Crankworx crashing into town

August 11, 2008

The rock stars of the mountain biking world are back in town, here to produce thrills, chills and spills in the fifth annual Kokanee Crankworx festival. World champion siblings Gee and Rachel Atherton headline the pack of top riders coming to Whistler’s Mountain Bike Park for the massive event, which kicks off Saturday (Aug. 9) and runs through Aug. 17.

Top-flight slopestyle riders, such as Paul Basagotia, Darren Berrecloth and Cam McCaul, and World Cup racers such as Whistler’s Claire Buchar are flocking here for the event. “There should be a lot of pros in town,” Buchar said.

Crankworx General Manager Jeremy Roche said he thinks the world’s best downhilllers and freeriders are drawn here by Whistler’s high-quality mountain bike culture.

“I think for a lot of athletes, this is the highlight of their summer,” he said.

It’s been an intense week for Crankworx organizers, as everything is coming together while the courses are being buffed and legendary course designer John Cowan is in town from California to touch up the slopestyle area.

“Things are definitely ramping up, both with the organization of the event and in addition with the arrival of a lot of the athletes,” Roche said.

The competitive events kick off on Saturday (Aug. 9), a day that belongs to the Dual Slalom. Now in its second year, the popular event pits riders against each other to hurtle down a new course built between the mountain road and the bikercross course.

Each speedster who defeats his or her racing partner moves ahead through the races to have a shot at the cash prizes in the $6,500 purse.

Sunday’s (Aug. 10) gruelling Monster Energy Garbanzo Downhill Race sends racers right up to the summit of the bike park, at the top of the Garbanzo chair, to hurtle down 3,400 vertical feet of technical trails and catching air.

Two brand-new events, the VW Trick Showdown and Giant Slalom, promise to deliver thrills aplenty, Roche told The Question last week.


The Trick Showdown, a slopestyle-based event happening next Thursday (Aug. 14), throws riders into the Boneyard so they can work their magic on two huge features. The event’s $8,000 purse includes special prizes for wowing the crowd.

Next Friday’s (Aug. 15) Giant Slalom again puts riders head to head, racing down jump-filled track in the Boneyard slopestyle area. The course will start above the slopestyle course and send riders screaming right into Whistler Village.

The world’s best slopestyle riders have been invited to fly through John Cowan’s Boneyard in the Monster Energy Slopestyle, a perennial favourite set to run next Saturday (Aug. 16). Whistler riders such as Brandon Semenuk, fresh off a win at the Crankworx Colorado slopestyle, and Alex Prochazka will join other big-name invitees, including last year’s champion, Ben Boyko, to compete for the $30,000 purse.

The Canadian Open Downhill, known as one of the world’s premier downhill mountain biking events, will bring World Cup racers such as Whistler’s Buchar and Katrina Strand to the party on the final day of competition next Sunday (Aug. 17). The course runs under Fitzsimmons Chair, across Old Olly Road, through Joyride into Monkey Hands and over a new feature at the bottom.

Strand is also working on organizing Tuesday’s (Aug. 12) Gala Competition for WomenzWorx, the haven for female freeriders featuring discounted clinics and the judged competitive event.

Other features in the works include the KidsWorx event next Friday (Aug. 15) and the following day’s TrialsWorx, both in the Town Plaza.

The Ken Quon Ride On events are also running under the Crankworx banner this year. The Sunday (Aug. 10) rides will send bikers around the Lost Lake trails to raise money for much-needed emergency equipment, while remembering and honouring the IGA manager and Wild Willies guide who died in that area almost three years ago.


And, of course, there’s the cheese. The Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival promises to be wild and wacky fun down the base of Blackcomb on Saturday (Aug. 16), as the eccentric English tradition comes to Canada for the first time.

Sure, it’s hard to sail through the air and perform complex tricks on mountain bikes, but it’s also got to be pretty difficult chasing an 11-pound wheel of cheese down a hill.

All events are free for spectators –—yes, even the cheese festival. Check out www.crankworx.com for more information.