Photo Epic: 7 Years of Great Moments from EWS Whistler

Isabeau makes quick of one of Whistlers more iconic trails at the top off Stage 6

This weekend we would have seen the 2020 stop of the Crankworx World Tour kick off with the Whistler stop of the Enduro World Series. As a staple of the series, we have seen Whistler challenge the world's best enduro riders since the EWS bean in 2013. Each yeah the Whistler Bike Park offers a tough challenge for riders with last years mud fest being a particularly hard race for everyone. Although we won't be seeing the EWS head to Whistler this year let's take a look back at seven years of racing at the venue.

2013

Alpine goodness on Top of the World.

There is plenty of proper terrain to be had both in and out of the park

Trek World Racing's Justin Leov made the switch from full-time World Cup downhiller to enduro racer for the 2013 season

Fabien Barel had a controversial few days in Whistler, with a five minute time penalty being added to his overall result. Riders were not permitted to shuttle the course during practice, including between the village and the bottom of the climbs just out of town, and the sanction was due to some alleged motorized help during the prior day

With long stages and wide taping, racers were able to pick from multiple lines on much of the track.

The trails were loose and dry, but a morning thunderstorm kept the dust down to a tolerable level.

Tracy Moseley gave it her all, finishing just over a minute behind Chausson, a close margin in a race as long as this.

It looked like Jerome Clementz had it in the bag, but Yeti's Jared Graves put down what he called "the run of his life" on stage five to clinch the overall win for the day

2014

Cecile Ravanel dropping in

Anne-Caroline Chausson had a solid day on the stages, winning stages 2, 3 and 4.

T-Mo in stage two I rode like crap today to be honest. My arms and legs felt like wood. I just couldn t really get it together until stage 5. I was able to relax and have fun in there. But the rest... I just rode like crap.

Jared s fork blew on the first stage this morning and even a top rider like him isn t allowed support on track so he had to re-inflate it with a CO2 canister to keep going.

Richie Rude had some mixed luck today and couldn t repeat his podium performance from the last round but still put in a top twenty ride.

Lucky number 13 Florian Nicolai ripping the loamy goodness of stage one aka Microclimate.

Florian Nicolai ripping the loamy goodness of stage one - Microclimate.

Martin Maes won stages 2 and 4 today taking a 12 second leand into the final stage.

Martin Maes won stages 2 and 4 today, taking a 12-second lead into the final stage.

Local rider Jesse Melamed was the star of the morning. He wiped out three times on the first stage and still managed fifth. Then he won the second stage his first ever EWS stage win.

Jesse Melamed wiped out three times on the first stage and still managed fifth. Then he won the second stage, his first-ever EWS stage win.

Marco Osborne getting a little scrub on over a root line in stage 3. A top twenty showing for Osborne makes it 4 Americans in the top twenty.

To any naysayers who considered Curtis Keene to be not that talented it seems as if the American Dream is coming into his own third place here in Whistler. I love this place. This place is so awesome that everytime I come here I turn it up. Last year I was doing well but flatted.

Anneke Beerten getting wild on stage 3.

Damien Oton dons the armour for the final, brutal stage of the day.

Cecile Ravanel blowing smoke on Top of the World. Ravanel s time seems to have finally come with multiple stage wins on the day including two minutes over T-Mo on the final stage and five minutes on Chausson to her credit Anne Caro flatted somewhere on the stage so finishing only five minutes down was no small feat .

Ines Thoma cranking corners up on Top of the World.

Jared was dominant on the final stage. He came in a good way off the lead and dimolished everbody.After a tough morning with a blown fork it s solid testament of why you should never give up.

Jared was dominant on the final stage. He came in a good way off the lead and demolished everybody.

This was Cecile Ravanels maiden EWS victory and she clearly enjoyed every moment of it.

2015

After a day and night of storms it looked threatening as things got under way today. Luckily the sun came out just as the race got underway and conditions could not have been any better.

'Believe-Attack-Execute'

Jared Graves was very open that the tight tracks here in Whistler don t suit him too well That doesn t mean he was hanging around though as Cedric found out on stage one.

Mitch Ropelato drops through the fog

Adam Craig dropping into stage 2.

Marco Osborne tackles the rooks just above tree line on stage two.

Pauline Dieffenthaler crashed three times and lost a glove by the end of the day but she would keep fighting to take 6th.

Last years winner Ceclile Ravenel pushed hard but could not match the pace of Tracy Moseley today.

2014 winner Cecile Ravenel pushed hard but could not match the pace of Tracy Moseley.

Miranda Miller got fifth in Mont Saint Anne at the World Cup DH last weekend this weekend she nailed sixth in the EWS here in Whistler.

Anneke Beerten wasn t feeling it so much this weekend and her knee is still sore from Crested Butte. She still managed fourth but was a good margin of the winning pace this time out.

Florian Nicolai needed some serious refreshement after the stages two and three.

Florian Nicolai needed some serious refreshment after stages two and three.

Another EWS and another dominant performance from Tracy Moseley.

Martin Mae couldn t quite repeat he form from last year although he was mechanical free this year and only narrowly missed the podium for his best result of the season so far.

Florian Nicolai rolling through stage 4

Fabien Barel digging deep to try and stay in the mix on stage five.

2016

Whistler is not a bad place to be early in the morning.

It was a very early start to a very long day. Some were stoked and others were still half asleep on the way up to stage one.

Stage one could only really be classified as pure bike park.

Connor Fearon was saying before the race that he planned to do well on stage one as he didn t think he would have the fitness to hang with the series regulars as the day wore on. He was pretty much on the money smashing his way to second place on stage one then putting in less stellar times on the later stages. Rumour is that this isn t the last time we ll see Connor at one of these races.

Rae Morrison had a string of bad luck today with mechanicals and crashes but it would be the 5th and final stage that would really ruin here day. A broken pedal upon landing a jump would result in a trip to the hospital and a broken heal. Get well soon Rae.

Cecile Ravanel punctured on both stages one and two.

Take a close look at that rear tire... Ponder this Richie Rude flatted on stage 2 and finished roughly 36 seconds off pace. And came back over the course of the next 3 stages to win by about seven seconds. That is mental.

Richie Rude flatted on stage 2 and finished roughly 36 seconds off the pace. He then came back throughout the next 3 stages to win by about seven seconds.

Richie Rude is a force of nature. At the bottom of stage two he was running with a rear flat but the pace he was carrying despite that was terryifying.

Sam Hill seems to be rather good at this enduro thing. In the three races he has competed in he hasn t finished outside the top ten in fact today is the only time hasn t finished second.

Because Sam Hill.

Casey Brown was on fire today finishing in third place. There s nothing so sweet as a podium on home soil.

Casey Brown was on fire finishing in third place.

It all went wrong for Flo Nicolai on stage four as a crash on the big chute spelled an end to his race.

There was a lower option line here that was only slightly slower but entirely less risky but 5th place finisher Martin Maes didn t seem to care.

Jesse Melamed obliterated the death chute on stage 4 pretty much jumping the entire thing and landing in this catch berm. How he kept it upright in one of life s great mysteries.

Nico Lau powering his way to second place on stage four.

Richie hit the top of stage 5 so fast it looked like he had a motor on his bike. It s amazing to see Richie ride at 100 when on a mission to pull back big chunks of time.

2017

It was classic Whistler scenery in the woods for the first stage of the day.

Josh Carlson fully committed down one of the gnarlier chutes on Ride Don't Slide.

Richie Rude may have won here last year but it wasn t meant to be today.

Sam Hill took stage one by 17 seconds. unfortunately the day wouldn t be his.

The nightmare that was Adrien Dailly's reality on stage 1.

Iago Garay gets loose on stage four.

Katy Winton may have been feeling under the weather when she started out today but she wasn t showing any signs of holding back.

5th for Remi Gauvin would be his best ever EWS finish.

Jerome Clementz weaving his was to eighth place on a massive day out.

Jerome Clementz weaving his way to eighth place

Lewis Buchanan is picking up speed. It s a matter of time till he makes top ten.

Smashing rocks and riding to his true potential, Mark Scott finally landed himself a long overdue podium today.

After losing big on stage 1 Jesse Melamed went on a tear to win the next 3 stages.

Stage 4 would be where things would start to fall apart for Sam Hill, as Jesse Melamed took over 10 seconds out of him.

What A ride for Marco Osborne

.......and he certainly rode like an animal.

It s not everyday you get the chance to win in your hometown with parents siblings and close friends standing just meters away at the finish line.

The fastest men and women in Whistler popping bottles on the podium.

2018

Wildfires made for a hazy day in the high alpine today.

Full gas an 5th place for Yoann Barelli.

Full gas and 5th place for Yoann Barelli.

Martin Maes was on another level today. That win has got to taste oh so sweet.

Rain fell to 4am overnight but that didn t reduced the levels of loose dust.

Noga Korem takes third place here in Whistler. This photo technically take by my wife Anne Galyean

The ever-consistent Mark Scott rode a solid race today for 11th.

Some may have noticed Ruaridh Cunningham is riding with the 387 number plate today. It was to honer his uncle who was a policeman in Vancouver and was killed in the line of duty last year. His badge number was 387.

What a day for ALN who came oh so close to getting on the podium today.

Isabeau Coururier pushed on the long Top of the World stage but it was not enough to catch Cecile.

Isabeau Courdurier pushed on the long Top of the World stage but it was not enough to catch Cecile.

On a charge and taking down all challengers, Cecile Ravanel was a dominant force once again.

Back in the top 10 today for Jared Graves.

Remi Gauvin came 6th doing it for the hometown crowd.

Smashing turns all the way down, Richie Rude would start the day with a stage 1 win.

New bike fresh win. Martin Maes and the GT crew will be celebrating tonight.

Finally an EWS where the only rain came from the fastest riders on the podium.

2019

The rain may have stoped but it was cold foggy and plenty wet all day long

The overnight precipitation lingers into Sunday

It was wet and wild out there

Richie Rude can out swinging and would nearly double his lead throughout the day to win by a massive 55 second margin

Richie Rude came out swinging and would nearly double his lead throughout the day to win by a massive 55-second margin

Thomas Lapeyrie had his best ride in what seems like ages to land in 7th on the day

ALN was within 2 seconds of Isabeau after Stage 3 but she would eventually fade back at the end of the day and was overtaken by Nog Korem

Part mud, part loam, full fun.

Eddie Masters brought home bronze, were all stoked to see this great finish for Eddie.

Kate Winton making easy work of the Billy Epic chute.

Sam Hill sliding sideways.

The man of the weekend Richie Rude proving that hes still got it.

A lap down golden boner is usually a dust filled affair. The rains have changed that for better or worse

Visibility was a real concern for the racers.

Isabeau Courdurier with the big win today

Isabeau had some big crashes and was under pressure from ALN all day. But, she kept her cool and would leave Whistler with another win.

Shawn Neer appears to have taken a pedal in the shin earlier on

Richie Rude and Isabeau take top honors in whistler with Sam Hill and Noga Korem ion 2nd followed by Eddie Masters and Andreane Lanthier-Nadeau in 3rd

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edspratt
Member since Mar 16, 2017
2,851 articles

6 Comments

samnation (Aug 9, 2020 at 16:31)

Was it '14 when Jared carried most of a spare bike through the last stage because all he needed to do was finish or something like that?

Either way, I think those early years kicked butt. No way I would ever want the races to go back to the way they were but some of the random "enduro" stuff that people used to do were awesome in the early days of enduro.

Artikay13 (Aug 9, 2020 at 14:43)

Darn was hoping for a shot of Richie's huck off the GLC drop at the end of the day (2015?) Still one of my favorite moments

blackapturphoto (Aug 9, 2020 at 12:37)

Whistler really is the gift that keeps on giving

v7fmp (Aug 10, 2020 at 0:03)

amazing photo's. Its a shame Yoann Barelli has stopped racing, would love to see him send the gnar!

jake133 (Aug 10, 2020 at 18:58)

Tracy Moseley with open face helmet on the back of her pack in 2014 is too good. Imagine there were some long and hot liaison climbs?

lehott (Aug 9, 2020 at 7:22)

Epicly later'd!