Red Bull Hardline is finally here in Canada and enjoying some spectacularly moody North Shore vibes way up on the top of Cypress Mountain. Wednesday was rider’s first chance to actually put tires to dirt. With a very short timeline to learn an entirely new course, one that was suddenly much shorter as of Wednesday night, riders were getting right into the biggest features.
And the features are huge. Hardline never messes around but dang, these are some huge, gnarly features.
Gracey Hemstreet floating over some very gross looking rocks to a hopefully perfectly placed landing. Photo: Bartek Wolinski / Red Bull Content Pool
Weather is cooperating for practice and, hopefully, for the newly scheduled finals day. The ocean is literally within sight of the start hut, which is bringing some unpredictable October mood swings along with the stunning views. One moment, there’s clouds and no view. The next, all of the lower mainland, Gulf Islands and even Vancouver Island appear in the distance. What a course!
Finn Iles catches a moment of clear views with clouds rolling in behind the Cypress mountain start hut. Photo: Mason Mashon / Red Bull Content Pool
The rest of the course? Gnarly as heck. Here’s Canada’s own Dane Jewett, who grew up just down the hill in Vancouver, throwing an absolutely huge whip near the bottom of the course.
Norco adidas Race Division’s Lina Frener hit the deck hard on one of the bigger wood-to-wood features, but appears to be up and uninjured after this hefty slam.
World Cup overall winner and Hardline Maydena winner Asa Vermette showed he has more in his bag of tricks than just rediculous speed. The young Frameworks racer casually through a 90-ish foot back flip into the finish line.
There’s a huge crowd of Canadians on the start list for Hardline. All of them are looking impressively comfortable on the wild course. Even 17-year-old Kelowna rider Tayte Proulx-Royds is crushing it on Cypress!