As the Crankworx Cairns venue shifts into high gear, the natural amphitheatre of Smithfield MTB Park is throbbing with the unmistakable pulse of a mountain bike event. With the hum of generators as a subtle background noise, MCs voices boom over the speakers, and the crowds roar whenever an event is in progress. The expo is a flood of people moving between the pump track, food trucks and main arena. I’ve got a meeting with The Sherrif, and I need to escape the tide that is flowing back towards the arena (and beer tent) so I’m not late.
I withdraw from the mass of mountain bike fans and duck into the side of the Trek tent, sort of like moving into a green room. Trek’s all star riders and photographers are sitting with fans blazing and bottled water – a perfect chill out zone while doing a highly demanding job. I’m here to meet Mike Ross, nicknamed The Sherrif by friends. And like the sport of slopestyle itself, Mike isn’t quite what you’d expect.
Slopestyle had a relative boom in Australia in 2022, with a slopestyle tour, the Momentum development camp, and Crankworx landing in Australia for the first time. Crankworx
