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Crankworx a chain of events

Nine day bike festival the biggest of its kind in the world
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Few sports have grown as quickly or in as many directions as mountain biking, and in many ways Whistler has always been in front of the curve. Trails like A River Runs Through It changed the way people looked at bikes, while the Whistler Mountain Bike Park - now in its 11 th year - changed the sport entirely. Mountain resorts across North America and Europe are scrambling to recreate that experience, as a way to earn revenues as well as to meet a growing demand from riders.

Staying on the forefront is hard work, but Whistler has an ace up its sleeve - the Crankworx freeride mountain bike festival, which runs Aug. 7 to 15. Crankworx, this year in its seventh edition, has broken new ground in freeriding time and time again, creating the slopestyle format and bringing back once popular events like the dual slalom and updating the format for today's style of riding.

There is a dirt jump contest, a park jump contest, a trials competition, and several varieties of downhill racing, ranging from super-fast machine-built tracks like the Air Downhill to the long and technical Garbanzo DH. There is a cross-country race, an uphill-downhill super D contest and this year two new events - a pump track competition and Richie's Rally, an event designed by Grant Lamont and Richie Schley that takes the super D format to a whole new level with brutal climbs and super-technical descents on Whistler's west side trails.

According to Crankworx general manager Jeremy Roche, they regularly consult with pro riders and pro teams before adding or changing events. The goal is to stay on the cutting edge.

"We're going into our seventh year of Kokanee Crankworx and we really work hard to remain relevant and new," Roche said. "We feel it's really important to adapt to the times and bring in new events and new event formats, and making sure we have the most exciting lineup of events of any major festival in the world."

The pace of registration for Crankworx events is ahead of last year. Most of the events that are open to the public are expected to sell out. As well, the festival is confirming the participation of the top riders and factory teams from the World Cup downhill and freeride circuits.

This year more effort has been placed on the spectacle, making events more spectator-friendly.

"We have the legacy of the Olympic fibre optic line on Whistler Mountain, and we're going to put it into use to have live coverage from the top of most of the race courses," said Roche. "We're able to create a robust video-on-demand service and webcasting for every (on mountain) event during eight days of Crankworx.

"(The festival) will have a similar look and feel, but we've really put the focus on the live show so people will be able to stroll into Skier's Plaza or tune into the webcast and see a really high-end live show with solid production values - something that will really draw people in, and tell the exciting story of everything that exists around Crankworx."

Roche says sponsorship is returning after the economic collapse of 2008, which will add to the spectacle. As well, Crankworx received $170,000 in federal funding through the Marquee Tourism Events Program. That money will go towards marketing and promotion, the live performances and the festival's art and music component. According to Roche, the marketing dollars are being spent across Canada and the U.S. and will have an impact of roughly $1 million

As well, the Deraylor music festival was able to attract some bigger names this year using the Marquee funding.

The complete rundown on events and registration is available online at www.crankworx.com.

 

Dual Slalom - Aug. 7

This event features twisting parallel tracks with tight corners, rhythm sections, jumps and other features. Riders go head to head and then switch tracks for their second runs. The course will be closed for training from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday. It will reopen for training at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. The time trials get underway at 11:30 a.m., seeding riders for the ladders. The amateur finals will run from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. and the pro ladders from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There is a total pro prize purse of $6,500. There are prizes for amateurs. Open to the public.

 

Monster Energy Garbanzo DH - Aug. 8

The fastest downhill riders in the world take around 13 to 14 minutes to drop over 1,000 vertical metres from the top of the course to Whistler Village. The final course is still to be announced, but it will feature a mix of trails that emphasize different styles of riding.

The course will be open on Saturday for training from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and again from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday. The amateur divisions run from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and the pros from 3:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. The prize purse is $6,000. Open to the public.

 

Ken Quon Ride On - Aug. 8

This cross-country race is a fundraiser for local emergency services. There are several options available, ranging from a casual ride to the B.C. Cup cross-country finals. The course winds through Lost Lake, starting and finishing at the Riverside area. Registration gets underway at 9:30 a.m. and the B.C. Cup Finals start at 11 a.m. The citizen race (one lap of the course) and the Ken Quon RE/MAX Corridor Cup (three laps of the course in teams of two) get underway five minutes later. The awards and barbecue are at 2:30 p.m. For information on the B.C. Cup visit www.teamwhistler.com. For more on the other Ken Quon events visit www.kenquonrideon.com. Open to public.

 

Canadian Open Enduro - Aug. 10

This is a Whistler-style super-D contest, with a series of downhill trails broken up by short climbs. The course will start at the top of Garbanzo and finish in the village. It features over 1,000 metres of descending and around 150 metres of climbing. The course is posted online, and designed for bikes with around six inches of travel.

There is training available from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Monday. The amateur categories will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The pro category runs at 12:30 p.m., with $6,000 in prizes up for grabs. Open to public.

 

Air Downhill - Aug. 11

The annual Air Downhill race is a Whistler original, forgoing the traditional downhill format for the type of flow riding on A-Line - a machine-built trail that features over 200 berms, jumps, drops and other features from top to bottom. The course is closed for training from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, then reopens for training at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday. Amateur divisions roll at 11:30 p.m. and pros at 3:30 p.m. There is $6,000 in prize money. Open to the public.

 

Ultimate Pump Track Challenge - Aug. 12

This is a new event this year, with Whistler Blackcomb building a new track at the top of the Boneyard full of features that will take around 25 seconds to navigate. Only bikes with 26-inch wheels will be accepted into the race. The course is open for training from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, with the time trials getting underway at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday. Riders making the cut will get another training session from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by an elimination contest from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. There is $2,000 in prize money up for grabs. Registration is open to the public.

 

VW Trick Showdown - Aug. 12

This event is a jump and trick contest in the Boneyard, where freeriders will session different obstacles during an open jam on the course. Many of the same riders taking part in Saturday night's slopestyle will be in the field, as will top up and coming riders.

There is a qualifier from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., followed by training until 4:15 p.m. The first session will start at 4:30 p.m. and the second at 5:30 p.m. Six athletes will advance to the finals at 7 p.m., contending for $8,000 in prize money. This event is by invitation only.

 

Trialsworx - Aug. 13-14

Organized by the Baia Brothers, Trialsworx features some of the top trials riders in Canada and the U.S. and typically draws some top names from Japan and Europe as well. The event is all about balance, with participants hopping their bikes around six challenging courses around Whistler Village, battling the clock while trying to keep their feet on the pedals at all times. The Kidsworx event is from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, and the novice and sport categories will run from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The master and elite categories run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Visit www.baiabros.com for more information.

 

Giant Slalom, presented by Giant - Aug. 13

This event is similar to the dual slalom, but takes place on a bigger, longer and burlier Double vision bike cross course through the Boneyard. The format is the same as the dual slalom, with a time trial seeding racers and then a ladder leading to the finals. The course is closed for training from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, and from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday. Time trials start at 11:30 a.m., the amateur ladders at 3:30 p.m. and the pro ladders at 6 p.m. The pros are competing for a prize purse of $6,500. Open to public.

 

Karaoke Jump Jam - Aug. 13

Sponsored by CamelBak and hosted by Kirt Vories, this event takes place on the municipal dirt jumps beside the skateboard park. The event takes place from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and riders are welcome to show off both their jump skills and their karaoke skills.

 

Canadian Cheeserolling Championships - Aug. 14

This is the third year for this event, where participants chase a rolling cheese down a steep hill at Base II on Blackcomb. Whistler Blackcomb season passes for 2010-2011 are up for grabs, as well as five kilogram wheels of very expensive cheese. There are also side attractions, live entertainment and cheese sampling sponsored by the Canadian Milk Producers. For more information visit www.canadiancheeserolling.ca.

 

Monster Energy Slopestyle - Aug. 14

This is the premier event of Crankworx, as well as one of the biggest slopestyle contests in the world. Roughly 20,000 fans were on hand last year to watch the event live and thousands more tuned in to watch the webcast. This judged event is open by invitation only, pitting the world's top freeriders against one another on the biggest jumps and obstacles in the Boneyard. The qualifier runs at 2 p.m. on Thursday, and the course is closed for training from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday and from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. Riders then get two runs on the course, with the top six moving on to the finals at 7 p.m. to compete for $30,000 in prize money - one of the biggest cash prizes on the pro circuit.

 

Canadian Open DH - Aug. 15

Sponsored by Kona, this is a traditional downhill-style race through the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, with similar course features to a World Cup, Canada Cup or B.C. Cup event. That means pedal sections, rock gardens and a variety of terrain. The course is closed for training from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, and from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday. The amateur categories ride at 11:30 a.m. and the pros at 3 p.m. for $6,000 in prize money. Open to public.