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Iles wins whip-off in return

Perennial women's champ Brown does it again
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Finn Iles completes his final whip of the afternoon as he captures the Official Whip-Off World Championships at Crabapple Hits on Thursday afternoon. Photo by Dan Falloon

Finn Iles' second title at the Official Whip-Off World Championships was far less contentious than his first.

He didn't need a campaign just to make it in as a 15-year-old under-ager - this time, two years later, he could just focus on business.

That's exactly what he did, overcoming runners-up Thomas Vanderham and Allan Cooke to take his second title.

"This one is the same feeling. Not better. I'd say the same," Iles said after the victory. "(In 2014), I was allowed in and I did my best whips ever and then I was just so happy.

"This one, I was not being able to whip at the start of the year and then I came out here and it was nice to be home and I felt good all day."

Iles missed the 2015 event, won by Spain's Andreu Lacondeguy, because of an injury.

The wind was a factor, seeming to affect riders and keeping tricks a little on the safe side earlier in the finals. But it died down as the championships went on, leading to a bigger show as the riders pleaded their cases right down to the very last run.

"It was kind of windy, but I felt if I timed it right, there was no wind," Iles said. "It was gusty, so it was here and it was gone and it was here and then it tailed off, so I felt I could throw my best ones right at the end."

Vanderham, a North Vancouver resident, is no stranger to second having now taken it thrice. He was happy with his performance and had no qualms about finishing on the left-hand step.

"It's an event that's for fun and I'm not overly competitive with it," he said. "It would be nice to win one one of these years, but it's not something that bothers me at all."

On the women's side, Casey Brown of Revelstoke beat out hometown rival Lorraine Blancher for her fourth consecutive win in the event. Squamish's Jaime Hill took third. Brown is set to compete in the Ultimate Pump Track Challenge at Base 2 beginning at 6:30 p.m.