Powered by Outside

Crankworx Announces 2023 Season Including July Dates for Whistler

Dec 21, 2022
by Official Crankworx  
Chris Pilling photo
The stomp heard around the world. Tomas Lemoine at Red Bull Joyride 2022. Photo: Chris Pilling

Competition wrapped just five weeks ago in Rotorua, but we're continuing full gas through a short off-season.

We'll be kicking off international MTB competition season in 2023 with a shuffled calendar that will bring the action to New Zealand in March, before heading back Down Under to Australia in May. June will bring Crankworx into the thick of World Cup DH racing in Europe, before the season’s final battles play out in Canada in July.

Pro competition from the Crankworx World Tour in 2023 will once again be available live and on demand on Red Bull TV.

The 2023 Crankworx World Tour dates are:

March 18-26: Crankworx Rotorua
May 17-21: Crankworx Cairns
June 21-25: Crankworx Innsbruck
July 21-30: Crankworx Whistler


As the first stop in 2023, Rotorua returns to pole position on the tour, a place in the calendar it occupied from 2015-2020. Crankworx Rotorua 2023 will be set in the native bush and towering Redwood trees of the Whakarewarewa Forest, as well as the tracks built around the vibrant event village at Skyline Rotorua. The New Zealand stop on the tour combines riding with culture, a unique mix that has led to this festival stop being called “the soul of Crankworx.” Tikanga Māori (Māori customary practices) are woven into every aspect of the Sothern Hemisphere stop.

Clint Trahan
Branded by mud. Sam Blenkinsop, sharing the love. Photo: Clint Trahan

Jay French photo
Red Bull's Dawid Godziek, sending it on the updated Maxxis Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza course. Photo: Jay French

Photo Clint Trahan
Vibes are always on point in Rotorua. Photo: Clint Trahan

Clint Trahan photo
2022's Tahiwha DH in the Whakarewarewa forest got the full roster of racers (incl. CWNEXT rider Ethan Donohoe) out amongst the Redwoods. Photo: Clint Trahan

Cairns, which made its Crankworx debut in 2022, will shift to May for the second year of competition on sun scorched Aussie soil. The world's best athletes will be back to weave their way through the rainforest to battle the Smithfield tracks that can only be described as works of dirt art. This includes the infamous croc tail and the huge dirt half pipe, the first of its kind in Crankworx history, on the Slopestyle course. In its first year in 2022, the Cairns festival quickly captured riders’ and fans’ hearts with its raucous crowds who celebrated every single moment at max volume (accompanied by an unprecedented number of shoeys).

Con Chronis photo
The spirit of Crankworx was alive and well for Year One in Cairns. Photo: Con Chronis

Clint Trahan photo
Ellie Smith, on the Smithfield DH track in the rainforest. Photo: Clint Trahan

Con Chronis photo
Hometown hero Mick Hannah practically caused a riot after winning the Specialized Dual Slalom. Photo: Con Chronis

Clint Trahan photo
Rogatkin-calibre cellies. Photo: Clint Trahan

Clint Trahan photo
Photo: Clint Trahan

Innsbruck retains its prime spot in the European race calendar in June for its seventh year in 2023. The Austrian festival will once again follow on the heels of the World Cups in Lenzerheide and Leogang, bringing Crankworx’s all-star lineup together with some of the world’s top downhillers. The only European stop on the Crankworx World Tour, Crankworx Innsbruck mixes urban city vibes with big mountain adventure, making it a unique, high-energy place to bring together the top names in MTB with the local community for Crankworx good times.

Florian Breitenberger photo
We never get tired of this view. Goldstone's whip makes it even better. Photo: Florian Breitenberger

Clint Trahan photo
Bernd Winkler and Mike Ross with their unplanned (??) tandem double backies. Photo: Clint Trahan

Clint Trahan photo
Robin Goomes put on a masterclass of Speed & Style in Innsbruck this year. Photo: Clint Trahan

Clint Trahan photo
Ein skrub. Sebastian Vemmelund Nielsen both scaring and exciting us here. Did he land it?? Photo: Clint Trahan

Wrapping up the season, Whistler reclaims its place as the final stop on the Crankworx World Tour for the 18th iteration of the biggest and baddest of them all. For the first time in Crankworx’s history, the Whistler festival shifts to July. As summer starts to heat up in Whistler, tens of thousands of mountain bike athletes and fans from all over the world will converge in the mecca of mountain biking to watch and get amongst: Red Bull Joyride, Air DH, Whip-Off World Champs, Liv A-Line Sessions, the Adaptive Jam, Dirt Diaries, Deep Summer, Kidsworx, etc. etc. As the finale of the World Tour, the crowning of the King and Queen of Crankworx, and the awarding of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship title, will both return to Whistler’s hallowed ground.

Clint Trahan photo
Specialized's Allan Cooke goes big, as is tradition. The large crowd is pleased, exemplified by the gentleman on the left. Photo: Clint Trahan

Chris Pilling photo
Blenki, charging through the August dust. Photo: Chris Pilling

Ronia Nash photo
The next gen, thriving and sending. Photo: Ronia Nash

Clint Trahan photo
Family reunion on the grass at Whistler Olympic Plaza for Dirt Diaries presented by SWATCH and Deep Summer this year. Much love. Photo: Clint Trahan

Photo Chris Pilling
That sweet feeling when you have a very good day at work. Photo: Chris Pilling

Here's what the athletes have to say:

Clint Trahan photo
Buchanan on the Pump Track in Cairns. Photo: Clint Trahan

bigquotesI am hyped for 2023 – the Crankworx World Tour is my main passion and love! I am working on cornering, my trail bike and DH skills which have always been my weakness, as well as gym and general conditioning over the short off-season to prepare for the season ahead. I am most excited to compete on Aussie soil again in Cairns and see all the kids back competing in Cairns who were taking it all in this year and inspired to compete at their first Crankworx. Inspire and be inspired!!!! Let’s go.Caroline Buchanan, 2022 Queen of Crankworx

photo
. Van Steenbergen, leading the charge in the Opening Ceremony in Rotorua. Photo: Clint Trahan

bigquotesIt’s been a wild couple of years, but definitely some of my favourite seasons of racing as well. I’m feeling good for sure, it feels nice to take a bit of time off the bikes here and recharge after a pretty long and hectic season. I already can’t wait to head to NZ late January and get training and riding again though! For next year one of the things I’m looking forward to a lot is to build off the momentum from this year and improve on some areas. DH will be a bigger focus for this off season I think, as I just love riding it and would love to have a bit more speed to get closer to the top guys!Bas van Steenbergen, 2022 King of Crankworx

Jay French photo
The Swedish Red Bull rider, on track to take all the marbles in Rotorua. Photo: Jay French

bigquotesFor sure lots to be learned on and off the tour every season. Always taking those lessons with me into the following season & to just life in general. [I'm stoked about] the whole package with events all around the globe also really stoked to be heading into a year with a lot of pretty new courses, some we have already gotten to try out parts of but stoked to see how they turn out after a few modifications.Emil Johansson, 2022 Triple Crown of Slopestyle winner + Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Champion

Clint Trahan photo
Höll, dominating on Tyrolean soil. Photo: Clint Trahan

bigquotesYeah can’t wait to race some more Crankworx if they fit in my racing calendar. I’m always keen to try new disciplines and also traveling outside of Europe, I’ve never been to New Zealand, it’s going to be awesome!Vali Höll, setting her sights on Crankworx early season

Those keen to jump on the action can grab their tickets for Crankworx Rotorua, which went on sale yesterday >> crankworx.com/festival/rotorua/

Festival schedules for all stops on the World Tour are set to be released in the new year.

Author Info:
officialcrankworx avatar

Member since Jul 14, 2011
371 articles
Report
Must Read This Week
Sign Up for the Pinkbike Newsletter - All the Biggest, Most Interesting Stories in your Inbox
PB Newsletter Signup

48 Comments
  • 27 1
 Maybe I’m alone here, but I prefer August for Crankworx. It always feels like an end-of-the-year celebration of mountain biking so much as it is an event itself.
  • 8 0
 Almost wondering if it has something to do with the chair lift replacement situation this year. But I agree, I always look forward to August because of Crankworx
  • 4 0
 @Upat1intheMorning: a does anyone know when the approximate dates for the chair to be replaced and running again? I was thinking July will be right in the middle of it being down. Sounds like a cluster F
  • 4 0
 @bman33: looking at the operating dates for the Creekside Gondola and Red Chair, I don’t think we’ll be riding Fitz chair at all next year. Especially considering they’ll be working in an extremely high traffic area at both the bar and top stations
  • 1 0
 @the-other-skier - can you point us to what you're looking at re: operating dates? I was aware of the work on Creekside but not Fitz. Hard to imagine Crankworks without the Fitz chair working
  • 7 0
 Moved to July as to not conflict with WORLDS in Scotland.
  • 5 0
 @bman33: I’m still gonna make my way out to Whistler this year but may have to skip Crankworx. A whole summer with no fitz chair sounds like a rough situation.
  • 3 0
 @Upat1intheMorning: Agreed and same here. My crew and I are planning our yearly trip up currently. We usually avoid Crankworx (we've all been during it a few times and just want to ride now). Sounds like it will be an absolute mess this year without that lift
  • 2 0
 @bman33: My crew and I are doing the same. You sure we aren’t part of the same crew? Haha.
It’s gonna be wild this year, but ya know, they’ll still probably put on a great show and the year after we can all look forward to a more “normal” season
  • 4 1
 @bman33: meh. Gondola will only run bikes no tourists and given bikes and people go into one car I think it might actually be faster than fitz. Typically bikes go into every 4th gondola. Vibes will not be the same and I fear a lot of the favorite trails under fitz being closed will be the real bummer not the lines.
  • 1 1
 @wolftwenty1: Didn't realize the Gondola will be bikes only (not sure how they can pull that off), but it may help a tiny bit.
  • 2 0
 @sexley: How do you feel about that? Dunbar series straight into crankworx was always the absolute peak of a year for me, life is hard now that I'll have to make a choice between those events!
  • 1 0
 @bman33: Blackcomb gondola will haul tourists up, and then presumably they can come back down on the Whistler gondola.
  • 2 0
 @bman33: blackcomb has a new gondola which will upload. Tourons will likely be able to download on whistler side but no up.
  • 1 0
 @bman33: Shouldn't be that hard? Every gondola will be bikes only (you can squeeze 4 into each, which is the same as the Fitz lift), instead of every 4th/5th like in previous years. Less of a pedal to A-line, so not all bad haha
  • 13 0
 Red Bull TV, you say? Who's commentating?
  • 4 0
 Stay tuned Smile
  • 2 0
 I dreamt of Crankworks becoming a full-fledged alternate series for UCI DH WC well with four dates that is not it. It is not far from it... I Iike the fact that their season start in March, and a date in April and another in September would have made it. A Crankworks south-American round bringing some urban downhill into the mix would have been super interesting.
  • 3 0
 Thanks Crankworx for supporting the first "Allies" Indigenous MTB Festival this fall! What a great event!
youtu.be/js6LxuavHTk
  • 1 0
 Thank you for inviting us to take part! We loved it and are so excited to work with you in the future. Great things happening in MTB.
  • 3 0
 Cool to see Crankworx Whistler going down a few weeks earlier. Maybe there will be a bit more moisture!
  • 3 0
 thanks for the heads up, booked a room
  • 2 1
 Wild speculation: July Crankworx gets announced as a UCI DH event.

UCI hasn’t released their DH schedule, and no mention of the Canadian Open in the press release.
  • 4 0
 Well, it's on the calendar already for Canada Cup so that would be a heck of a DH event =/
  • 2 0
 @j-t-g: lol yeah. The WC schedule is released now and I was wrong lol. Oh well. I’ll keep dreaming that we get a race in Whistler in my lifetime!
  • 3 1
 @Clownshoe: Don't even get an EWS race this year. Trash schedule.
  • 4 0
 @Clownshoe: Towns normally hold big races to increase tourism. Whistler is already booming, and the amount of money the UCI probably charges isn't worth the bid to pull in a race.
  • 4 0
 @biker245: I know. Let me dream. I want a WC DH race in my backyard for entirely selfish reasons.
  • 3 0
 Canadian Open is on! My bad for not listing. A thousand pardons.
  • 3 0
 @Clownshoe: WCDH finish in Creekside is the dream, shared by more than a few in town!
  • 3 0
 @flipfantasia: I got my cowbells and beers ready bud! I’ll see you there! Hopefully they’ll run the Canadian Open on the new Creekside track this summer.
  • 2 0
 @Clownshoe: yeah bud! distinct possibility on the Cdn Open, I understand
  • 1 0
 @officialcrankworx: Creekside DH track???? Please
  • 4 0
 @Clownshoe: book a table at Dusty's now
  • 1 0
 @dwkinnaird: Thanks DK! You just made my day!
  • 3 0
 Happy longest day of the year to my Southern Hemisphericals.
  • 3 0
 Happy the shortest amount of daylight day to my polar pals. One month to the sun rises over the horizon.
  • 2 0
 Noice.
  • 1 1
 Slopestyle is the only relevant event..
  • 1 3
 Too bad the only date in Europe is in Austria
  • 3 0
 Too bad the only date in South America is in... no big races in South America.
  • 2 0
 @Andresjb: So there is not enough support for mtb in South America, Austria on the abother hand is the only country in Europe that has laws againgst mountainbiking
  • 1 0
 @dark-o: How do they work then? WC Leogang has been long time ago.
  • 3 0
 @Andresjb: You can only ride your bike on spots where it is offical allowed. That also includes fireroads some people got finded 30000€ for riding on a fireroad
  • 2 0
 @dark-o: Even in public land? That's crazy!







Copyright © 2000 - 2024. Pinkbike.com. All rights reserved.
dv56 0.101929
Mobile Version of Website