Air DH Kiwi Style, Crankworx Rotorua 2016 - Photo Epic
What do you get when you combine a sprinters track with talcum powder dirt and perfectly built berms and jumps? Options! A track which suits both the fastest of the world cup downhillers and the local strong-legged enduro bunnies. Going into today's race no one knew who to watch. It was anyone's race.
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 The start of the track came down the side of the Skyline Hill overlooking Lake Rotorua. |
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| The line choices were endless. |
Mr Black is Skyline's latest creation - a flowing trail that was built to replace a once unpopular, flat grade 2 trail. Built by both the Skyline trail crew and empire of dirt. The trail descends 242 meters over 2.3 KMs. Packed full of 32 hittable features.
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| The track was tucked in amongst more scenic skyline bush. |
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| No blind jumps throughout the whole track. |
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| Mark Dunlop and Rae Morrison talking tactics during morning practice. |
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| When you can't whip it, tweak it. |
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| Flashes of the danger man, Josh Reiley. He held down the hot seat for a long time until the sharper end of the elite men came through. |
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| Michal Prokop keeping things tidy while exiting the big wall ride. |
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| Ain't no netting gonna slow him down. |
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| Mark Dunlop has bigger calves than any rider in town! When buying his bikes he has to try them first to see if the rear end is narrow enough so he doesn't hit it. |
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| Finn Parsons hanging it out. |
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| Rem-Dog staying high. |
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| Although Lloyd Jenks was riding his new S-Works Demo. He had a 30T Chainring fitted so managed to keep it spinning everywhere. |
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| Remy Morton popping over the road gap. |
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| That light bro. |
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The Open Men's/Elite field featured 45 entrants. Local Auckland rider, Josh Reiley started leaving behind 20 pro men. He went into the hot seat by over two seconds and that stood until the last seven riders started to drop in. Progressively the lead changed before George Brannigan cleaned it up by just under two seconds on Louis Hamilton. Many riders such as Matt Walker and Phil Atwill didn't start due to focusing on pump track practice.
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| I can only imagine he's saying "BRAAAP." |
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| Tucking to save all the energy he could. He needed to if he was to stay competitive on a DH rig on a pedalling course. |
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| Local boy Louis going inside. |
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| Cous Cous scrubbing. |
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| George Brannigan pinning it on his way to winning it! The inaugural Crankworx Rotorua Air DH Champion. |
Full results here.
MENTIONS: @officialcrankworx / @cameronmackenzie
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Member since Mar 6, 2011
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Then again I also think this is a tactic of the USA reassuring visitors will leave their country and will not try to stay.
All this crankworx rotorua make me want to go there so bad!
Especially can't understand it if they say "I just got my own apartment" and I ask them where and they respond in the same city they always lived.
Because of this I have a strong opinion/feeling about people complaining where they live, it's their own choice.