A week of pounding rain transformed the Redemption DH track at Christchurch Adventure Park into something unrideable. So the trail crew rerouted the upper section. Seeding was run on a track that was steep, loose and constantly evolving. Conditions quickly deteriorated, turning fresh lines into minefields of ruts and braking bumps within a handful of riders. Early starters had one track. Late starters had another entirely.
Australia’s Luke Meier-Smith set the fastest time. But the real new for fans worldwide, was the return of downhill royalty to the Crankworx stage. France’s Loïc Bruni qualified third, while Canada’s Finn Iles placed fifth heading into finals.
Defending champion Lachie Stevens-McNab qualified second on home soil, setting up a for an exciting finals where a clean run could reshuffle everything.
Pemberton’s Tegan Cruz (who place second in Air DH earlier this week), qualified ninth.
On the women’s side, Jenna Hastings led seeding and looks ready to defend her title. With nearly a 7 second split between her and second place qualifier Eliana Holsebosch, Hastings looks to have the win in the bag. But nothing’s ever guaranteed in DH. Canada’s Isla O’Connor qualified seventh. After a great fourth place finish in Air DH, Emmy Lan got a DNF during DH seeding, so won’t be in the finals.
Finals are starting at 11:00 PM EST on Februrary 20, and can be viewed live here:
Slopestyle qualifiers set the stage
Saturday also features qualifying for the Ōtautahi Slopestyle.
According to the Crankworx YouTube the finals (one of the most anticipated events of the week) will be broadcast live at 3 pm EST on February, 21.
How to watch the finals live
Fans can stream both the Redemption DH finals and the Ōtautahi Slopestyle finals live on YouTube via the official Crankworx channel.
Between Bruni’s return after the Mont Saint Anne debacle, Iles’ podium potential and a Slopestyle field packed with established stars and rising talent, the finals should be fun to watch.