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The evolution will be webcast

Hundreds of athletes, thousands of spectators expected for Crankworx
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Head down A racer heads to the finish in the downhill at the 2006 Crankworx.

More than 15,000 people are expected to line the side of the course for this year’s Kokanee Slopestyle, the crown jewel of the Crankworx freeride mountain bike festival and a made-in-Whistler event that has a global following.

This year, thousands more fans who can’t be in Whistler will be able to watch the slopestyle finals online as a result of a joint partnership between Whistler-Blackcomb, Telus and Rip.TV. Rip.TV is a broadband action sports network that covers mountain bike, snowboard, ski, skateboard, BMX, surf, and motocross events live, as well as hosting its own online shows that features the professional athletes.

“With this addition, mountain bike fans from around the globe will have a first-time opportunity to experience the action as it happens,” said Tim Bieber, CEO of Rip Media Group. “This is a pivotal moment in the history of Kokanee Crankworx and we are excited to be leading this innovative charge forward.”

Sports fans can tune in at either www.crankworx.com or www.rip.tv and watch the show for free.

The Crankworx festival gets underway on Saturday, July 21 and wraps up on July 29. The top professional downhillers and freeriders will be in town to compete in seven competitions. More than $44,000 in prize money is up for grabs.

As well, there is a full slate of concerts on the Monster Mainstage, an on-mountain, industry expo, and other attractions in the village.

Events

Volkswagen Biker Cross — July 20-21

The Volkswagen Biker Cross opens this year’s Crankworx festival with competitors being seeded by their qualifying times, and racing against three other riders in each heat of the finals. All the action takes place on the Biker Cross course at the base of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, with lots of room for spectators.

Athletes can train from noon to 4 p.m. on Friday, July 20, and the course will be closed for training from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Athletes will get two runs, with only the best run counting, between 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The finals will take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Awards will follow.

Garbanzo Enduro Downhill — July 21-22

The course for this race has not been picked, but competitors will race from the top of the Garbanzo Express chair to the valley for a vertical drop of close to 1,100 metres. The fastest competitors take just under 15 minutes to complete the course.

There will be training on Saturday, July 21, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on an open course (sharing with the public), and a closed course training session from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Sunday. Racers will run from 12:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 6 p.m.

WomenzWorx — July 23-24

There are a lot of different components to the inaugural WomenzWorx event, including free lift passes for the first 100 women to ride the bike park, discounted clinics, the Gala Women’s Only Freeride event, and the Dirty Girls Gala semi formal awards ceremony.

The freeride event will include four judging stations set up at various features. The features include the jump sequence at the start of Freight Train to Goat’s Gully, the Schleyer ladder bridge drop, selected features in the Boneyard, and the last three jumps of A-Line. The Boneyard features are optional, and there are both pro and amateur categories.

Riders will be judged on line selection, technique, fluidity, control and air time.

Jim Beam Air Downhill — July 24-25

This is one of the most popular races of Crankworx, and is in its fifth year. The race takes place on A-Line, from top to bottom, with more than a hundred jumps, berms, and other features.

There will be training on Tuesday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on an open course, and closed course training from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesday. The race takes place from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., with the awards at 6:40 p.m. on the stage.

Telus Dual Slalom — July 26-27

In the early days of mountain biking, dual slalom races were popular for their ability to test riders and wow crowds. These days the format is making a comeback, as riders navigate a series of gates on a sloping course. Riders will be seeded during the time trials, and riders qualifying for the finals will race head to head against another rider for two runs, one run on each course, with the winner determined by the combine time. The winner from each bracket will advance to the next round.

The course, which is being built part-way up the biker cross, will be open for training from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, and will be closed to registered racers on Friday for more training from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The time trials will take place from noon to 2:30 p.m., and the finals from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., followed by the awards.

Canadian Open Downhill — July 28-29

The course is being kept under wraps for now, but this will be a World Cup-style downhill event on a selection of trails that tests a variety of skills.

Participants can train on the open course from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, and on a closed course from 10 a.m. to noon on Sunday. The race will run from noon to 5:30 p.m., followed by the awards at 6 p.m.

Kokanee Slopestyle — July 25-28

The Kokanee Slopestyle format, invented in Whistler, combines the skills of dirt jumping and freeriding into one event, and has taken off around the world. There are more than a dozen pro events on the circuit in Europe and in North America, including the inaugural Crankworx Colorado two weeks ago, but Whistler remains the biggest event for the sport. The contest takes place in the Boneyard at the base of Whistler Mountain on a course that includes wooden stunts, wall rides, drops, dirt jumps, and other features. Expect a crowd of 15,000 spectators to line the course.

The training for qualifiers will take place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, followed by the qualifier heats from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. The top five finishers from each heat, and the top three overall riders from all three heats will advance to the finals, where they will face the top six finishers from the 2006 event. The finals take place on Saturday, with training from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., and the contest from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.