Emil Johansson on top as Red Bull District Ride returns to Nuremberg

Sweden’s slopestyle master takes win as urban contest makes welcome return.

Sweden’s mountain bike slopestyle master Emil Johansson doubled up and claimed the overall contest victory and the Best Trick award as the unique urban event Red Bull District Ride returned to Nuremberg, Germany after a five-year hiatus. Here is all you need to know:

Emil Johansson winning trick

– The spectacular Best Trick contest on Friday evening saw no less than five world-first tricks landed, including Johansson’s winning 360 Tailwhip to Barspin to Opposite Downside Tailwhip. That trick gave him the win over Dawid Godziek – who himself landed a world-first Twister No-Hander to Barspin – and Nicholi Rogatkin.

– The world’s biggest urban slopestyle contest took over the historic centre of Nuremberg on Saturday, where 120,000 fans packed in to watch the action on the huge course laid out over five distinct ‘districts’ totalling about 700 meters and including some innovative features to push the progression in mountain bike slopestyle.

– “Red Bull District Ride has made insane progress since 2005, both athletically and in terms of the course. We saw five world-firsts in Best Trick yesterday, which was incredible,” said Tarek Rasouli, the founder and Sporting Director of the Red Bull District

– In a hard-fought final, Johansson dominated his opponents with a consistently strong performance that scored an incredible 90 points, adding to his impressive list of wins in the biggest slopestyle contests around the world.

– Johansson, the current leader of the FMB World Tour, was impressed by the setting of Red Bull District Ride: “Today’s victory means everything to me and the fact that we can bring mountain bike slopestyle to such an unusual urban setting and attract such a large audience is simply amazing.”

– Second place went to 2017’s champion, Nicholi Rogatkin of the United States, with a score of 88.34, while local German hero Erik Fedko completed the podium with a run capped by a huge Backflip Superman Seatgrab.

– In 2017, Fedko had competed at Red Bull District Ride for the first time as a wildcard qualifier, but this year entered the competition as one of the favourites: “It’s a unique feeling to be here. Five years ago, I felt like a kid. I can’t find words for what it’s like to come back to Nuremberg now. My friends are here, my family is here. The Red Bull District Ride is beyond words and above all, the atmosphere is really special.”

Gemma Corbera

– For the first time ever, Red Bull District Ride also welcomed female slopestyle riders to Nuremberg, where five of the sport’s leading female riders checked out the challenging track in two progression sessions on Friday and Saturday.

– The quintet of Patricia Druwen (GER), Caroline Buchanan (AUS), Kathi Kuypers (GER), Gemma Corbera (ESP) and Ellie Chew (NZL) took to the track without the pressure of a contest and improve their riding in a mutual exchange, although they did throw down in their own Best Trick on Friday night alongside the men, which was won by Spain’s Corbera with a huge Backflip.

Red Bull District Ride 2022 results

Emil Johansson SWE 90.00 points
Nicholi Rogatkin USA 88.34
Erik Fedko GER 85.32
Dawid Godziek POL 82.45
Paul Couderc FRA 81.79