The Red Bull Berg Line slopestyle event made an exciting debut in 2012 in Winterberg, Germany at the iXS Dirt Masters Festival. It showcased some amazing action on a challenging course designed by Canadian mountain bike legend and renowned track designer Darren Berrecloth.
26 of the world’s best slopestyle riders wowed 20,000 spectators at the event with tricks including flip-whips, double backflips and 360 spinwhips. Spain’s Andreu Lacondeguy took the top spot with a consistently high level of tricks throughout the nine obstacles, and his double backflip also won the Best Trick trophy. Second overall was Sam Reynolds and fellow Brit Sam Pilgrim was third.
In 2013, Red Bull Berg Line was once again a ‘gold’ event on the Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour. In the competition’s second edition, Sam Pilgrim took an early lead in his first run after throwing down a backflip off the step-down, but he was pipped to the title by Canadian Brett Rheeder. Anton Thelander of Sweden finished third.
The prize for best trick went to Poland’s Szymon Godziek for a super smooth cashroll, a trick he had only ever landed cleanly once before. Also impressive were Sweden’s Linus Sjoholm, with a late rotating frontflip and Canada’s Sam Dueck with a 360 double tailwhip. Swede Martin Soderstrom tried a 360 triple tailwhip but was unable to land it cleanly.