Rising to the Moment: Lyon Hyldahl and Manitou at Crankworx New Zealand

progression meets pressure

For Lyon Hyldahl, getting the call to line up at the invitation-only Crankworx New Zealand Slopestyle was already a win before the first tire hit dirt. What followed was a performance that showed exactly why he belongs.

From Mud to Momentum

Lyon’s week in Christchurch didn’t start easy. Record rainfall had soaked the course, leaving conditions far from ideal. Credit to the dig crew, who managed to get the lower section running for day one of practice, even while the top half still needed work. It was slow, technical, and far from forgiving. But for Lyon, it was an opportunity to adapt.

By the second practice session, the full course opened up. With every lap, speed increased, confidence built, and the rhythm started to return. Day two is where things clicked. Lyon began checking off his biggest tricks. The flip bar whip came together in the morning session, followed by a clean cork 7 on the hip later in the day. Piece by piece, the run was taking shape.

Performing Under Pressure

Qualifying day brought another challenge. Heavy winds rolled in, throwing off timing and consistency across the field. Riders were getting caught out mid-run, but Lyon stayed composed.

Focused on putting down a complete run rather than chasing perfection, he delivered when it counted and secured his place in finals, qualifying 16th out of 32 riders. For a young rider stepping into one of the sport’s biggest stages, it was a statement.

Finals: Leading from the Front

Finals day brought calm conditions and a new kind of pressure. Lyon dropped in first. Leading out a field of world-class riders is no small task, but he approached it with the same mindset that got him there. First run had a few mistakes, but it settled the nerves and set the stage for a second attempt.

Run two started strong. The opening hits were clean and confident, but a heavy landing on the cork 7 knocked his bars out of alignment. With the bike compromised, he had to make a call mid-run. He reset, went for one last push, and committed to the flip bar whip.

It didn’t come around this time. But that’s slopestyle.

Built for This

Throughout it all, Lyon relied on the Manitou Circus Pro. Designed specifically for the demands of dirt jump and slopestyle, the Circus Pro is built to handle exactly this kind of riding.

Short travel, precise damping, and a chassis tuned for stiffness and control give riders the confidence to commit fully, whether they’re dialing tricks in practice or sending it under pressure. It’s a fork made for progression, where every detail supports consistency, predictability, and feel.

In conditions that ranged from wet and slow to windy and unpredictable, that reliability matters.

Just the Beginning

For Lyon, Crankworx New Zealand wasn’t just another event. It was an opportunity to measure himself against the best, to learn, to adapt, and to push forward. Qualifying for finals, landing some of his biggest tricks in practice, and stepping up under pressure all point to one thing.

He’s just getting started. And we’re proud to be along for the ride.