and team payments). Not many examples out there. UFC?
  • 12 1
 @bgracewood: football, tennis, golf, heck, rugby…
  • 13 6
 @bonfire: playing devil's advocate here... How important actually is it to the companies sponsoring the riders if content is reaching random people who will never buy their products? The links that get sent around my riding buddies (who definitely will spend their money on bike kit) is almost never related to this FMB mtb type content.
  • 5 3
 @Joebohobo: they’re all paid by sponsors and TV money. The FÍA doesn’t pay F1 drivers and FIFA doesn’t pay football players.
  • 5 0
 Even triathlon has a league now where they are paying athletes to be a part of it to show up to every race in that particular series
  • 6 1
 Hardline riders get an appearance fee
  • 1 4
 @Joebohobo: yeah but not world champs which they are saying this event is
  • 1 0
 @bgracewood: actaully mostly they are paid by the clubs. Clubs may raise revenue through sponsors and players might have individual sponsors deals but the club foots the wage.
  • 6 1
 Entitled to ask for it to not cost them their own money to turn up to an event. Wtf is entitled about that.
  • 1 2
 @xciscool: Spectators pay money to watch cyclocross races and people pay to watch them streaming. When VDP or WVA show up they get a lot more paying spectators. I've been to CX races in Europe where there are 20,000+ spectators paying over $20USD to watch. I don't think Crankworx charges general admission. I think you can pay for VIP access but I doubt that comes close to the revenue a big cyclocross races gets in Europe.
  • 5 0
 @jonemyers: Crankworx charges spectators at every event other than Whistler and it's far from cheap. $100 for a 3-day children's spectator pass at the Cairns stop.
  • 6 0
 @jonemyers: Crankworx Rotorua is not free like Whistler. They charge 37.5$ per day ticket or 80$ for the weekend to spectate any of the live events. VIP-tickets are 130$ per event on top of that. As for the Whistler event ( but assume Rotorua is the same), brands have to pay top dollar just to have a little 10x10 tent in the village. For every little activation they do outside of that, you'll have to pay extra.
  • 1 0
 @EggsandApps: Thanks for the clarification. I was only aware of the Whistler fees. Any guesses on attendance and gross ticket sales?
  • 1 0
 @jonemyers: Whistler stop was apparently 300,000 attendance over 10 days. Not sure if they publish attendance from the other stops.
  • 1 0
 @jonemyers: Rotorua is a ghost town this year. You’d be lucky if there were a couple of thousand people here.
  • 1 0
 @bgracewood: I reckon Cairns would be lucky if it cracked a few thousand attendance on slopestyle day. Venue is relatively out in the boonies and pricing is steep enough to deter casuals.
  • 44 15
 Redbull youtube moderator blocked me for sharing this news on the Slalom live feed. Super lame redbull. Pay them boys what they are owed. Crankworx as an event was built on the backbone of slopestyle in the Boneyard.
  • 8 1
 the idiots in the chat think this is fake lol
  • 23 34
flag angryWaki FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:39) (Below Threshold)
 Getting to travel the world riding bikes?

I pay to do that.

These guys get paid.

Give girls the guys pay this weekend!
  • 29 2
 @angryWaki: Yeah but you probably s*ck on a bike just as pretty much everyone here.
You don't have to accept everything because "it can be worse".
  • 6 30
flag angryWaki FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 19:08) (Below Threshold)
 @Padded: I mean you don’t have any pics, but can you do a frontie? If not don’t hassle me about my opinion based on riding ability
  • 5 6
 They aren’t owed anything. They chose to compete on the trend offered and now decided they don’t like them. If they don’t like the deal then why sign up
  • 32 5
 Folks,
I’m sure Darren and the Crankworx team would reach deeper into their pockets if there was a big pot of gold.
Organisers are feeling the pinch with the current state of the industry, sponsorship revenue is down big time.

Si Paton
GT Bicycles Malverns Classic Festival
  • 2 11
flag nvranka (Mar 23, 2024 at 9:26) (Below Threshold)
 Sadly that is dripping in naïveté
  • 10 4
 @nvranka: no it’s not. It’s reality. If I was an event organiser then stunts like this would go into the good reasons for not organising events. Everyone complains that there aren’t enough events and then these riders promptly sabotage the event organisers
  • 4 0
 @nvranka: assuming you don't know who Si or or the festival he puts on (which way back in the day was perhaps the biggest thing in the UK year on year) - he'll be very much aware of what costs are involved in a big event...
  • 64 37
 This is kinda a lame thing to do in the middle of a historical moment for the women of the sport. Let’s just rally and put on a good show and not take anything away from the moment.
  • 21 16
 Agree. I'm all for what they are asking for, but the timing is . . . poor. Pretty disappointed.
  • 21 29
flag luckynugget (Mar 22, 2024 at 20:17) (Below Threshold)
 yes they should risk their lives for nothing so an event can make money and the girls can make more doing strait airs.
  • 33 3
 How does this take away from anything the women are doing? If anything it'll put even more attention on the womens comp. All eyes on women's slopestyle in Rotorua is a good thing IMO
  • 6 6
 @luckynugget: it's their own choice to risk their lives, and they did it before big events and sponsoring happened. Giving more money incentives more risk and at least I hate seeing the dudes (and girls) take big slams. And the girls not doing the same huge tricks is a totally different topic, the sport doesn't start at cwx but at local skateparks, that's where inclusion has to begin.
  • 6 5
 @cyclocrossmonkey: I’m 100% in support of what they are asking for. The timing is just a bit poor and from my perspective it takes more attention away from women’s slope style and even more attention on the men. But hopefully it’ll all work out for the betterment of both women and men competitors
  • 2 1
 I think pulling the women into a strike at the first women’s slopestyle event would be a pretty big bummer, sucking more momentum off of women’s freeride/slopestyle. This way there's still something awesome to be excited about as negotiations happen on the side, and if anything the added publicity and lack of men's slopestyle will bring more viewers out for the women. I suspect that they've waited till this moment to make a statement specifically in order to give the women a bigger spotlight, too; the pro slopestyle community is pretty small and seems to be tight-knit, so I can’t imagine there wasn’t a conversation with the women about how this would go down.
  • 6 1
 Sounds like this was great timing, then, since you’re talking about it.
  • 34 11
 could you imagine spending money to fly to and compete in one of these events only to end up horribly injuring yourself. While personally financing your recovery redbull gets to enjoy the profits from from monetizing footage of you sustaining life changing injuries.
  • 13 12
 Redbull actually helps a lot of athletes with recovery. New Zealand feee healthcare would too
  • 10 10
 Redbull sets the terms and these riders show up, it’s not like there tricked they can go start there own event if they want to
  • 8 0
 I could totally imagine taking a trip to whistler and winding up on Friday fails if that’s what you mean.
  • 2 3
 That what insurance is for. Similar to the freeride world tour (from the top to qualifying) or privateer dh racing, you assume the risk, insure yourself.
  • 6 1
 @shuttlebuddy123: Sounds like the riders dont like the terms so they arent showing up.
  • 3 6
 If your spending your own money to get there then you are not a professional athlete.
  • 2 3
 @theredbike: then why didn’t they sort it out never incurring the cost of being there if they are that short of money
  • 3 0
 @chrismac70: why would they all refuse to ride if their needs are being met
  • 27 6
 Stoked to see this kind of solidarity among the riders and even more stoked for all the kids who idolize these guys to learn what collective bargaining is all about and at the end of the day valuing yourself as a worker and human being.
  • 65 47
 To do this the day before the event stinks. Holding the organizers to ransom and joe public missing out on seeing the riders compete sucks. Surely they all knew the deal before they got here. The riders all deserve to be compensated but make sure that's sorted before you agree to ride.
  • 88 25
 This didn't come out of the blue for the riders. They waited until they had leverage. As they should. And they have stood their ground, as they should.
  • 22 39
flag loudvq (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:13) (Below Threshold)
 @dadof4: that’s bullshit, it just goes to show how immature the situation is. Pretty sure there is also a legal term for staging something like this. Let’s see how it plays out
  • 23 10
 @dadof4: you're telling me the top 20 whatever slope riders couldn't have communicated with each other 3 months ago and agreed not to compete unless they got an appearance fee? It's not like CWX can just call up a bunch of unknowns or 2nd tier riders to come compete without anyone asking questions.
  • 12 21
flag angryWaki FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:45) (Below Threshold)
 @dadof4: the women’s event being sabotaged shouldn’t be used as leverage.
  • 14 5
 @angryWaki: hopefully this brings more focus onto the womens event.
  • 25 16
 @dadof4: So instead of negotiating ahead of time and having events run smoothly, all athletes should show up at an event and demand to renegotiate payment or go on strike? Imagine if that happened in every sport once the playoffs arrived, when athletes have the most "leverage". Fans would lose respect quickly.
I never really respected slopestyle in the first place and now it's in the permanent shitter for me .
  • 4 1
 @hohmskullkrishten: have we not learned anything over the decades of sport controversy?

You don’t know shit about the situation, now just sit there and look pretty while it unfolds.
  • 3 1
 @thebradjohns: This has been ongoing for years, but so far they have been ignored, hence the drastic measure. It shouldn't have gotten to this point, but it is for the best long term.

I do think crankworx could easily pull in alternates with enough notice as "the show must go on" and plenty of young guns would be frothing to skip the line and get into Crankworx. Their (quite reasonable) demands will only become a reality through bold moves like this. Playing nicely clearly hasn't worked, and I can only commend them for actually having the balls to take a stand.
  • 3 4
 @loudvq: agreed. I wonder how many could now face breach of contract cases with either the organisers or sponsors. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you
  • 3 3
 @samanual: Strong comeback sweaty sock porridge jock.
  • 21 3
 As many have said it’s a slippery slope. What if CWX pushes back says fine all slope style events are cancelled this year and we’ll put the prize money into dh to attract more WC riders. Not much left for slope riders when what is their biggest exposure events goes away.
  • 70 53
 Not only is this a bad example of sportsmanship but also a clear example of the downward trend of the Industry.
Racers for many years have paid hundreds and thousands to race with zero pay or prize money.

To screw over the event and people who attended is the most selfish thing to do. At least make a stand and statement but don’t let it impact the lives of others.

Appearance fees are part of sponsorship deals, not event management unless it is a celebrity event.
Take some responsibility. Yes they put it on the line, that’s your job and decision in life.
If winning a prize is on the lines maybe have a good look at the format and judges. Same winner for the last few years is a load of garbage, last year’s whistler event was probably the least entertaining in many years.


Do better, if there’s an issue don’t make the spectators pay, this will be very hard to come back from.
  • 11 19
flag angryWaki FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:43) (Below Threshold)
 Agreed!
  • 19 25
flag DownhillDaniel20 FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 18:08) (Below Threshold)
 Easy for you to say, you don’t put it all on the line for a job
  • 19 13
 @DownhillDaniel20: it is very easy to say. Given 20+ years racing and a spectator having to pay out of pocket for zero money and risking injury.

If it is your job then MAYBE… that is something that should be accounted for when signing deals and contracts. Maybe.

Point is, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
  • 11 10
 How would you feel if your employer wasn’t paying you to turn up to work?

Would you continue being a good employee and keep turning up? After all it would be wrong to screw over your clients and customers.
  • 13 6
 @LukeDaws: Aren't their sponsors the employer in this case?

This is an event with prize money that's providing a course and venue, show up if you want to.
  • 10 6
 This is actually the definition of great sportsmanship. If the riders don't feel everyone is safe and fairly compensated, then nobody rides. Really impressive organization.
  • 3 3
 @mtbikesince87: exactly. The event is a part of the job their sponsors are 90% responsible to ensure they are equipped to attend.

@lukeDaws if you think that the event is the one that should take the heat for this then we need to end all mtb events and to run them pay each person to attend
Your comment has no logic
  • 7 0
 The paying customers buy the event tickets from Crankworxs, not the riders. The majority of the competitors do not see any of that money.

Do you know how many of these riders have any meaningful sponsorship money? How many are scraping together money from a job that they are trying to hold down while trying to train, pay for gas, vehicle, food and rent, and still have such a desire to be in the sport that they pay for their own airline tickets and expenses to get to the event and put a show on for the fans? Most of the competitors pay significantly more, out of their own pockets, to come to these events than they could ever hope of recouping - therefore they are paying so that you can watch them. These riders show up to the competition out of love for the sport, love of the friends and for anyone who enjoys watching.

When they get hurt, break a bone (or two or three) in a competition (where the fans have paid the organizers), they can’t work a job or even get around very well. Think about how a concussion or breaking an arm or a leg impacts being able to hold down a job. They have to do weeks, months or even a year to get back….. that’s on them and it’s out of their pocket. Neither the organizers, nor the spectators are paying their rehab bills, rent, or food during that time. Many riders have been in this position more than a few times.

So if you can find a way to understand that this move from the riders to stand their ground is not done without thought and hope of a better situation for those who struggle to get you ‘your’ show, and not intentionally let you down because they love it so much. They want a situation where they can keep riding, pay their bills and expenses and have some left over to take care of any recovery so you can have a great time.
  • 6 6
 @revolver26: Yeah, athletes get hurt in all kinds of sports and have to take time off work to recover. It's not exclusive to mountain biking or slopestyle. Road cyclists get in crashes and have to recover/rehab. Weightlifters and power lifters blow knees and elbows and backs and have to recover/rehab. Gymnasts get injured and have to recover/rehab. Skiers and snowboarders in all disciplines get injured and have to recover/rehab.

In every single sport, there are athletes at the top who likely have better support from their sponsors, but there are also those who don't and struggle to find a balance between regular life and pursuing their dream. It's not a unique problem and it's not a new problem.

Regardless of what we think here on PB, slopestyle is an incredibly niche sport with really limited opportunities to grow. Niche sports don't have the same budget as mainstream sports.
  • 7 1
 @jsnfschr: way to miss the point and run with it.
My reply was to someone saying that the athletes here’s are being selfish. In no sane world can I see how paying out of your own pocket and taking a financial loss to compete in an event, and put on a show that is seen around the world by millions, is selfish.
Let me ask this: do you think the organizers are paying for their own travel out of their pockets, or is that from event sponsors money?
  • 2 6
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 14:24) (Below Threshold)
 @DownhillDaniel20: if they are self funding then they aren’t going it for a job.
  • 2 6
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 14:25) (Below Threshold)
 @LukeDaws: their employer is paying them. They aren’t employed by event organisers
  • 2 7
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 14:27) (Below Threshold)
 @loudvq: in that case they will have broken their terms of employment by not completing
  • 4 7
 @revolver26: if they are working to fund this then by definition they are not professional athletes. They are talented hobbyists who do it for fun. Professional athletes make their living from the sport
  • 6 2
 @chrismac70: How do you not see that this is the exact reason they're asking for more compensation to make it to these events? This is the elite level they have to work insanely hard to reach, a number of the riders make a living doing it, but the guys that have just cracked they're way into it are struggling for enough support to even get travel budget to get to the event.
Once they've shown their potential in the big show then the paying sponsors may start coming...
  • 9 3
 @revolver26: I'm not trying to say the athletes are being selfish. I'm sympathetic to to the position they're in. I wouldn't be mad at increasing the prize money, but absolutely do not believe it's the organizers responsibility to pay for travel and accommodations for athletes who are competing.

I'm sure the organizers have travel and accommodations included in their fee for organizing, but they are hired by Crankworx to organize and INVITE athletes to participate in their competition. The athletes are not employed by Crankworx and no one is forcing athletes to attend.

How many professional privateer enduro, dh and xc riders are out there that work all off season so they can race around the world during the competition season, but never get a factory ride during their careers? They're paying out of pocket for travel and accommodations. Same with skiers and snowboarders (racing/slope/pipe/etc). What makes mtb slope any different?

The fact of the matter, there are some professions that are nearly impossible to break into, be successful and make money. This is one of them.
  • 20 1
 “Boys you need to ride your bikes to support the girls!” No, no they do not. Girls can ride. And they don’t need boys to ride their bikes to show their support.
  • 5 16
flag nvranka (Mar 23, 2024 at 9:28) (Below Threshold)
 I mean, yeah, they can ride…just not super well
  • 11 2
 @nvranka: honestly who cares?

Slopestyle is more about creativity now than it is outright skill. I don’t need to see quad backflips and 1020 bars pins. If women can do the amazing stuff we see in gymnastics and figure skating, slopestyle will be easy. Don’t very often see dudes doing splits while handstanding on fixies, do we?

Also remember that 20 years ago the state of slopestyle was pretty weak, and I bet there are many women who can throw moves far better than men of that era.

I’m more interested to watch the women’s event with my daughters than I was the men’s event.
  • 3 16
flag nvranka (Mar 23, 2024 at 10:13) (Below Threshold)
 @PHeller: slopestyle is certainly not more about creativity lol.

And you being more interested to watch women with your daughters is no surprise, not sure why you wanted to share that but thanks?
  • 11 2
 @nvranka: what a lame take. I would bet money they’re better than you…
  • 1 2
 @seanfeezy: lol good thing you don’t have much to bet.
  • 16 1
 Seen this so many times in the entertainment industry. Somebody will be making a pile of cash out of the event and travelling business class everywhere, but it won't the poor bastards risking their necks. I wouldn't get out of bed for €2000 any more and I just sit behind a computer designing shows, there's nothing unreasonable about this demand from the riders. Classic brinkmanship from the organisers and promoters, let people show up and then chance it that they will perform so that "nobody looses" and the show goes on. Well they've had their bluff called. f*ck em.
  • 4 5
 And it’s the riders who have lost out. Who will take the financial risk of organising future events if riders pull out at the last minute. Who is going to buy tickets knowing that the riders might walk away at the last minute.
  • 23 10
 I can't believe what I've read in this comment election. Thought pinkbike was better than this but most of you are just moaning they're not riding and complaining they've let the fans down. Such a selfish outlook. Also seems most of you haven't read they're statement. All they want is it to be cost affective to turn up. Which it clearly isnt. Think that's fair enough.
  • 5 10
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 14:30) (Below Threshold)
 If it’s not cost effective then they can’t be professional athletes. The definition of professional is to earn your living from the sport
  • 8 1
 @chrismac70: That is not the definition of professional. Please show me which dictionary provided you with this definition.

Here's what I found;

-relating to or belonging to a profession
-engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime
-worthy of or appropriate to a professional person; competent, skillful, or assured.
-a person engaged or qualified in a profession
-a person engaged in a specified activity, especially a sport or branch of the performing arts, as a main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.
-a person competent or skilled in a particular activity

Doesn't sound anything like the made up stuff you keep pushing. And look, there's more than one definition! There are many professional athletes that work another job to make ends meet, doesn't mean they aren't pro's.
  • 1 3
 @gnarnaimo: to quote your own comment “ engaged in a specified activity as one's main paid occupation rather than as a pastime”. If they aren’t earning a living from it then they don’t meet this definition
  • 3 0
 @chrismac70: Where does it say this is their only source of income to live? Just because you have one main source of income, doesn't mean you don't have another. Also, that's one of 6 possible definitions of professional. Your definition of professional is just wrong. Give it up.
  • 3 0
 @chrismac70: It's so funny how invested you are in this, pasting the same reply to 600+ comments haha. It's been days bro, you need to go outside.
  • 20 5
 This kind of thing in all sports is wearing me out. Time to just get back to riding with friends and ignore the bullshit.
  • 22 8
 The least they can do is pay for the plane ticket, accommodations, and food for the riders that compete.
  • 8 17
flag mcrider5 (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:24) (Below Threshold)
 Pretty sure they already do this or the team/sponsors do and not the athletes.
  • 3 18
flag angryWaki FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:46) (Below Threshold)
 They already do this
  • 23 1
 @mcrider5: they don’t do this. That’s one of their specific demands. Gotta keep in mind these riders are independent contractors. They run themselves as a business. They bring dollars in from sponsors and pay out for costs for their season, whatever is left at the end of the year is what they keep.

I’m a field mechanic, their current setup would be like me travelling to sites all over the place and not charging the client for my travel/accommodation costs.

Sponsors might cover particular events for some riders, but lots don’t get that sort of support. It’s up to them to maximize the dollars they get to get the return they want.
  • 3 8
flag mcrider5 (Mar 23, 2024 at 7:07) (Below Threshold)
 @bonfire: charge it back to their sponsors or employers. Crankworx is the show not who is hiring them. I know whistler provides 100s of room nights and top ranked are looked after, along with a silly athlete zone at the top of course with all the bells and whistles
  • 11 0
 @mcrider5: Some of these guys barely have sponsors to speak of. Some of them have to buy their own frames out of their own pockets
  • 4 8
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 14:35) (Below Threshold)
 @bonfire: then they aren’t professional athletes. If you’re not making your living from the sport. Or you can’t attract enough sponsorship to fund the season then you are talented amateur and not a professional
  • 4 6
 @gnarnaimo: Then they aren’t professional athletes and can’t offer value for money to sponsors
  • 8 0
 @chrismac70: have you ever had a paid sponsorship In the bike industry? This isn't like applying at mcdonalds.
  • 2 6
flag Dougal-SC (Mar 23, 2024 at 16:25) (Below Threshold)
 @Bobbobersonjr: As a result you'd expect the riders to respect it right? Now they've burned sponsors, fans and event organisers.
  • 4 1
 @chrismac70: They are the new up and comers of the sport. Exposure on events like this is a good way to showcase their value towards sponsors. Even still it doesn't always happen like that. Take Diego Caverzasi, was competing in FMB Gold events for years, getting on the podium, and has been a threat for a long time, and was just recently picked up by Giant. Before that he went a very long time without a frame sponsor. Guess he's not a professional athlete, though, huh?
  • 1 7
flag Dougal-SC (Mar 23, 2024 at 16:45) (Below Threshold)
 @gnarnaimo: They don't get to show-case anything now because they're flying home without riding.

I'd expect these riders already have signed agreements with Crankworx. They've broken those, they've probably broken sponsor agreements and burnt the fans. The opposite of professional.
  • 6 2
 @Dougal-SC: If you were paying attention you would know some of these up and comers weren't even able to make it out despite being invited (to an FMB Gold series event) because they can't afford it. If they were invited to an event like this, you better believe they are worthy of being showcased. The big dogs could have run the event but decided to stand together in solidarity for the next generation of athletes. I think this looks very good on the athletes as a whole.
  • 3 9
flag Dougal-SC (Mar 23, 2024 at 17:12) (Below Threshold)
 @gnarnaimo: to be successful requires then to be talented riders, understand business negotiation and be able to market themselves.

Those up and coming riders need to learn that to succeed and not all will. This is life and it's brutal.

The ones who put an ultimatum to the organisers in the middle of an event have shown they don't understand business or trust. They have seriously damaged their careers.
  • 7 1
 @Dougal-SC: When do you propose the riders take their stand? When there is nothing to leverage? This is exactly how strikes work, strike when there is work for leverage.

Lol..seriously damaged their careers. These guys are literally the sport.
  • 5 7
 @gnarnaimo: At invite time.

I have only heard of one of those riders. It's a niche that isn't that relevant.
  • 2 3
 @gnarnaimo: then they need to learn about running their sponsorship programmes and selling deals. There's hundreds of free videos and resources out there.
  • 1 2
 @Bobbobersonjr: no but I have been sponsored in other minority sports
  • 34 21
 So the first event women have a chance to prove themselves and the men decide they aren't getting enough support? Just making sure I'm hearing this right...
  • 6 12
flag paul-norman (Mar 22, 2024 at 19:25) (Below Threshold)
 Seems strange that they have been offered 37% more than last year and that’s not enough for them
  • 21 10
 While I support the efforts of almost anyone doing labor to earn more of their fair share, I am disappointed that this is happening during the premier of the women's slopestyle event. It overshadows what was an exciting moment for their field, and I'm sure they would stand in solidarity with the male riders on pay if it wasn't their prime time opportunity to launch their field. Puts them in a bad position and it's kind of a bummer that this is happening at the same time. Stealing their thunder a bit.
  • 18 6
 Secure the bag lads. This is the way to apply pressure. These guys (and girls) are risking permanent injury for next to nothing.

This will ultimately benefit the women as well.
  • 16 5
 Big respect for the riders to stick together and for Nicholi to represent them and stand for their position. It must not have been an easy decision to take, especially as they depend on the visibility that the event itself gives them and they already paid lots of money to get there. If you want to change things, sometimes you have to cause organizations some troubles. It will be for the best
  • 10 0
 The riders had a very public meeting this morning and they didn’t look happy. Tempted to listen in but decided to respect their privacy. I thought the issue might have been weather because it’s raining today. It will clear though and Rotorua dirt dries very quickly. The riders had been practising all week and pulling out some new stuff.
  • 9 1
 I am part of a cyclocross race promotion group in the US. We are one of the larger series based on participation. The last 2 years have seen a dramatic drop in sponsorship from the bike industry with regards to both cash and product. Costs have gone up dramatically. Labor for course setup, staff, portable toilets, rental of equipment, and everything else for putting on an event costs a lot more. Larger events like this are surely seeing the same thing. At some point the money just is not there and events go away.
  • 4 1
 Spot on, event organizers are already stretched super thin with all of the actual labor/costs it takes to put these festivals on as you mentioned. Perhaps it's time to dial slope back to a more sustainable event as a whole and not just limited to the riders wanting more of the pie.
  • 39 32
 I am not sure it is a good look to complain about money at the same time Women are invited to compete for the first time ever. They certainly appear to be scrambling for a bigger slice when the pie has grown. Not that I do not believe in athlete empowerment, but the timing is suspect.
  • 7 18
flag angryWaki FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:42) (Below Threshold)
 The pie has shrunk this year. A lot of respect for the pro guys has also been lost.
  • 5 1
 @angryWaki: did you read the press release? They said prizes were up 10%.
  • 14 16
 @zanda23: the “pie” being the whole bike industry my dude.

Sponsors aren’t paying as bikes aren’t selling.

Hard to expect to event organisers to pick up the slack.

One of the pro riders was overheard saying “I actually lost money at x crankwork last year even though I podiumed.”

Bloke also drank/partied himself to oblivion. Maybe organise a beer tab with your sponsor bro!
  • 10 2
 You think its fair that every girl competing gets paid for competing? Last place in the girls gets paid. The boys dont get that....
  • 5 2
 @mitch1616: @mitch1616: Although I agree with the riders plight for appearance fees similar to musicians/other sports, I feel this is narrow minded. It's based on the fact of how many people are competing (with crankworx being equal pay) so by your logic I would argue if I were an event organiser that your preferred option is just invite less men to compete and have equal competition numbers therefor all the men get paid also.

But then I imagine there would be uproar about the lack of opportunity for privateers to step in. So it's kind of a double edged sword. (See the UCI and Discovery's want to professionalise the sport last year and the privateer outrage).
  • 3 4
 @dubbin1991: nah, I say scrap the ladies class and the men's class, and just have one Open class. take the double equal payments to make it pay to last place, that way if you ride the show you get paid. Increase the rider count to 24 like the old day and have the 24 best athletes in the world are invited. everything is equal then!

Did i just solve all the issues?
  • 7 3
 @mitch1616: Thats the world we are living in, and like it or not, which battle again are these riders fighting for?

Thats also basic supply and demand economics. The event organizers and sponsors want female riders on bikes, they are rare, and this they are supported. The males are about to find out how competitive their demographic is to be a male and ride bikes and want to do it as a career.
  • 3 4
 @mitch1616: Socialism and collectivism solves nothing. But by all means take the top 3 elite, and tell them they are laying all on the line for a socially redistributed model and thus will receive less of what was on offer, and while at it, take their individual sponsorships and brand and media and followers, and do same across names never even heard from.
  • 3 3
 @angryWaki: of going to an event with the support of sponsors leaves you out of pocket then you clearly aren’t worth much to your sponsors
  • 11 4
 Bold move. I doubt it works out for them. But I don't much care.... this is the free market working. They'll either get the bag or they'll regret ever biting the hand that feeds (doesn't feed?) them.

Separately, I think their chosen specialty is kinda silly to expect to be a big financial opportunity. Cool stuff that's fun to do usually doesn't offer a career path. Demanding that it should is kind of like yelling at the clouds.
  • 11 3
 Good for the riders. Risking life and limb deserves adequate pay. These guys live for this shit, have it so they can make a living doing it.
  • 7 6
 Not really. They have a market value just like any other profession. If you don’t like the deal do something else
  • 8 2
 Red Bull has a long history of providing events and event coverage completely free. Be that years of World Cup DH and XC racing, or Crankworx festivals. Attendance at Crankworx is also free (at least for Whistler), but it’s obvious the main event is Slopestyle. Therefore, I personally, I would be willing to pay a $5 entrance fee to attend the Slopestyle event with proceeds going toward an appearance fee for riders. If we don’t support up and coming riders, the field will inevitably shrink and in a few years, so too will the sport.
  • 18 0
 Crankworx is not free in NZ, $90 for a three day pass. It’s an issue if the premier event is cancelled.
  • 2 0
 @SimonNZ: I was wondering this, there may be some kick back maybe?
  • 6 0
 @SimonNZ: It costs £100 per car to park at Hardline in Wales.

Not saying that offsets the cost of putting the events on, nor would the Crankworx ticket price, but to the original poster's point, if Red Bull weren't getting a return on their investment in events like this they would already have ditched them.
  • 10 4
 Without knowing the dollars involved, its hard to determine what merit lies behind this. Going off of the execution of it alone though, they kind of look whiney. For all I know though they could be horribly underpaid - if that's the case good for them in doing this. If they're already making great money and just want rockstar treatment, go find the door. We (mostly) have that right to walk away if we don't like the terms of employment (depending on country I guess). They'll stop getting views and lose sponsorship income though if every event is a coin toss on whether they will ride.

Also I risk permanent injury for free, the argument of them doing it for pennies is somewhat weak especially when they signed their own contracts.

Hate to say it but some of these guys just might need a new career.
  • 7 4
 They have been offered 37% more than last year so it sounds like the organisers have tried to help them.

I think asking for an appearance fee when you’ve already travelled there seems a little too late. They probably should get one in the future though.
  • 6 0
 There is quite a few sports where athletes get paid appearance fees, golf for example or if you want to stick with cycling. Cyclocross! I’ve covered many races where riders have been paid to come race for the entertainment of fans, I have to say I do largely agree with the riders. A tiered system for appearance fees would make sense to ensure the big names continue to show up to events, also gives the riders some security in what is an inherently dangerous sport.
  • 8 1
 Edit - They added a video and MORE explanation. Seems like odd timing but understandable. The “demands” weren’t even unreasonable.

P.S. PinkBike, please make an edit feature on comments.
  • 7 1
 The reality is that the event organizers have created a global, festival style event that many of the slopestyle riders can no longer afford to participate in. There is no longer any meaningful sponsorship money available to many of the riders. Unless you are regularly on the podium, the riders simply can’t afford to be flying around the world. This discourages and even prohibits new talent from entering the sport. This is not a sustainable model for slopestyle. I fully support the riders actions and hope that promoters, event organizers and the industry as a whole can do better going forward.
  • 5 0
 Well unless they pull out negotiations rarely go to the smaller guys way unless he makes the bigger party feel the effect ..so yes it's between them not us, they ride and one pays, on eputs their necks on the line the other needs to provide some better protection or $ for risk to reward..
  • 11 3
 A better statement would’ve been to ride and just strait air every jump and do boring AF runs.
  • 12 1
 Username checks out.
  • 3 2
 They could have taken the extra 37% and split it amongst everyone who didn't podium
  • 11 6
 Riders having their voices heard about weather and course layout decisions are very important. Those are safety concerns and 100% affect the confidence riders will have to lay down their best runs.
  • 7 19
flag Joyrode (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:34) (Below Threshold)
 This isn't about safety, weather or course concerns here. This is about fairness in pay. It's honourable that Crankworx brought in equal prize money for women for their racing events, but when it comes to slopestyle, the level of risk the men are taking vs the brand new womens field, it isn't quite fair for the prize purse to be exactly the same. With the exception of Patricia Druwen, the level just isn't high enough to match it right now.
  • 14 6
 @Joyrode: Is it different risk though? Everyone is on the same course.
  • 9 12
 @zanda23: Tuck no handers, taboggans and backflips vs cork 7, cashrolls and double flips is quite a different risk factor.
  • 4 2
 @zanda23: but they’re not paid for the highest risk they’re paid for how well they place.

If placement in a contest is how your prize money is determined…
  • 4 0
 It' musta been really bad if the riders threw in the towel, as the spirit of 'on with the show' for the good of the fans should be a priority for the riders too.....guess we'll just have to wait to see who scrammed off with all the gold bars?
  • 6 2
 It seems to me slopestyle has evolved to the level it shouldn’t be free to watch live anymore (in-person or streaming). It might not be hockey or football, but the market is there for it, it’s time for athletes to get paid.
  • 2 0
 That would be the best way to test the real value and interest there is in what they are doing - just like in Football/Basketball etc - they are paid because people PAY to watch it.

There are not huge numbers of people paying to watch slopestyle, so it makes sense that the pay isn't high...
  • 2 0
 @m3000: exactly, give the riders a fair chance to let the market decide
  • 1 4
 That’s probably the wicked way to kill the sport
  • 5 0
 This is a real shame and i hope it can be resolved over night. However the show will go on and the ladies will put on an exciting show I'm sure. My son and I will be there to cheer them on. The men and the women.
  • 7 1
 I hope the competitors and organisers can both end up happy but I've got so little interest in the spectacle that is slopestyle that I can't feign concern beyond that.
  • 4 0
 Oh man. The events in this sport really went down the toilet fast. I guess I should have seen it coming. I say shut it all down and start from scratch. Their demands are really not that unreasonable, and these cats are super young. If they were older, they'd be asking for much more...
  • 7 3
 It’s high time these athletes every one of them are given some minimum compensation for participating at the highest levels of this sport. The slopestyle event is the big draw at Crankworx and to not even be compensated for travel expenses is insulting. These guys are striking a blow for all professional mountain bikers to make this a viable professional sport. Good on em I say! It’s about damn time! They’ve exhausted every reasonable path it seems and the Crankworx organizers and their corporate backers have essentially told them to go eat cake! How insulting to have a banquet for the corporate folks and not even invite a single rider. I have never ever been to a single major sporting event hoping to get a glimpse of a team owner sitting the the big plush box. I do hope however to be treated to some amazing performances of athletics by the players. No riders, no sport, no money for the greedy fat cats sitting in the box. Time to pay up folks! The money and the athletes all need to work together. It can’t be so one sided.
  • 3 6
 No it’s not. If they offer value for money then they will get sponsorship deals. If they can’t then they won’t
  • 6 0
 @chrismac70: there’s been several regular top 10 riders who don’t have a frame sponsor. Tom Isted podiumed, finishing fourth overall with no frame sponsor and did the worlds longest backflip on a frame he bought on eBay. Happily giant sponsored him this year.
  • 3 2
 @catweasel: That sucks. The guys riding at this level are insane, and should definitely have sponsors, but that isn't Crankworx responsibility.
  • 4 0
 @jsnfschr: not for me to say whose responsibility it is, just pointing out that potentially there isn’t enough sponsorship to support it. Maybe we see a reduced field or no slopestyle at all. Given that half of CW total viewership comes from men’s SS will they themselves survive without it?
  • 5 1
 Half of the people commenting obviously haven’t read the statement. They’re not asking for just more money in prizes there asking for each athlete to be paid to attend amongst other things. Yea some athletes already have sponsors etc but some don’t and have to pay for travel, accommodation, food etc themselves just for the chance to be seen in the spotlight but in reality they won’t win any prize money. By the sounds of it not even getting fed this time just isn’t right. We expect big high risk tricks but these guys and girls aren’t performing monkeys. If you don’t get enough practice or the weathers bad should they ride? They’ll get slated for poor tricks if the do compete and slated for not competing they can’t win in the public’s eye.
  • 2 7
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 14:46) (Below Threshold)
 If they don’t have an income from the sport that covers all costs and an income then they are not professional athletes. It is that simple
  • 5 1
 Good for them ! This will only be good for the future of the sport. After all they are the show that we all enjoy. Love how some people don't even read the whole statement and just automatically assume the position that is anti riders. Get your head out of your ass an realize that like in most cases the big company isn't looking out for their employees so something has to be said and if nothing happens as it is insinuated in the statement there have to be concequences. I hope they get the changes that they desire and we can soon watch some banger slopestyle comps again !
  • 12 7
 There is definitely $ there to pay them more. They (RedBull) just have to adjust the percentages in their budget. Striking is the best way to get the wallet to listen.
  • 4 1
 I could see this coming, not in the sense of money, but in the sense of judging. the slope style event especially seems like it has some favoritism going on, and it was not as enjoyable to watch since you could predict most of the outcomes, much like a disney movie.
  • 12 0
 it always has, you cant remove it.
Even the judges know it. biasism always will happen. its an emotional thing

FISE Montpellier 2012, It was a super wind fest event, they RE-ran qualifying at half course for. which I was PISSED about after they nearly finished first runs, and I was sitting on the top spot.... (one complete set of runs and it would have been finished and officially classified.) One lipped step down into two trick jumps. Judges award Yannick top spot with a flip bar down the step down to double truck the first into a huge flip whip on the last. I was judged 21st with what looked like the same run, but my truck and flip whip where Opposite.
Told me it was three things why, He was French, its Yannick with a red bull lid and i did it TOO well for them to know.....
Happened again that year at Hylands slopestyle. I was classified 5th, 2 points from the win off semenuk. Judges didnt know some of my stuff was oppo to regular, docking me points for repeating tricks...
  • 6 3
 Not sure how I feel about this. I get riders wanting to get fair compensation but to cancel the main event the day before is pretty slack. Surely they could have taken the 37% prize increase this round then had more discussions before the next event. Asking for a fee to show up when you are already there in person doesn't make sense and I can't imagine their personal sponsors are too stoked about missing 1/4 of the years events.
  • 7 2
 its more than that. If you look at it, every woman that showed up to ride will get paid. The boys are asking for the same. Theres also more about it thats been discussed multiple times with the FMBA and Crankworx that hasnt been addressed. Sponsors wont care in the long term. I say this from experience.
  • 19 16
 The riders think they've burned the event organisers. But they've actually burned their individual fans who've bought tickets and sponsors who pay for their lifestyle.

The industry is hurting. The world is in recession and they want appearance fees from event organisers at the last minute?
  • 2 2
 This.
  • 8 2
 I am just here to show support for the riders. I am very impressed with them standing up for a better future.
  • 3 0
 Did I miss this as a developing story or is this very sudden? I can understand some of the arguments for the riders' demands but officially announcing them on the 20th and setting an ultimatum for the 22nd seems unrealistic. At that point the organizer's budget is fixed, event ticket prices are set and I assume all the riders on site have lodging secured in some fashion. The rashness feels like an attention grab (and maybe that's necessary?) rather than a reasonable attempt to negotiate for better compensation. Was this the last straw in a long back-and-forth?
  • 3 0
 The rider statement talks about the need for more assistance in funding riders transportation to the event, and simple things like food. They also raised concerns about safety, weather and course design. Crankworx response focused only on providing a larger prize pay out. It sounds to me like they aren’t listening. Can someone tell me what I am missing here?
  • 5 1
 I love my job, but if my boss told me to fly to NZ on my own dime and told me that I “might” get paid if I do well, I’d tell him to eat a dick.

Props to the riders for doing this. It takes big balls to make a stand.
  • 4 1
 "We remain dedicated to the sport of mountain biking and to delivering events that reflect the passion, unity, and incredible talent of our global community."

As a Union steward always fighting for the little guys I can tell youno, you don't. Your not dedicated to the sport at all. You sell tickets to your organized events. Your passion is pure capitalism.
  • 5 0
 I don't go to Crankworks to watch these guys. They are just a side show as I would much rather watch DH, DS and PT. I love racing not performing.
  • 3 0
 FWIW.

There are a lot of people making comparisons with larger sports and discuss "participation fee/lodging". I on the other hand have some experience with a niche sports; 10x10 draughts as my brother has been top 15 and now at age 64 is still top 100.

Everyone will have a good laugh about this sports, as this is truly niche with little to no sponsorship and hilarious price money. But you know what the bigger tournaments often have? Lodging.

Especially for a local venue this is a very obtainable incentive by adding the local hotel to the sponsorship list in return of lodging the best players. It makes a lot of sense for a niche sports not to raise the price money, but to at least make sure there is a field by lowering that bar.

On the experts talking about how they pay their own sports: Yep. I myself am participating at my styles biggest Karate Event in Japan. I get it, I really do. It's hilarious someone like me can get a spot as i am nowhere near an international level, but I could combine it without holiday and the organization was happy to add another nationality to the list.

But it would be so much better if a true athlete of a young age got that opportunity.... but he/she isn't a middle aged manager with the disposable money to do something silly like this. And that goes for people like Alex Alanko (I am betting he's pretty much scraping on cans of beans to fund his sports)... how can a top 10 rider of his age fund his sport?

Answer: He can't which is why he pretty much disappeared from the field.

By at least offering lodging people like him can compete in the big events again...
  • 4 1
 The execs at crankworx were crazy not to just pay these guys the little pittance they were asking for to risk their lives on every run so that they can put on a lucrative event. Although the riders I am not sure were thinking too straight either asking for so little for a job that no one else on the planet can do. They should get an agent.
  • 10 8
 It sounds like the main issue was that the women got put up in swanky hotels, food budgets etc through crankworx, while the men didn’t. They also wanted to have a $2k appearance fee, mostly to cover said expenses. Crankworx didn’t want to spend the $30k, and now they don’t have a main show.
  • 19 2
 Swanky hotels? You’ve obviously never been to Rotorua
  • 2 0
 @mogs:

Funny !
  • 1 1
 @mogs: hahaha good for hooking up with the odd backpacker
  • 1 0
 @mogs: Doesn't come much swankier than Cactus Jacks.
  • 6 0
 @mogs: Haha! Well either way, if the women are getting all expenses paid, it should be extended to the men too. Crankworx has the budget to supply their staff with buffets daily, so they should be able to to cover those basic costs for the stars if their show.

The riders put out a collective statement saying as much, and that they have personally paid for the lower ranking riders to attend the events in the past.
  • 1 8
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 14:43) (Below Threshold)
 What expenses would they have. They have sponsors to agree funding for the events they agreed to attend
  • 4 0
 @chrismac70: Pinkbike had a poll in the last few months about what disciplines people ride. I think it was something like 1.2% of the pinkbike community ride dirt jumps. Given that it is such a niche discipline, only the podium contenders are making enough to make it worthwhile. Top 6-16 are at best supplied a free bike, parts, and gear with minimal, if any, monetary compensation. The distance and time between events also means that each event requires separate flights, accommodation (not an option to road trip in a van with your buddies to each event) food etc. which means that they are probably looking at $5-10k+ per event. Asking to at least have their flight and accommodation covered for athletes in the main event of crankworx seems pretty reasonable to me, especially when the women got that.
  • 4 2
 Hate to say it..But if pushed RB might say, Ok YOU slope style men win! All RB Crankworx and Hardline events are now $15 for those at home to watch. Congrats guys! We DON'T want that but I get them wanted to get paid for risking it all.
  • 8 2
 Make slopestyle freeride again
  • 4 2
 Is slopestyle a competition or a visual performance? If it's strictly a competition then money is earned through results. Results give you sponsorship and a paycheck. If it's a performance, then you need to make sure your actors are paid. Slopestyle seems to be a visual performance with competitive results. You earn your way into the traveling circus and the circus gives you a paycheck.
  • 4 2
 Wow, would have been waaaayyyy cooler if the men competed rotorua in solidarity with the women, put on a SHOW, and then immediately after, said “u like that??? Well guess what we’re not doing the next one without changes….” Instead of hangin the gals out to dry here, who don’t enjoy the same luxury to refuse to compete…. And the men holding out could affect the women’s income due to viewership decline…. But maybe that’s their whole point lol
  • 3 0
 The organizer's reading ability is truly remarkable. It's no wonder things are well-organized and requests are promptly met. It's great to see the athletes all in agreement on this matter and standing their ground.
  • 4 0
 All my support for those guys. It takes a lot of courage to insist, persist and resist, but it is what it takes to make changes. Bravo
  • 2 0
 WOW! these 'tough times' really are hitting the MTB industry/world....
I think this year is gonna be make or break for a huge portion of companies industries riders an racers.... I know I'm not far from jacking in all this getting super gnarly rad an going bike packing but, while my age is a big part of that. That state of the MTB world right now is abigger downer
  • 3 1
 proud of you guys!!
For all of you going Colin Kaepernick, on the Corporate level of Crankworx, while putting the spotlight on the ladies competing!


Also FYI for all you guys Crankworx gets most of their money from Redbull, The Ski/Bike Resorts, any media, travel or corporate brand sponsorship partners.. So really you need to stand in solidarity against those companies, for your paycut to increase or changes to be made.

the FMB is basically just a company to account for & write all those cheques for the events that coincide with these pre arranged events, that are scheduled, think of it like a music festival & your the artists. It’s a lot like that kind of dynamic right now…

I get that striking is the cool thing to do right now, everything is really expensive these days. It is admirable of you all to use your platform to shine spotlight on the future of the sport, like the women’s division of slope style/ all of its issues. You guys deserve only the best!!

I work in the film industry and our industry striked all last year due to A.I. And unfair compensations.

It seems like you guys want higher standards, that are well deserved for your continual efforts training, competing & for your voluntary contributions of service as acting on set in these High Risk environments, to achieve the result of marketable High quality covered events, year after year you have put on a great show, I understand your budget of roughly 20k a year to do the entire series is fairly expensive for all riders competing and that standards must be met and changes must be made. I hope for the best results for you & your career in the future


I’d suggest all of you if you take the year off to invest in Yourselves,


Buy some, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, Some Nvidia, make some MTB films together do something else with your time, maybe host local events in your community at the grassroots level and just keep your money in reserve till this is resolved.

I hope to see all of you at Whistler this year at the very least

Best regards

Keenan G

I’m stoked the ladies got their debut also, Kelly would’ve been hyped it happened on his course
  • 4 1
 The hydra has spoken. I've always been blown away by the risk to reward ratio these athletes have long worked under. More power to them for advocating for themselves...finally!
  • 2 0
 Here is the simple reality of it...

Look at all these articles on all these sites. Look at all these comments. Do you think they would have gotten the same amount of attention had they ridden the event then bitched about it after?

That's why it was done this way. They've tried it the other way for years.
  • 6 2
 Whoa. Hopefully sponsors are supportive of the athletes through the negotiations. Cant imagine redbull is happy
  • 5 3
 I imagine sponsors are pissed. Big loss of exposure and the athletes are paid for exposure.
  • 3 3
 @Dougal-SC: For sure. I can't imagine they're paying or supporting their athletes to go to literally the furthest possible location (for most) on the tour just for everyone to pull out. Some may be more supportive, but I'm guessing the newer guys with less exposure who've got smaller contracts are going to have a harder time explaining why they aren't doing the thing they're paid to do.
  • 7 1
 @jsnfschr: I can’t imagine red Bull is happy with Emil, Fedko and Godziek
  • 2 1
 @bgoldstone: Oh, I absolutely agree, but those guys have proven their value. I wonder if the sponsors of newer and up and coming athletes will have to pay back the support they received (if they got any) to get to NZ?
  • 2 3
 I expect some will loose sponsors for this. If competing at this event was part of the deal then they will be in breach of contract and could easily be dropped. No one would notice the drop in sales from a few pb commentators
  • 10 5
 I wish I could complain about riding bikes for a living.
  • 5 1
 When sponsorship evaporates, so does the high consequence competition in remote places.
  • 6 3
 The highlight of Crankworx, for me, was Rob Warner on the mic for the downhill. His scream when Tyler Waite cased the triple was pure gold.
  • 11 10
 Slopestyle is a gimmick, essentially a freeride category of mostly friends at the top limit oushing eachother, in a show competition, that has no place being a competition as it is.

Time to out more spotlight on the proper competitions: XC and DH
  • 5 0
 you forgot enduro, don't forget enduro, enduro.
  • 3 1
 Link to the FMB rule book.

s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/website.fmb/rules/FMB-Rule-Book.pdf

People can now be better informed before making comments.

P41 if you want to figure out what the prize money is.
  • 1 1
 Page 39 rule 4.2.2. Clearly states the expectation of the athletes and bringing the event or organization into disrepute. Please explain otherwise.
  • 6 2
 I guess I should be less surprised at the amount of people that feel athletes owe them something
  • 2 4
 And yet most of the comments seem to lean towards the opposite for the privilege of the rarer still opportunity to ride your bike, be famous and travel the world, and appear on a billing if entered.
  • 1 0
 Most of the events of Crankworx with the switch lane dual run format is about as much fun as the 10 plus hour car ride home from your mountain bike trip. They just keep going and going hoping something new and entertaining pops up..
  • 6 5
 Shame to hear they made the demands at the venue with less the 48 hours to respond. Good on crankworx for trying and getting 2/3 demands met, that would not have been easy from the machine that is redbull. Feel for the local spectators and staff involved that it came to this.
  • 5 1
 Crazy how mad you people are at the riders trying to make things better. ???
  • 5 4
 Report Scope: The Mountain Bike Market has been on a remarkable growth trajectory, with a total worth of US$ 6.26 billion in 2022. It is projected to maintain its ascent, achieving a 12% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) from 2023 to 2029, culminating in an impressive value of nearly US$ 13.86 billion in 2029.

In a sport that generates billions of dollars by leveraging standout athletes risking their lives in extreme videos and competitions this boycott was long overdue. Replaying crash videos [Friday Fails & countless others], seems to be a favorite of Pinkbike' and many other mtb outlets. I'd like to see an industry wide boycott including all mtb disciplines asking to be rightfully compensated for generating endless sales of all things mtb. Perhaps that would get their attention and hopefully the athletes just portion of what they bring to the industry... which in reality is most of it. (P.S. Pinkbike: stop making it so difficult to opt-out of cookies. That's just another way of making $ off the backs of your readership. It sucks!)
  • 2 2
 Dont take this cancer to the broader sport, the rest of the athletes have realized how hard they are fighting for their sponsorship and participation from 2023 inwards.

NB - have you not seen how many teams folded, riders without sponsors, companies folded and bankrupt?

NB II - Never, ever assume long term economic forecasts or optimistic projections written to gain investment dollars get it so badly wrong, and 12% CAGR from 2022 onwards is just plain mis-information.
  • 5 4
 And how much of that do you think is down to slopestyle? I’m not sure there are enough zeros after the decimal place to get close
  • 2 1
 2 days to meet these demands and no guarantee we won’t try the same “negotiation” again in the days before another event. These riders need dispassionate, professional representation to work over time to improve their conditions. It can and should be better for them but they are going to need help to achieve it.
  • 1 3
 They are going to need help paying the damages bill here.
  • 5 0
 Good luck Riders!
Doesn’t sound unreasonable
Cheers
  • 1 0
 Anyone putting redbull in the conversation is wrong. This isn’t there event. Hell they have competing live mtb content during the slopestyle broadcast.

Urban downhill or female slopestyle.

Udh for the win on my screen.
  • 2 0
 their
  • 1 0
 I think it's the last place women getting a couple thousand dollars. While the last place male gets $150.. Not an appearance fee. But enough guaranteed income all the way down to last place. That can help cover costs associated?
  • 3 0
 This is good for the riders. Be interesting to see how it plays out and if other riders will follow. The WC need to do this to break away from the UCI
  • 2 1
 I respect their right to do this, but the timing was quite selfish. What about fans that made that trip? It's not exactly a cheap place to get to. This industry is already in an interesting state, losing the most die hard of fans is not going to help matters.
  • 6 5
 Shaking down crankworx bc they aren’t able to make a sustainable living through their own sponsors and channels is unbelievably lame. Crankworx events are the only reason you can make a living in the first place but naw… pay for my flight, pay for my food, pay me to appear, pay my medical bills…
  • 2 1
 Bummer! First time I heard of this happening but I respect the riders. I think it was the Crankworx staff getting catered meals and eating caviar and fondue and telling the riders to kick rocks when they were trying to get some of that grub!
  • 3 0
 "they should take industrial action where it won't affect anyone or anything. That's the right way to protest, in the silence"
  • 2 1
 I'm all for collective bargaining and wish the riders luck. I would be stoked to make a living riding my bike. Even thought it might be possible in 1998 when there was decent money in the sport and I was 15. However, it's really hard to ignore the business case here, because everything comes down to money. If Crankworx paid each rider $10M/year, I doubt they'd care if food or accommodations were provided as well.

If they actually provided a lot of value to Crankworx and their sponsors, they'd already be making a ton of money. Look at all of the other big time sports with massive viewership/fans. Look at what the minimum salary is for a baseball player to ride the bench all year, never even playing in a game. It's crazy, but the fans are paying enough to make this possible. Mountain biking just isn't important enough and big enough to draw in large crowds and the money they bring.

It must suck as a rider to risk your life on a daily basis for peanuts, but that's the reality of the situation when folks don't want to pay you what you think you're worth. Plenty of people feel this way at their job, but luckily most folks don't have to risk their life. Everyone gets to make that choice. This may mean that Crankworx takes a big hit that they can't recover from, and that's entirely on them. If they can't afford the talent they need to bring in the revenue they need, they don't have a profitable business. If the riders aren't getting paid enough to risk their life at the events, then they shouldn't go.

I actually enjoy watching the slopestyle events, even if they are becoming fairly repetitive. Hopefully something can be worked out where the riders feel valued enough to show up at future events. If not, any single one of them with an engineering degree can contact me and design rad space stuff.
  • 1 0
 Comparison to the PGA Tour is really spot on, Pinkbikers. Remember that time Greg Norman had to have his tibia rebuilt with steel rods when he over rotated on a cash roll at Pebble Beach? No? Neither do I, because it's effing golf. Also if you hadn't noticed, there's a rival league Liv which pays players just to be there, unlike PGA. Greg Norman, who did not have a career ending injury at Whistler like a certain Swedish rider, tried to start a rival league back in the 90s because the situation sucked. Also, slopestyle newbs have it worse because any fracture is pretty much 10-12 weeks healing time, which likely means your whole season is hosed and whatever pittance you could have made off slopestyle goes poof. It's not exactly a crowded field of competitors either, if you can't make enough money to be decent to participants, then maybe you should go play golf instead.
  • 2 0
 Front flip off a 10 meter drop is worth $100K and a seafood buffet. Every day

If it wasn’t for these dudes, Rotorua would still be the mispronounced version of the guy who reamed out your shitters..
  • 1 0
 Asking for what you think your effort is worth is important. Making decisions based on your perceived value and how you are evaluated and compensated by others is important. However, the timelines here are wild. To approach them on the 20th with the demands and state they would not compete on the 22nd was a no-win situation for the organizers. To change compensation for all slopestyle events moving forward, as was requested without room to negotiate in that moment, there was really no choice for them there. They need time to review budgets and consider the broader implications. It sounds like these discussions had been going on for a long time, so unless they had been promised something they were not given, not letting fans and event organizers know prior to the even given that I don't think compensation has changed much would have been a better move IMO... though this will certainly bring more eyes to the concern and maybe that was the point- to stir public interest in the plight.

It's quite the gamble on the side of the athletes. If Crankworx says "no thank you"... then what? What other event will provide them coverage and scale of public interest needed to, as they say, be sustainable for the future. Someone else may in the short term hope to capitalize and try to pay them more, but without the same eyes on it is that sustainable? Slopestyle does not have multiple, profitable, options for public and financial viability yet from what I have seen. They are asking for money. Money doesn't get created based on an objective view of who is at most risk, works hardest, or even who is best- though these can all correlate. Value has to account for that too- how much money is this earning. Is there a greed from a higher level who is walking away with an unfair share of the profits? My guess is maybe a little, but this isn't some scrooge McDuck cabal swimming in pools of money from this event.

It would be sad to see the event go given it's heritage but it might be a dangerous game they are playing.
  • 1 0
 It's a sad day for the athletes and Crankworx. I was part of the original 3 that founded Crankworx's and organized it for the first 3 years with a deficit until some of the bigger sponsors helped out. most of the Slopestyle athletes at the time showed up weeks prior to help with the design and building of the features. I have not been part of Crankworx since 2005, but it seems that there has been some discussions for sometime regarding what the athletes need and what the organizer can do to accommodate them. As an organizer you need to spend more money to attract more sponsors, live TV shows and entertainment cost have gone up, running events in place like Whistler have gone up, its harder and harder to find volunteers, so you need to pay for more staff and so on. there always a solution to these discussion, what can you remove from the event so that you have more cash to pay athletes. The organizing committee should have for each location an athlete or 2 sitting at the table helping the organization make the right decision for both the Athlete's and the organizers. At the end of the year I don't think Crankworx organizers are taking home boat loads of cash, it's probably a break event type event. The more you grow the more money you need. Athletes need to be careful, this could affect sponsorship in the long term for Crankworx, I have seen over the years great events go away because of sponsorship money went to the next best thing, sport evolves and changes all the time. If you want to see Crankworx survive an other 20 years I suggest you figure it out sooner than later.
  • 50 50
 HOT TAKE All of the athletes that have boycotted this event have taken a young or upcoming rider's spot who they would've given anything for... just screams entitlement to me. If you want a career that involves getting paid well, don't go into action sports... i thought this was common knowledge by now
  • 31 3
 The reason they would give everything to do it is that they wish to make their love of mtb their career. For it to be their career they need to be paid. These people have gone through that already and now are fighting for what they deserve to keep doing it.
  • 37 2
 That’s the exact attitude that further leads to young athletes being exploited because they are desperate for a chance. Just because it’s always been under paid doesn’t mean it always should be. It’s up to the guys at the top to push for change so those up and coming riders actually have a career worth chasing when their time comes.
  • 2 4
 @ridetorqued: if they want to make it a career then they need to come up with a value based program that someone is prepared to pay for. I would love to be paid to do my hobby but it’s never going to happen so I goto work
  • 1 7
flag masters5 (Mar 23, 2024 at 15:01) (Below Threshold)
 @Spicy-McHaggis: right. Like the evil Red Bull and Ferrari giving teenagers opportunities to drive very fast cars who kill it when the front line drivers are unavailable, get exposure and reap rewards. Exploited.
  • 2 0
 Chance would be a fine thing
  • 2 4
 But they've just handed over those spots forever to new athletes. These guys cooked their goose by trying to extort money in the middle of an event.
  • 4 0
 @Dougal-SC: No they haven't that's not how the FMBA is set up. These riders are the top level of the sport and earned their position on the Crankworx series. They can't just be dropped for a bunch of people who haven't earned the points.
  • 2 4
 @Joyrode: Yes they can. If they won't accept the invite terms there are many others who will.
  • 17 13
 Pay them what they’re worth ya dogs!
  • 9 12
 They are. Something is only ever worth what sink will pay for it
  • 6 4
 @angryWaki: is the couple hundred dollar prize money worth risking your life for?
  • 10 11
 @dhache: 'if you dont like it theres the door' Welcome to MTB... You mtb because you love it, Making bank isnt on the cards.
  • 9 6
 @HeatedRotor: completely disagree. They’re professional athletes and should be paid accordingly
  • 4 5
 @dhache: why don’t their sponsors do exactly that then? Explain why an event is what should be required to ensure they are to survive?
  • 13 1
 @loudvq: Because to get into the Diamond Series, riders have to earn their spot with points from travelling to all the smaller level events and doing exceptionally well, a system that has arguable shrunk the slopestyle field and event circuit from what it used to be as the smaller events aren't as widely watched anymore. These riders coming up the ranks don't have the same sponsorship opportunities as they haven't cracked it into Diamond Level. So they are generally running on nothing trying to make it, then finally rack up the points to be in the big, exclusive series yet the FMBA/Crankworx aren't helping to cover costs of making it to the events sprawled across the world.

Originally the FMBA tiered set up meant that to call your event a Silver, Gold or Diamond level, there had to be a specific prize purse at each tier, and the higher up the event, the more the organizer was responsible for accommodating athletes. Now that Crankworx own the FMBA, maybe the system isn't what it used to be, that I don't know.

But it's only fair the men that are required to be at the event, including Alternate riders who fill the spots of injured athletes, should be supported by the event, as they're the ones making the show possible and drawing the viewership that Crankworx is used to pulling in.
  • 9 11
 @dhache: If you charge appearance fees you are a circus act, not an athlete…
  • 5 10
flag HeatedRotor FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 21:53) (Below Threshold)
 @dhache: thats what sponsors are for... this isnt golf.
  • 2 2
 @phil-mclean: unfortunately it sounds like it is about to all fall on its face.

It would be interesting to have some older riders provide feedback and maybe suggest some new ideas from their experience.

Definitely sounds like a double edged sword and I get it for the lesser sponsorship riders.

Unfortunately though it is not the best thing to do when thousands attend.
Maybe they could have sent straight runs apart from a single truck but it’s done now.

What stands out to me is Nic was the face of this and has been a bridesmaid for sometime despite being a heavy hitter on the tricks.
It will be interesting to see what happens with his future.
  • 6 0
 @loudvq: I imagine they've been trying to work this out for the last 6 months and the reason they're striking now is because they couldn't come to terms and now they need to show they're serious. Unfortunate for everyone involved.

I assume Nicholi was the speaker because he's usually the representative for all the athletes, he can't take all the heat for voicing the opinion of the majority of the field. If it was only a personal opinion then sure it wouldn't be a good look but each event they need someone selected to speak for everyone when it comes to weather delays, potential course changes, any issues that come up really.
  • 8 1
 @phil-mclean: well said phil. This goes even deeper behind the scenes. Id share more but the PB comment section aint the spot! haha
  • 2 0
 @HeatedRotor: why risk your life for a couple hundred bucks? The free ride world tour skiing is facing the same issue.
  • 4 3
 @dhache: Then dont. Simple.
  • 5 3
 @SchalkMarais: loads of sports have appearance money. Many Pro top level footballers (soccer) even have appearance pay built into their contracts with the club (on top of salary). And that's in a team sport!
  • 2 4
 They are paying them what they are worth. No money in this sport except the top 1%. Always has been that way, always will be.
  • 5 1
 This sport doesn't have any "real" money in it. Most people who aren't active mountain bikers themselves couldn't care less about our little competitions. It's a great hobby, but a terrible career choice. Very few will make a decent career out of it, but even for them the risk/benefit ratio is way off. It's not just MTBing, the same goes for off road motorcycles (arguably much more interesting to watch than MTB) and many other action sports. There was a video a few years ago on IRC Tires YouTube channel from an endurocross race where they encouraged sponsored riders with a $100 bill to try to do a high consequence triple jump where the 2nd landing was a log. $100??... it was embarrassing to watch.
  • 2 0
 @phil-mclean: Nicholi's voice is especially relevant to the issue of rider compensation since he broke his arm at Crankworx Cairns less than a year ago.
  • 3 3
 @dhache: If you dont like the sport, dont do it. Maybe also dont post the fast cars and party lifestyle then bag event organsiers with all the at-risk capital on the line.
  • 2 4
 They already are
  • 3 5
 @dhache: If they can’t earn a living from the sort then they clearly aren’t professional athletes. If they can’t attract enough financial support then they need to come up with a better offer to sponsors in return for extra money
  • 3 5
 @loudvq: Because they don’t offer sponsors good enough value to spend marketing budget on
  • 2 4
 @gulogulointhearctic: nothing stopping a rider negotiating that with sponsors
  • 5 4
 There's a right way of doing things and I'm not sure this is it.... It'll also be interesting to see the outcome as a precedent will be set for all mtb disciplines, not just slopestyle.
  • 8 4
 Slopestyle riders stepping over dollars to pickup dimes
  • 3 0
 ah well crankworx you had a good run, will someone turn the lights out as you leave.
  • 1 0
 other than the racing, it was a disappointing event, no expo, no demo, why even bother do something else other than pure racing, it would make more sense without advertising here and there and have nothing to show
  • 6 4
 With the cycling industry struggling financially at the moment and making massive cuts everywhere they definitely chose the wrong time ask for money
  • 6 2
 The revolution WILL NOT be televised ✊
  • 2 0
 @adamadey .. there is war going on for your mind.
  • 4 0
 Take note DH World Cup riders…….
  • 6 1
 much respect to nicholi
  • 5 2
 The rider Statement on Pinkbikes Instagram Account explains it better! 100% Support for the riders
  • 6 1
 Stay in school kids!
  • 4 3
 I can't see how slopestyle isn't going the way of the Dodo. It hasn't been cool for quite a few years. I'd say cancel the whole thing and move on with competition formats consumers can relate to.
  • 5 5
 Takes money to make money! They claim it isn't a shakedown for money but their second point is a shakedown for money. The safety thing i am 100% behind but how does this not already exist? Rider reps, track builder and event manager don't have a chat about layout? All the local amateur sports around here have rule books 2 inches thick with requirements for first aid, condition of fields and equipment, qualifications of coaches , trainers, referee, concussion protocols, emergency plans....for 8 year olds playing house league baseball. You don't like it go run your own events...oh wait there isn't enough money to be made...
  • 2 0
 I think what they do as athletes is amazing and I wish them the best but the market for flipping and spinning on a bike is pretty limited. Good luck fellas!
  • 3 0
 Good for the riders! About time they get organized! The DH guys need to to the same.
  • 1 1
 A lot of emotion in these comments. The riders are free to ask for money, or more money, and the financial promoter is free, if perceived to be in their interests, to say no. Maybe the sport survives, maybe it doesn't. It's the way the world works. No body is being oppressed here. I wish the riders well, and hope they get to pursue their aspirations. But there is no villain here, as some make it out to be.
  • 1 5
flag chrismac70 FL (Mar 23, 2024 at 14:51) (Below Threshold)
 True but you do that before you agree to compete
  • 1 0
 I'd love to see a side-by-side of the viewer #s and the financials between a crankworx or FMB tour event and a WSL event. Surfing and FMB share a lot of similar qualities and there could be some insightful learnings there.
  • 5 0
 Nopestyle
  • 3 0
 Maybe the downhill racers will be next, stop this semi final and final stuff and bring it back to 1 run counts!
  • 2 0
 The whip off athletes will be demanding a 6 pack as appearance fee next and a sleeping bag in a van in the car park accommodation
  • 4 4
 I’m not racing the last Southridge Winter Series race out of protest! The organizers won’t pay for my gas to get there, my mortgage so I can sleep in a house (for the race), my supplemental health insurance for my choice to do something inherently dangerous, or my food. It definitely isn’t my sponsors job to take care of these things, it’s the event organizers! Let’s penalize the ticket purchasers to make sure they don’t get to see the circus they paid a lot for and probably travelled great distances to see!
  • 6 6
 20 years ago when it was Gen X competing you had mad riders like Bender, now it's Gen Z and they want more medical support. They want it to be safer and they want more money. So a safe space and participation trophies. Who is surprized?
  • 1 1
 Oh boy, organized extortion from whiners that don’t understand what their sport is or how professional sports work. If it’s on a screen being broadcast by a promoter you’re nothing more or less than a billboard. The only value your slopestyle routine holds is in how you can use it and the content it generates to promote potential sponsors. Stop sniveling, put together a prospectus, and start promoting yourself. They’re not underpaid, they’re under motivated.
  • 4 0
 Well sh*t…
  • 11 12
 "the athletes also demanded the establishment of an appearance fee for all male athletes"

All for more prize money, but not this. If you want appearance fees, then go do promotional events. This is competition. Earn the money by competing.
  • 11 0
 I think its a great idea. Rampage now pays 7500 USD to appear. There are costs involved to get to the event which at least half the diamond field has to cover on its own. Most the guys have second jobs. I did for multiple years to make it all work and I was one of the lucky ones...
  • 2 0
 @mitch1616: Good on ya Mitch set the record straight. You work you should get paid, not be told to “Go eat cake.”
  • 2 3
 @mitch1616: Having travel costs and per diems is not the same as an appearance fee, though. Which I'm also fine with. Though not in biking, I worked at the top end of an entertainment/sports industry as well. Appearance fees are a totally different thing than agreed costs.
  • 7 6
 No show = no money. Take more risk doesn't automatically mean it is more attractive to watch and is worth more. Risking life is personal decision after all.
  • 2 0
 32.000€ and Crankworx says it has no budget? I thought it was a bigger business.
  • 2 3
 Then you thought wrong! Do people think Crankworx is a team of 100's of people with high level execs flying around in private planes and supercars or something? $32,000 is just the appearance fee for the men so round that up to $50,000 including the women. Then multiply it by 4 for the four crankworx events each year and now double it to include accom and food for a week for each athlete. That's $350,000-$400,000 p/yr and that's without considering additional prize money or the door you are opening to the DH, pump and speed & style riders asking and behaving like this once you set the precedent. You truly think Crankworx has that sort of budget/profit?
  • 3 4
 It's a pity there are no spare riders, I would be very happy to look at new people, albeit not so professional, than to look at the same people once again, in the same place and with the same assessment system. For the viewer, watching slopestyle becomes more and more boring every year, so the popularity is falling, which entails certain consequences. This industry needs a reboot, new formats, a new rider evaluation system, new locations
  • 3 1
 The money part should only apply for those who aren't fully sponsored like for the top 3-5 or something.
  • 3 4
 If they aren’t sponsored sufficiently well then they need to ask why not. Not expect someone what to pick up the gap out of charity for them
  • 5 3
 slopestyle is boring anyway. just cancel all crankworx slopestyle for this year and let them compete at their own events.
  • 5 2
 Protesting is cool. Make shit better! Props to the riders.
  • 3 0
 Side with the riders. Always side with the workers. Its simple.
  • 5 5
 Bowing out last minute for money is the corniest shit ever. How many little kids and fans are going to be super let down? Not a good way to start the season. The emil show has gotten old, let's just cancel it, eh?
  • 1 2
 If this keeps up through the rest of the scheduled events, next year they’ll all be whining about not having sponsors. I get it, but pick and choose your battles ALONG with the time at which you do it. The only positive that will come out of this is the spotlight will be entirely on the ladies! I wish them all luck as it’s their stage, today.
  • 4 0
 Solidarity forever.
  • 3 2
 They may have a point? But they would be wise to consider the big picture of the current bike industry . Danny Hart was without a ride two weeks ago? They ain't Danny Hart
  • 3 0
 I hope they get what they want, seems like a reasonable request to me.
  • 5 1
 Solidarity Forever
  • 1 2
 There are lots of talented riders around the world whose dream would come true to be able to compete and get paid by sponsors at events like this. Most other sports are funded by the sponsorship of athletes or teams and not the event holders. Are all other disciplines of cycling going to ask for money from each event organisation as this would just be the end of competitive cycling.
  • 3 0
 remuneration*
  • 22 24
 The guys doing this at the same time the women’s event is just a f*cking awfully awful.

The industry is in a post Covid slump. A lot of people don’t have jobs anymore.

I’m all for industrial action, but essentially leveraging from a detractor against your female colleagues first event is so sad
  • 2 1
 Does anyone actually know what the prize money is and how much they were asking for?
  • 1 0
 Strange, this article isn't deleted but it has been removed from the front page.
  • 1 0
 And now it's back--I guess it was delisted temporarily while they updated it.
  • 1 1
 If their complaints / demands are justified then fair dos to them for taking some action.

Unfortunately done of us will know that unless we’re involved.
  • 2 1
 Maybe Elon can step in and help and rename it the x series. Loser gets to test ride in the next sketchy rocket launch?
  • 3 0
 full support.
  • 2 0
 UCI Riders are you all taking notes?
  • 1 0
 This sucks. Should have let them do the late run 2's at Joyride and eat the buffet Crankworx.
  • 2 0
 YouTube edits are better bank, ask Semenuk.
  • 2 0
 I wish Nicholi was my IBEW union president
  • 5 4
 I’m zero percent surprised by the amount of bootlicker comments from Americans in these comments.
  • 2 0
 “This Deli-tray is unacceptable” - Oderus Urungus
  • 3 3
 No big loss, cancel that shit and put the extra coin into dh and butt fk the uci wc, make a better series with proper prize money. Hostile takeover style… do it redbull..
  • 17 18
 Correct me if I am wrong. But maybe a last placed women (6th) should be paid the same as a last placed male (14th) Instead of paid equal to a 6th placed man?
  • 10 18
flag angryWaki FL (Mar 22, 2024 at 17:47) (Below Threshold)
 I found the incell
  • 4 4
 @angryWaki: And here I thought income equality was a good thing.
  • 14 3
 @angryWaki: is it? So you think it’s acceptable a last places Male walks away with nothing while it’s counterpart walks away with enough to pay for flights ect? Not sure that’s considered “equal pay”
  • 8 3
 @angryWaki: if all of the people that cry about equal pay in sports actually watched/supported their female sports teams we wouldn't be having this convo. Instead we get a bunch of empty heads flapping their gums.
  • 4 7
 I understand wanting to have leverage for negotiations, but slopestyle riders are entertainers and they just disappointed the spectators who pay their salaries. No fans =No Red Bull this is a risky way to go about it at the last minute. If they choose not to ride they choose to not get payed, airfare lodging etc is on them due to the last minute nature of the decision.
  • 4 5
 This actually is a good microcosm for diversity hiring, you get a more compliant group that you can push around and they will cross the picket line when necessary
  • 1 0
 Didn't they have heaps of money to give away last year?
  • 10 13
 Not against some form of base salary, but once you slip down the slope of appearance fees, you’ve moved from competing in a sport to being a circus act !!

And quite frankly that is what the stupid flippy, spinny event is…
  • 5 1
 Its always been a circus. Us riders even know it.
  • 2 2
 It worked out well when Nico and the boys pulled out of Darkfest, this feels similar.
  • 4 3
 Maybe just cancel speed and style and give the prize money to slopestyle.
  • 2 5
 It makes Sense for the Riders to ask for more for that Kind of risk and hard Work they Put in. But it sucks for the Fans!
Iam Not Sure how much they make but since the have done it for 37% less in past years.. the offer Sounds Like a fear Deal. Not Sure why they dont accept that and cancel it.
  • 7 3
 Interesting use of capitals.
  • 4 3
 @commental: capitalization works differently in different languages. How's your German?
  • 3 4
 @gulogulointhearctic: Good enough to know only nouns are capitalized within sentences. How's yours?
  • 3 4
 @gulogulointhearctic: After what Germany has done to itself and its economic circumstance, do NOT ask a German about economics.
  • 2 3
 Crankworks is a business. It aims to satisfy the consumer in order to make profit on the investment. "sucks for fans" well if that is the case CW will have to change its offerings. Go woke go broke.
  • 4 2
 @commental: the point was they are typing probably not their first language and you are pulling them up on it.
Maybe you need English-meta-language explaining too?

I speak fluent German
  • 3 4
 Well we can still watch urban DH. I'am all with the riders but this is kinda Extinction Rebellion way to get what they want.
  • 1 0
 Did Nicholi write his statement in all CAPS?
  • 1 0
 Slopestyle want to be paid like a circus. Nitro circus for mtb.
  • 3 2
 I support the decision of the riders.
  • 3 2
 Good job boys, time to get paid!
  • 5 6
 Go woke go broke hahahaha this is a passion sport you get what you get and you have to be happy about it because the plenty ready to take your place.
  • 1 0
 Nicholi said "I lost my bike, no competition this year"
  • 2 4
 Alright, don’t compete, but next time at least give everyone a bit more notice so the other guys can turn up. There’s a huge list of amazing talent who work 9-5 and would still travel to enter this event.
  • 2 3
 this
  • 2 5
 A niche within a niche .do the riders think there as high as f1 or something. There is absolutely no money available. The revenue it generates its minimal, the costs to put it on are huge . They've just nailed there own coffin . They could of gone about this so differently.
  • 2 5
 Had the striking riders instead stated "we are not racing, due to the uneven prize money being offered to the women competitors - please direct our prize money cache to the women - when things are equal, we'll be back" they might have had a positive impact......Instead, it's a pump fake protest.
  • 1 2
 Pedantic, but... It's remuneration. Imagine re-money-ing someone. Very simple stuff.
  • 7 9
 Power to the riders. Also, shame on the organizers, you had one job.... "Rich culture of mountain biking... "LOL, then pony up and get these athletes sorted.
  • 4 3
 "SHOW ME THE MONNNNNEY!"
  • 1 1
 For those local riders, now is your time to be Cru Jones.
  • 3 4
 Can we be in favor of better pay and support for the riders while also condemning them for how they are handling this? Yes.
  • 1 2
 They should have competed and just straight aired everything and then split the prize money evenly.
  • 2 2
 RIP Crankwox
  • 1 1
 6 huuuuundred
  • 1 3
 I love how buddy in the white can't read LOL . This whole thing is lame af.
  • 6 9
 Pulling out last second like that is a loss for everyone, now nobody gets money.
  • 7 9
 Identify as female and become easily first in women category??
  • 2 1
 Might be some real interest too.
  • 4 7
 Should be grateful to have something with the current state of the economy and the industry.
  • 2 5
 Bruh Rogatkin is a f*cked robot... Lol he's totally the Jeff Bezos/Zuckerberg of the slopestyle world.
  • 2 5
 "Comment" section -- no need to write a book about your opinion
  • 4 7
 Lame... way to detract from the women's event
  • 2 0
 did the ladies get their abandoned prize monies?
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