Marking his 21st birthday with a Streetstyle win – and fireworks – Luke Winkelmann is in for a huge celebration at Copper Mountain on Saturday night.
“I love jibbin’ and I love seeing rail jams make a comeback because everyone seems to have a ton of fun,” Winkelmann said after the competition.
In a contest full of big tricks and wild style from every rider on the 13-rider roster, Winkelmann used lines like his 270 to lipslide followed by a nose press to 180 out on the next rail to hold off Sebastien Toutant in 2nd and Benny Milam in 3rd, as well as fan favorites like Rene Rinnkangas, Zeb Powell, and Dylan Alito.
Toutant took the Best Trick prize with his frontside boardslide to 360 switch-up over the gap to frontside boardslide on the downrail.
“I was just snowboarding, doing what I know, trying to stay consistent, and pushing my hardest, and it worked out,” said Winkelmann, jubilant as the fireworks started up immediately after the podium presentation. “I was running back up as fast as I could, trying to get as many laps in as possible, because the crowd was loving it so much and giving me energy.”
Winkelmann said his favorite part of the night was seeing his good friends Zeb Powell (a fellow rider from North Carolina), Rene Rinnekangas, and Canadian rider Frank Jobin go off-book and off-course: “Zeb jumping up on the snowcat and using it as a trampoline was insane, Rene’s frontside wall to backside 360 out from the snow wall and then bomb-dripping off the cliff, Frank’s switch back 270 to the flat… it was a fun night!”
Saturday’s Dew Tour Streetstyle contests were held in Red’s Backyard, a hike park at the Copper Mountain base area that is free and open to the public nearly year round, inspired by the backyard rail setup Red Gerard grew up riding on in nearby Silverthorne, Colorado.
Gerard won his second consecutive Slopestyle final earlier in the day on Saturday and was in the crowd for the Streetstyle final.
“I’m looking up and I see the Red’s Backyard features in the Streetstyle contest and I’m like, ‘Okay, this is kind of incredible,’ Gerard said, in a brief documentary feature aired during the Streetstyle final.
Men’s Snowboard Streetstyle Results
1.) Luke Winkelmann
2.) Sebastien Toutant
3.) Benny Milam
Best Trick
Sebastien Toutant
Men’s Snowboard Streetstyle: Full Livestream Broadcast | Dew Tour Copper 2021
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