Part 3 of our coverage of the 2018 Cannonball MTB Festival focuses on Saturday, with Group-A Flow Motion Cup and Whip Wars!
Saturday at Thredbo and the dust is really starting now, after so many competitor’s race runs many sections of the track will keep the trail crews busy post-event. But otherwise good warm weather kept everyone’s spirits high out on the hill and some great racing through the day with the U19 and Pro category Flow Motion Cup running.
Saturday night’s spectacle of Whip Wars rolled in just after the Flow with the best whip taking home cash plus cash awarded through the event for best tricks. Backflips, Suicide No-Handers, No-Footers were just some of the other tricks on offer!
Flow Motion Cup
Rolling down the sweeping turns and having to find those pedal strokes from deep down for some of the lower traverse sections, the Flow Motion Cup is a test of bike handling skills and fitness. Those who can master it are those willing enough to push at virtually maximum heart rate for the entire run, pushing off the pain of lactic acid and finding any respite they can in the parts to speed tuck and lay off the brakes.






As the day rolled on and the dust made more of an appearance as well as some super-close racing. In the Pro Women’s category, last year’s winner Sian A’hern was out to take the win but with NZ’s EWS star Rae Morrison in town and plenty of other fast females like Tegan Molloy out there, would she have enough? Pro Men’s was anyone’s guess, with a huge range of racers who seemed like they could take the cup – from Timmy Eaton, Graeme Mudd and Josh Carlson to wunderkind Kye A’hern plus a host of international and Australian racers. Plus, throw in a guest star Steve Peat and a Yoann Barelli…
































Whip Wars
With the Flow Motion cup finishing off, a big crowd gathered on the hill for watching the Whip Wars spectacle. Cash on offer for the best whip, and best tricks throughout the night. With judges on deck from local and overseas, including Ed Masters, Greg Minnaar, Steve Peat who’d take home the crown?

















That’s it for Saturday – watch out for Sunday’s coverage as the Australian Open Downhill finishes off events here at 2018’s Cannonball MTB Festival.
If you missed our other coverage, here it is so far:
Part 1 – Wednesday & Thursday
Part 2 – Friday
Bike Checks Part 1
—
Photos: Matt Rousu