Crankworx World Tour Announces Dates for 2020
PRESS RELEASE: Crankworx World Tour
We have confirmed the Crankworx World Tour calendar for the season ahead. The ultimate experience in mountain biking will bring trademark contests, excitement and good times to three iconic destinations in 2020:
March 1-8: Crankworx Rotorua
June 10-14: Crankworx Innsbruck
August 5-16: Crankworx Whistler
First, Crankworx Rotorua will kick off a new decade of international mountain bike competition amongst lush forests and New Zealand’s famed dirt gold. Building on the distinctive vibe that’s defined the festival over the past five years, locals are gearing up for eight days of competition, amateur racing, Kidsworx contests, participatory events, and celebrations of mountain bike culture. Also in the works: a new Dual Slalom track for the third year of this discipline at our Southern Hemisphere home.
“To have Crankworx in Rotorua is such a sweet feeling,” says Keegan Wright (NZL), who hails from the North Island city. Wright topped two podiums in Rotorua this year, bookending the festival with wins in the 100% Dual Slalom and GIANT Toa Enduro presented by CamelBak. “They always better themselves each year and never fail to make the riders stoked, in all the disciplines. Can’t wait! Each year when Crankworx Rotorua is coming up the buzz levels are out the roof.”
Next, Crankworx Innsbruck ramps the energy up at the mid-point of the season, bringing together the sport’s elite for the only European stop of the world’s biggest mountain bike festival series. Over the past three years, Innsbruck has brought its own distinct flavour to the Crankworx mix with top notch courses set against an unrivalled backdrop, a buzzing expo, high-energy after-parties, and its unique showcase of Tyrolean culture.
“Crankworx in Innsbruck is always a season highlight for me and I’m excited it’ll be around for another couple years,” says local rider Peter Kaiser (AUT), who represented on the podium of the Official European Whip-Off Championships presented by Spank in 2019. Working with the local organizing committee, Crankworx has extended its time in the capital city of Tyrol for another three years. Crankworx Innsbruck will continue to be the hub for good times on two wheels in Europe through 2022. “For me, having Crankworx in town is all about a week of good vibes and riding the world’s best courses with friends. It not only involves international athletes but also local competitors and MTBInnsbruck - the local bike community. It connects us all on the same level.”
Rounding things out, Crankworx Whistler will bring it all home for, quite possibly, the best times you’ll ever have on or around bikes. Following on the heels of the Tokyo Olympics, the top riders from all disciplines of gravity-fueled mountain biking will descend on the global mecca of the sport.
In 2020, competition will extend from 10 days to 12, starting on Wednesday, August 5 and rolling on through Sunday, August 16. The change will open up additional training and event windows, enabling more people to participate. Whistler will play host to some tough battles including the seventh round of the Enduro World Series, the conclusion of the King and Queen of Crankworx race, and the hunt for the elusive Triple Crown of Slopestyle. In 2020 the festival will also celebrate the 10 year anniversary of Red Bull Joyride.
“I love having my biking friends from around the globe come to Whistler at the same time and getting to share this gem with them,” says Canadian Vaea Verbeeck, who took the overall Queen of Crankworx title in 2019. “The locals aren't just fellow riders that you encounter in the village or bike park anymore, they become some of your biggest supporters during Crankworx and they make sure you know they're cheering for you. Whistler is not only a world class bike park, it's also full of really lovely places which make you feel just like home.”
Queen Verbeeck, asserting her dominance on A-Line. Photo: Fraser Britton
Ticketing and additional info is available here:
Crankworx Rotorua
Festival tickets and VIP passes are currently on sale: https://www.crankworx.com/rotorua/tickets/
Super Saver Tickets are on sale now through December 26 NZDT
Keep on top of all the latest: Crankworx Rotorua Facebook event
Crankworx Innsbruck
Festival tickets and VIP passes go on sale in spring
Keep on top of all the latest: Crankworx Innsbruck Facebook event
Crankworx Whistler
VIP passes go on sale in December
Keep on top of all the latest: Crankworx Whistler Facebook event
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If you have to make a long trip to get to Whistler, I think it's worth it to be there during Crankworx. If you are at least a little bit interested in watching Joyride, meeting pro athletes etc. it's 100% worth the longer lines.
If you are just focused on riding it's definitely the worst time to be there. Again, the lines are longer and the trails are more blown out, so the riding is simply awesome and not the most awesome experience of your entire life, but I've always preferred the energy and atmosphere and competition that being present for Crankworx brings.
And finally even with the long lines, you can still get more than enough riding for a 'full day on the hill.' You'll also probably be swayed to try some of the less popular trails and that's always cool because there's a lot more than A Line to ride.
If you just want to bomb laps until your forearms burn, go in June. If you want to get passed by Eddie Masters and some Vanzacs on A-line and chat up mtn biking YouTube stars while waiting in line, go during Crankworx.
Disclaimer: I don't work for Crankworx or Whistler-Blackcomb. Although, I wish I did...
Only downside to riding during CW are closed trails, usually b-Line for B-Line race, A-Line for Air-DH, Schleyer, Upper Joyride and canadian dh for the canadian open, TOTW and your usual tech-trails for the EWS and the family cross/skillspark for Joyride. And dont think your smart and use garbo and creekside lift on saturday before Joyride, because everyone does and in the end fitz runs the fastest. At least thats my experience.
I ride the garbo zone each year and its pretty quite up there.
If your bike is a trail bike the Creekside stuff is fun. Parking at Creekside also avoids the parking issues at the main lot. You can bang out laps all day and not go down the the bottom of the Fitz chair where all the action is.
The main lifts at the base of the mountain (Fitzsimmons and Whistler Village Gondola) have ABSURD lift lines (like an hour plus). Hop in the singles line (15-20 mins) or ride a few mins over to Creekside. I rode amazing trails on Creekside literally by myself. I met a few people & lapped Freight Train to A-Line multiple times.
If you're going solely to ride, go another time.
If you're going to experience whistler & crankworx, expect the lines to suck but have fun.
If you can get out of bed first thing, get a few laps in, then hang out / people watch until the afternoon & hop on the bike again.
Depends on how long you can stay but if it's only a few days to a week, maybe arrive mid-crankworx & stay a few days after. The trails will be worked (I'm sure no worse than Highland after at the end of summer) but the place will be pretty empty.
If you are fan and want to see some action, okay, if you wanna be riding during Crankworx, ride somewhere around, just avoid park. Honestly for me, the TV and web media coverage is so huge I would rather spend a week of riding outside of Crankworx date. But it also depends what you riding, most of the people think A-line and Dirt Merchant are the only good trails, they´ve seen them on internet so must be...which is not true in my opinion, theres not so many people riding technical trails etc so if you spend a day on those, you should be fine, but still....the pass is pretty expensive to be waiting for a lift