Crankworx Freeride MTB Festival to Take Place August 3-7, 2005

The second annual Crankworx freeride mountain bike festival wheels into Whistler August 3-7, 2005. Crankworx blends extreme freeride mountain biking competitions, fun family races, music and entertainment, and will showcase Whistler as the place to play and ride this summer. Organizers have announced event details that will combine highlights from last year with a range of new elements to deliver an explosive lineup of entertainment and gravity-fed action.Saturday evening's invitational Slopestyle will, once again, take centre stage. Riders wow the crowds by choosing which features to hit and how best to impress the judges by combining elements like bar spins, nose wheelies, and suicide no-handers. Slopestyle invitations will be handed out to the most talented and accomplished freeriders ensuring a spectacular display of athleticism, not to mention fearlessness, on the course. A qualifying event will provide opportunities for a wider field of riders to participate in the finals.

The Air Downhill, in its fifth year as a Whistler summer staple, will take place with an added twist. This year's event will begin at the top of the brand new Freight Train Trail and continue onto A-Line, descending 3,400 feet over 200 plus tables, drops, berms and rolls ending in Whistler Village. Almost three times the length of last year's course, this race will test stamina and skill and is expected to become one of Crankworx's signature events.


"This year's Crankworx will continue to raise the bar on competition and will help inspire a whole new level of freeriding," says Eric Fremont, Crankworx Event Manager. "The ongoing surge in popularity of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is at the forefront of this momentum, fueling such events as the Air Downhill by responding to the talented riders who demand more each year from the Park and the contests we host."

Other events include the Nissan Biker X and an all new Jump Jam. The Enduro Downhill, encompassing downhill and cross-country riding, a village-based kid's race plus a WORCA (Whistler Off Road Cycling
Association) race will round out the competition side of Crankworx. A Mountain Bike Industry Expo and an outdoor film festival screening the sport's best films will complement the five-day event.

After taking in the competitions, spectators will be treated to roving street entertainers, concerts, and the illustrious Dangerous Dan, whose aerial stunt riding Flow Show delivers a jaw-dropping adaptation of North Shore style riding constructed high above the crowds. "Crankworx, like all great festivals, has something for everyone, taking advantage of the range of riding options we offer in Whistler," says Arlene Schieven, Vice President Marketing of Tourism Whistler. "This range, plus great entertainment and all the amenities of Whistler village, contributes to what we think will make Crankworx one of the must-attend mountain festivals of the summer."


"This year's Crankworx will be bigger, better and more exciting than ever with the additions and improvements that have been made to the events and to the courses," says legendary pro rider and designer of the Biker X and Slopestyle courses, Richie Schley. "Competitors will have their minds blown once again by Whistler's ability to continually push the limits of the sport and encourage progression every day."

Eric Fremont, who plays a leading role in Whistler Blackcomb's event department, will head up the 2005 Organizing Committee consisting of a blended team of professionals from the event's three owners - Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW).

"It's an exciting opportunity to take on this lead role in Crankworx," says Fremont. "In its short history Crankworx has gained a loyal following within the mountain bike community and has set a high benchmark in the action sports industry. As well, the crowds in attendance last year show that the sport captures the kind of spectator interest necessary to secure long-term sponsorships to ultimately ensure the success of the event."

The second annual Crankworx, August 3-7, 2005, Whistler's summer mountain bike festival, is presented in partnership by Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and the Resort Municipality of Whistler. At centre stage of Crankworx is the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. With over 200 km and 3,400 feet of lift-serviced gravity-fed, adrenaline-fueled descending trails, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is the unequivocal leader of lift-accessed mountain bike parks in the world.