Obituary: Heckler's Rock (2009–2016)
In Loving Memory of one Iconic Place to Cheer and Jeer.
August 2009–August 2016, Whistler, British Columbia
Hecklers’ Rock, the supreme spot to congregate for the Canadian Open Downhill presented by IXS, was born from a few racers' desire to watch how the pros cleaned a flying leap-to-rock-roll feature, which had become their nemesis.
Survived by founding father, Ryan Newton, and a menagerie of Australian racing compatriots, its creators knew the pro racers’ “quirks and quips" and set forth to level a little well-timed trash talk to throw them off their game.
"Hecklers' Rock" quickly became a lightning rod for mountain biking fandom, owning its space in gravity racing history as the unparalleled convergence of downhill superfans and one critical, if obscenely difficult, race feature.
To this day, no other feature in the world draws this volume of fans, in numbers or decibels.
Those who made the pilgrimage went to cheer.
They went to jeer.
And most of all, they went to see the most talented athletes in the world vault off a root-gnarled launch to touched down—25 feet later—into a right-hand turn, and fire straight down the most vertical of rock faces.
The racers battled, but this natural amphitheater's party-hungry amphibians took their victims, as a moment's weakness let the roar slither in, and many a grip loosens from the bars.
Hecklers' was a stickler for rules: “No shirts on the rock.”
It was remarkably talented at remaining stony in the face of uproarious hilarity.
It survived many a "wardrobe malfunction" and a naked gondola tower appearance, not to mention…
The arrival of dinosaur-sized Viking horns…
And the endless cacophony of hundreds, if not thousands, of Vuvuzelas.
It was multicultural and inclusive like that.
The first signs it had become sick hit the airwaves a few years before its demise. Access and a go-big-or-go-home attitude prove the downfall of many of history's greats and so it was for Hecklers. The very largesse of its abnormally enthusiastic community would eventually prove cancer.
Yet in the final Hecklers' Rock video, it was nonetheless shocking.
Hecklers will forever be remembered for its endless, youthful revelry...
it's colourful attire...
it's lack of colourful attire...
And, of course… Brett Tippie.
In lieu of flowers—or beers on the hill—please raise a glass to the riders, professional and amateur, who make the Canadian Open Downhill presented by IXS memorable each and every year.
Hecklers may be gone, but it will never be forgotten, and its spirit will live on in the restless tires and truly raucous descents of those talented athletes who dare take on the course which sets the records for some of the best.
Rest In Peace Hecklers' Rock. While gone, you will never be forgotten.
MENTIONS: @officialcrankworx
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I think they should reopen it, but for paid patrons only that way there is some type of limited crowd control.
I wish the resort/police had been able to identify the a*sholes causing problems and issue them lifetime bans, and/or a complimentary bus ride to YVR and rescinded Canadian work visa.
edit: i obviously love hecklers rock, last year was truly out of hand though and anyone who experienced it would understand
Ditto
*However, getting a beer bottle launch at me while cruising over last year makes me believe this is the correct decision.
Even the Whip Off's aren't as cool anymore now that they've gone "official". LOL How long before you can no longer stand right next to the course, there will be security cruising on the look out for brews (this year for sure), and they turn the music down because they are worried about peoples hearing?
www.whistlerquestion.com/opinion/columnists/the-outsider-an-overdue-nail-in-the-coffin-for-heckle-fest-1.2361984
for the lazy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=efYZGWkq52M
At least from where I was standing (topless on Hecklers), it was a drunk bunch of kiwis directly next to me who began to increase the drunken antics and finding anything they could to throw at people on the chair. They were literally raiding peoples bag and boxes of empty cans to use as projectiles! And from that point the mob mentality turned up a notch and things went from there. But as someone has said on here already, i think it was always going to develop and get to this point as more non-bikers saw it as another opportunity to get drunk and be rowdy to the detriment of all of the attendees that saw Hecklers for what it really was!
RIP. Thanks for that vid