Former Crankworx Exec Calls Slopestyle Strike a "Hijack Move"
Crankworx was in a great place this season with an increase in overall prize money from the years prior and a dedicated women's field with equal pay and exposure. But, at the last minute, the Men's field backed out of the contest citing a number of reasons why.
One of the founders of the Tour, Mark Taylor, had some words for them via LinkedIn which you can read below.
LinkedIn / Mark Taylor
This is the first outspokenly negative take on the men's field's strike and it comes from one of the event's co-founders and longtime executives. He certainly did not hold back on his thoughts on how the riders behaved in this instance.
He also shed some light on the financial backing of the event which is important for some perspective here in terms of what their ability to provide additional compensation for athletes looks like. From what we have gathered, the Tour is run as a relatively trim operation without money to provide additional support.
In the comments, Taylor also pointed out that the event has always provided room and board yet has never provided travel or appearance fees. He goes on to point out that this is the industry standard for any "legitimate pro sports tour . . . unless it's a Saudi LIV event."
LinkedIn / Mark Taylor
At the end of all this, the athletes and event are going to have to come to a mutual understanding and perhaps bring the riders' personal sponsors into the conversation as well. This sport requires a lot from every party in order to run and, as fans, we want to see the Crankworx World Tour and Men's slopestyle produce the best possible product.
Related: Crankworx Responds To Men's Slopestyle Strike
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