The Ōtautahi Slopestyle Finals in Christchurch, New Zealand marked the official start of the Slopestyle Super League. A series that replaces the long-running FMBA world championship format.
For Canadian fans, the headline was clear: Chance Moore delivered a high-pressure performance to finish fourth against a seriously stacked field.
Finals day introduced a new contest structure: the Shootout Round. Riders each got two runs, with the best run counting. Those runs were scored out of 100. Then riders within 10 points of the podium after two runs earned one last chance to boost their score with a single trick of their choosing on whichever feature they wanted. It turned the event into something closer to sudden-death overtime than a traditional slopestyle contest. Those best tricks were worth ten points each, so a perfect score would be 110.
Moore pushes into elite company
Moore’s riding stood comfortably among the sport’s biggest names. His final score of 97.63 placed him just behind a podium stacked with some of the world’s best riders. Germany’s Erik Fedko took the win, Poland’s David Godziek finished second and American Nicholi Rogatkin landed third.
In a field where nearly everyone is capable of winning, simply staying in contention through the Shootout is an achievement.
Shootout round reshapes the leaderboard
Fedko set the tone early with a massive first run that scored 92.5 points and forced everyone else to chase. When the Shootout began, the standings became fluid.
Godziek briefly grabbed the lead with a Cashroll Tailwhip. Rogatkin answered with an opposite Cashroll to move into second. Fedko, dropping last, reclaimed control with a Three-Down Whip Seat Grab Indian Air, pushing his final score to a staggering 100.70.
It was exactly the kind of dramatic finish the new league format was designed to produce.
Women’s final delivers last-second drama
The women’s competition was equally unpredictable. American Shealen Reno secured gold with 90.33 points after a Shootout trick, narrowly edging Germany’s Patricia Druwen. Australia’s Harriet Burbidge-Smith took third.
Season just getting started
Christchurch may have launched the Slopestyle Super League, but the broader Crankworx campaign is only beginning. Riders now shift focus to Rotorua, New Zealand, where the next major showdown will unfold in March.
For Canadian fans, Moore’s near-podium result suggests there will be plenty to watch as the season…
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