Claymore Challenge has been established as one of the premier slopestyle events on the FMB circuit; it's gold status means that riders are pushing hard for the victory. Inside you'll find a complete rundown of what happened in yesterday's qualifying.
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Source: Highland Mountain
Sixty started, but only fifteen would advance to Saturday’s Final event in today’s Claymore Challenge qualifying event. Riders from around the world brought their A game to Highland Mountain Bike Park throwing down everything from front flips to truck drivers in a field that guaranteed an insanely competitive final event on Saturday.
Emcee's Aaron Chase and George Ryan kept the crowds entertained all day with their banter.
Martin Soderstrom was today’s top qualifier scoring an impressive 89 with a truck-driver to no footed can on the step up and a perfect double whip on the Red Bull Freebird Jump; a “Surgical dismantling of the course” is how announcer Aaron Chase put it.
Casey Groves with the best 3's of the day
Today’s qualifier set a high bar for the finals with more than a handful of front flips including an unbelievably massive front flip on a downhill bike by Highland AYR Academy Coach Jamie Goldman.
All of the riders in Thursday’s qualifier have a chance to score an extra $1,000 thanks to Teva during Friday’s Best Trick at 6:00pm on the famed Red Bull Freebird Jump at the base of the Claymore Course.
The show continues on Saturday when last years podium of Brendan Semenuk, Yannick Granieri and Kyle Strait pair up with the top fifteen riders from Thursday’s qualifier to battle it out for the title of Claymore Challenge Champion. You can catch the action live in person, or if you can’t make it to Highland, tune in to redbull.com/bike at 2:00pm for the livestream presented by Red Bull Media House.
Soderstrom boosting huge 3's out of the satellites.
Dustin Gilding killing it off the Quarter.
Saturday's start list, in reverse order of qualifying results and including last year's top 3 of Strait, Granieri and Semenuk, looks like this.
1.Linus Sjoholm
2. Simon Kirchmann
3. Reece Wallace
4. Teo Gustavson
5. Ryan Howard
6. Tyler McCaul
7. Brayden Barrett-Hay
8. Jakub Vanci
9. Casey Groves
10. Thomas Genon
11. Greg Watts
12. Brett Rheeder
13. Sam Pilgrim
14. Szymon Godziek
15. Martin Soderstrom
16. Kyle Strait
17. Yannick Granieri
18. Brandon Semenuk
2. Simon Kirchmann
3. Reece Wallace
4. Teo Gustavson
5. Ryan Howard
6. Tyler McCaul
7. Brayden Barrett-Hay
8. Jakub Vanci
9. Casey Groves
10. Thomas Genon
11. Greg Watts
12. Brett Rheeder
13. Sam Pilgrim
14. Szymon Godziek
15. Martin Soderstrom
16. Kyle Strait
17. Yannick Granieri
18. Brandon Semenuk
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