A Vernon biker has won the best trick at the Red Bull Rampage freeride mountain-bike event. However, he wasn't happy with his overall ranking.
Tom van Steenbergen, who has been a staple at the Rampage event for nearly a decade, won best trick for his 60 foot frontflip.
Despite the "run of his life," van Steenbergen was miffed at his fourth overall ranking at the event.
"I'm in absolute disbelief that this was seen as a fourth place run by the judges," he said. "I鈥檝e never been vocal about my feelings in such a subjective sport, but I need to get this out. From what I understand after watching the live feed, it seems I should have focused more on tricking the smaller jumps in my line. But to me, that鈥檚 not what Rampage is about. Ask anyone about the margin of error on a frontflip drop and I鈥檓 the only one who can now tell you the margin of error is zero per cent on a 60 foot frontflip drop, with life-altering consequences."
At the 2021 competition, hosted in Utah, van Steenbergen suffered a massive crash that left him hospitalized. However, he made a full comeback by 2023, and competed in the event last year, finishing second overall.
Van Steenbergen added that he should be celebrating the "biggest accomplishment of my career with my loved ones," but is instead "heartbroken because of the score I got."
Whistler's Brandon Semenuk came first, for his fifth title. Poland's Szymon Godziek came second, while American Tyler McCaul rounded out the podium.
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