Rotorua Slopestyle invite list announced.

Three weeks from now on Saturday, March 7, all the action, excitement, inspiration and drama of the highest level of Slopestyle mountain biking will take flight for another season.

14 of the world’s top competitors have been given the golden ticket and are getting ready to descend on Rotorua, New Zealand for the first contest of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship (SWC) season.

As the pilgrimage to the Southern Hemisphere begins, the full rider list for the Maxxis Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza has been released.

First up, the top five from the 2019 SWC standings:

Emil Johansson SWE

Dawid Godziek POL

Tomas Lemoine FRA

Torquato Testa ITA

Erik Fedko GER

These riders have earned entry into all Crankworx Slopestyle competitions in 2020.

Noticeably absent from the roster, the reigning Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Champion. In recent years, Brett Rheeder has been the most decorated Slopestyle athlete currently competing on the circuit, second only to Brandon Semenuk in the history of the discipline.

“My decision to step away from competing for part of 2020 was tough to make but I feel good about it, in that it’s a decision that will prolong my career, “ says Rheeder, who turns 27 in under a week. Rheeder has won seven Crankworx Slopestyle comps over the course of his career so far. “Because of the level of riding we’ve reached in slopestyle, the athletes who consistently stand on each podium now have to dedicate everything they have to staying up there. For me, this has been the case for over 10 years and I feel that I’m at a point in my career where it’s important to take a step back and give myself the time to re-focus on elements of my riding that I haven’t been totally satisfied with in the past so that I can continue to achieve my goals for the future.”