Despite a wintry challenge from Mother Nature, the nonpareil mountain bike event delivers stunning action at its new location in the Austrian Alps.
Not even the early onset of winter in Europe could hold back the action this week at Bike Republic Sölden. Faced with chilling temperatures, sheets of rain and even a fresh blanket of snow, the riders of the Swatch Nines MTB 2024 fought back with some of the most high-level mountain biking you’ll see this year.
From the 10th to the 15th of September, a brand-new venue in the Austrian resort town of Sölden played host to a crew of 40 invited riders from across the spectrum of mountain biking. From slopestyle all-stars to freeride legends and hungry up-and-comers, the invited riders found common ground on a progressive event setup that delivered a week of high vibes and hard-hitting action.
RIDERS AWARDS: AUSTRIA AND FRANCE DOMINATE THE FIELD
European riders led the pack at the rider-judged awards ceremony on Saturday night, claiming all but two award categories. Dorian Macher (AUT) won the New Nine prize for the best newcomer, while Nines stalwart Peter Kaiser (AUT) was picked for the High Vibe Award by GoPro.
The inventive riding of Tomas Lemoine (FRA) was deemed worthy of the Creative Edge award, while the promising young talent Lisa-Marie Blanc (FRA) took home the Women’s Best Trick award. Americans Dylan Stark and Kaidan Ingersoll locked down the Men’s Best Trick category, while freeride legend Bienvenido Aguado (ESP) maintained his stranglehold on Best Line, winning the award for the sixth time in nine appearances at the Nines.
Last but not least, Tim Bringer (FRA) and Patricia Druwen (GER) were crowned as the MVPs of week.
SWATCH NINES MTB 2024 RIDERS AWARDS
New Nine – Dorian Macher (AUT)
Creative Edge – Tomas Lemoine (FRA)
High Vibe Award by GoPro – Peter Kaiser (AUT)
Best Trick: Slope Men – Kaidan Ingersoll (USA),
360 downside whip to Indian Air
Best Trick: Women – Lisa-Marie Blanc (FRA), 360
Best Trick: Big Bike Men – Dylan Stark (USA), 360
Best Line – Bienvenido Aguado (ESP)
MVP Women – Patricia Druwen (GER)
MVP Men – Tim Bringer (FRA)
BYND FESTIVAL & MASH-UP SESSION
In tandem with the Nines, the BYND Festival also made its debut in Sölden over the weekend. Undeterred by the stormy weather, an enthusiastic crowd of mountain bike fans turned out for a full program of concerts, parties, gear tests and side events. On Sunday, the 15th of September, attendees also enjoyed a front-row seat to world-class MTB action as a crew of special guests joined invited Swatch Nines riders for a Mash-Up Session on the Nines course.
THE SWATCH NINES SETUP: A LASTING LEGACY
With the construction of two new pro-level freeride and slopestyle lines, Swatch Nines has brought a major expansion to the already extensive mountain bike offer at Bike Republic Sölden. What’s more, this innovative setup wasn’t designed with only a single event in mind: Built to last for the next ten years, the Nines course will be adapted for the general public, and opened as part of regular bike park operations beginning in summer 2025.
QUOTES:
“To me an event like Swatch Nines is so important. Competitions are amazing but they’re not for everyone, and they’re not an environment where everyone can push their riding to their best level. A jam event like Swatch Nines is so cool for people who perform in a less competitive environment. Everyone is so supportive of each other, everyone pushes each other to learn new things, and everyone comes away super stoked.”
Veronique Sandler (GBR/NZL)
“There’s a special energy here. There’s no pressure to do the craziest riding, but everyone wants to do their craziest riding because there’s just this energy of wanting to push it, wanting to do cool stuff and wanting to push each other’s limits. I feel like that creates a very unique vibe every time, and we love it.”
Nicholi Rogatkin (USA)
“Like attracts like. After the first edition of the Swatch Nines MTB to be held in Sölden, we have the feeling that we’re part of the family. We’re united by our way of thinking and our high standard of quality. At the Nines the riders develop their own course, and at Bike Republic Sölden we support direct democracy, true to our motto: Riders Rule!”
Dominik Linser, Managing Director Bike Republic Sölden
“Coming to Swatch Nines is always special because the crew is such a family and there’s so much camaraderie between all the riders. I think this is where the most progression happens, because we have such a great array of riders. There are people with so many different backgrounds, and they can help you through any sort of jump or anything that’s technical or huge. There’s something for everyone, and everyone wants to share what they’re good at and help everyone kind of level up.”
Casey Brown (USA)
“It’s a very special, very creative course, and that makes the event so unique, You have a huge playground for a week where you can do some really creative things. As a result you get great photos, great videos and cool new tricks. That’s what defines Swatch Nines.”
Peter Kaiser (AUT)
“The setup at Swatch Nines is totally different from the usual. There are so many technical elements and features that you wouldn’t find anywhere else.”
Patricia Druwen (GER)
“The setup is really nice. The features are not scary big, so we can play on it and have fun. That makes it more comfortable and more fun to ride. There are so many different features. I’m a big fan of jibby, skatepark-style features, so I have a lot of fun on it.”
Dawid Godziek (POL)
“It’s an insane, incredible feeling to be here riding this course with all the guys and girls. It’s the best time that you can have on a bike.”
Tobey Miley (GER)
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