Cam Zink was attempting some amazing tricks. Picture by Stef Candé / Crankworx Les 2 Alpes

JCW, July 16, 2012 — 12:35pm

Crankworx Les 2 Alpes slopestyle – sliced & diced

With its mix of big features and technical tricks, the slopestyle always draws a big – and bloodthirsty – crowd at Crankworx, and it was no different across the pond in Les Deux Alpes. Here are the highlights and low points from Saturday’s action.

Injuries

There are always going to be bails and crashes at a slopestyle comp but Sam Reynolds’ wipeout while attempting a double flip during slopestyle practice was particularly nasty, resulting in two fractured vertebrae. Fellow Brit Sam Pilgrim also went down hard after backflipping the road gap on finals day but didn’t need hospital treatment.

Sam Reynolds broke his back during Friday practice. Picture by Stef Candé / Crankworx Les 2 Alpes

Weather

The Teva Best Trick contest and slopestyle qualis were both postponed on Friday due to high winds. Come finals day, the event started early and riders opted to take just two runs instead of three. Some riders played things safe, others threw caution to the wind.

Andrew Taylor crosses up as the storm clouds gather. Picture by Simon Nieborak / Crankworx Les 2 Alpes

Semenuk on a roll

Brandon Semenuk bounced back from injury at Chatel Mountain Style last week and proved that victory was no one-off by winning the Les 2 Alpes slopestyle and Teva Best Trick with a single, trick-packed run. He was the only rider other than Sam Pilgrim to flip the road gap, and also threw in a 360/switch 360 combo, and a huge flip whip.

Brandon Semenuk successfully backflips the road gap on his way to first place - this move won him the Teva Best Trick award. Picture by Simon Nieborak / Crankworx Les 2 Alpes

New Paul Bas?

The surprise star of the show was wildcard entry Leo Delfour Barrascq, who bagged second place with tricks including a 360 off the skinny log that flowed into a huge floaty 720, and a massive Superman nothing. The young Frenchman’s already being compared to Paul Basagotia, who sprang to fame at Crankworx Whistler in 2004.

Leo Delfour Barrascq is a name to watch out for. Could he be the new Paul Bas? Picture by Stef Candé / Crankworx Les 2 Alpes

You can check out all the action from the Crankworx Les 2 Alpes Slopestyle presented by iXS and the Teva Best Trick contest in the vids below. Scroll down for more photos.

Slopestyle finals: