Sam Reynolds throws down a double backflip and wins 5000 euros for his efforts.

It’s clear that the “stick in ear” incident hasn’t put Sam Reynolds off his stride…his White Style winning run sounded insane!

Monster Energy White Style 2012:

A dream in white for Sam Reynolds

Leogang, Salzburger Land (AUT), January 27^th 2012 – The Monster Energy White Style presented by Kona has a new winner: British rider Sam Reynolds placed himself in the centre of the podium. After a spectacular final run in winter conditions the young Monster Energy rider takes home the victory from the sixth White Style. Swedish Martin Söderström can celebrate his second place and AntoineBizet from France took third place. The later was without a doubt the surprise talent of the contest and swept the jury off their feet with his first final run.

Antoine Bizet

During the finals that took place under floodlights as usual, about 2.500 spectators followed the action with baited breath. Rightafter the live act “The NIHILS”, the atmosphere was perfect and the crowd ready for some serious mountain biking action. The riders were not about to let them down and made sure to deliver a great show.

Sam Reynolds

The winner Sam Reynolds topped off his near perfect first run with a true Monster Energy White Style masterpiece: he started out with a three table at the step down out of the igloo at the start, then a backflip nohand, followed by a tailwhip at the next step down, then he flipped onto the massive “Monster Ship” and flipped off the 7 meter drop. Then the unexpected went down: Sam nailed a perfect double backflip which was the first double backflip landed ever at the White Style contest!

Sam was absolutely stoked, winning the first comp of 2012: “Unbelievable, I just dropped in and took my ride and then I thought, ok let’s kick the double back! When I landed I already knew it was enough for some of the first places. But to leave Leogang as winner is quite a little winter dream for me”, commented the newly crowned king of the Monster Energy White Style on his triumph.

Even if it wasn’t enough for a spot on top of the podium, French rider Antoine Bizet also definitely deserves a mention, especially because of his bad luck last year when he broke his collar bone; with a daring crazy first run, including flatspins, flip nohands, flip drops and more  he was leading the competition for a long time. But then he was also displaced to third place by the Swedish giant Martin Söderström with the most technical run of the day. Martin was throwing down one banger trick after the other with a 360-tailwhip out of the igloo, followed by a flip-whip, then a nollie to bar spin, flip up the Monster Ship, 360 off the big drop and finished with a perfectly executed double tailwhip.

In the afternoon, the invited riders had already shown what the finals would have in store on the course built by Kona rider Grant“Chopper” Fielder by the Schanteilift in Leogang. In perfect snow conditions, Chopper definitely didn’t scrimp on airtime: Over two tons of snow – his building material of choice – left enough room for an extra massive step down the overall 18 riders used for some gigantic tricks. For example, during qualifying, winner of the last two years Sam Pilgrim from Great Britain made it abundantly clear that he is on top of his game and was ready to complete his White Style hat-trick. Unfortunately he crashed at the first obstacle in his second final run, and was out of the fight the podium places.

These are the results from the Monster Energy White Style 2012 presented by Kona after the final runs:

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