Photo Report: Day 1 DH Randoms - Crankworx Whistler 2023
Crankworx Whistler is officially on as a packed week of racing and riding kicks off with the RockShox Canadian Open DH. Not only is there a stacked lineup of riders looking to take on the first challenge of the week, but riders are being treated to a brand-new course with some huge features. Check out the action from the first day of practice and some fresh tech below.
This sure beats the old Canadian Open start ramp.
Black or Blue, take your pick Richie.
Plenty a rim was destroyed today. I'd say the DT Swiss lads are going to have their work cut out for them this week.
The SR Suntour boys had it tough running service out of their van in the heat today.
Norco's latest prototype sporting a whole load of cable mounts...
Moments of calm in the SRAM pits this morning before Tegan and Vali went about dealing with this beast of a track.
Tool box porn, thats all.
Norco's newly realised Carbon Fluid and a dirty old rig.
Richie looked to be loving the track here - Steep, rocky and loamy.
Lucas Cruz with the lens clean before heading up for his first run of the day.
The Forbidden team are on home turf here, and there's no shortage of their High-Pivot goodness floating around the pits.
Kirk McDowell's racing and testing the new Norco alongside the factory boys this weekend.
Nothing to see here.
The last race for Vali's Session before she goes about defending her stripes in two weeks time.
Kye A'hern is back racing this weekend after a very long offseason for the Aussie recovering from injury.
No bolt left unchecked in the Norco Pits.
The Pivot boys are sporting new colours for this weekend
The wooden drops on this course are no joke.
Matt Walker looked to be getting up to speed quickly on this track, but remember those who raced the EWS here last year have already ridden the top half of this track.
Caroline Buchanan looked to only be doing a few laps today, likely just enough to learn the track so she can get down clean come Sunday. The DH is her least favourite event, but offers such important points for the Queen of Crankworx overall.
Sam Blenkinsop's looking for every point he can this weekend in an effort to finish 3rd in the overall.
Eddie Masters is no stranger to this signature BC rock/loam combo, having spent a lot of his season here so far this year.
Tegan Cruz looks to be at home here on this gnarly track.
1199 is littered with little roots, and with it being so fresh, the trail is going to change so much over the next few days.
Jackson Frew opting for the roll as opposed to the drop option on this near-vert feature.
Plenty of puzzling went down over this rock feature today.
As if the rocks here aren't big enough, many features and sections require some very precise moves.
Louise Ferguson wasn't going to miss a day of the action, making a quick trip back from Hardline.
Bailey Goldstone is holding down the fort this weekend with her brother, Jackson, still laid up recovering from his appendix surgery. Not to worry though, pace runs in the family.
Steep, loamy goodness. Just what the doctor ordered.
There are three of these wooden drops throughout the course, each one progressively larger.
Mark Wallace is another Canadian out here racing this week, and isn't looking shy on track.
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Creekside is awesome this year though (for now...)