Crankworx Adds Cairns Stop in October
Photographer: Tim Bardsley-Smith
It’s been five years since we added a new stop to its World Tour (Innsbruck joined the party in 2017). Today, a new fourth stop was unveiled.
We’re stoked to announce that starting in 2022, the ultimate experience in mountain biking will have a new home in Cairns, Australia.
 | We have been working with the team in Cairns since 2018 to make this happen. To see all the pieces of the puzzle come together, and to start working with the team on the ground to plan a new World Tour festival, is such a dream. Cairns is one-of-a-kind, with the Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef, and has epic riding throughout. Plus, there is major passion locally for mountain biking, not to mention a history of running major mountain bike events. Crankworx Cairns will give our athletes an additional fourth stop to compete at, give mountain bike fans from around the world a solid taste of this unique destination, and bring the ultimate experience in mountain biking to our fans in Australia. We couldn’t be more excited. |
With the announcement of Cairns’ addition, the full 2022 Crankworx World Tour is now locked and loaded.
• June 15-19: Crankworx Innsbruck
• August 5-14: Crankworx Whistler
• October 5-9: Crankworx Cairns
• November 5-13: Crankworx Rotorua
Those keen for their first taste of what Crankworx Cairns has to offer should stay tuned here: https://www.crankworx.com/festival/cairns
Smithfield Mountain Bike Park
| We are so stoked to be bringing Crankworx to Cairns. Where else can you watch the biggest names in the sport throw down, surrounded by the best backdrop in the world - the historic rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef? It’s a chance not only to showcase the trails that have brought world’s best athletes from all over the world to Cairns, but also the destination, the culture and heritage and our good old fashioned Aussie hospitality. Having travelled to Rotorua and seen the festival in action there, and the effect it’s had on the local community, it’s easy to see what an opportunity this is for both Cairns and Crankworx. It’s the perfect fit – world class mountain biking in a world class destination. Along with our partners at Tourism and Events Queensland, Tourism Tropical North Queensland and Cairns Regional Council, we can’t wait to put on a good show. |
Crankworx Cairns will take place at Smithfield, hailed as the highest profile rainforest trail system in the world, the site of the 2017 World Champs, and the only place in the world where mountain bikers can ride alongside two World Heritage areas.
When it comes to competition, the festival will bring together elite competition, amateur and CWNEXT racing, and Kidsworx events. Add to that a vibrant expo and festival vibe, and Cairns will be the place to be come October to ride bikes with mates, old and new, watch the best in the world throw down, and experience some choice Aussie hospitality and good times.
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
Cairns born and bred Mick Hannah, who’s been a mainstay on the Crankworx scene since the festival’s earliest days, shared his stoke ahead of the newest World Tour stop.
| I can't even express how exciting it is to have Crankworx coming to Cairns! Crankworx is a festival that embodies the MTB culture that is so strong in Far North Queensland. Cairns has hosted international MTB events since the early 90's and has always been one of the places to challenge the limits of what can be done on a bicycle. Back then what we now know as freeride was just mountain biking in Cairns and now we have the highest level of freeride coming to Cairns. I'm so thankful for the life that MTB has afforded me and to have my favourite MTB festival come to the place where that dream became reality is just awesome! I can't wait! |
Events in the works include Slopestyle, Downhill, Dual Slalom, Speed & Style, Pump Track, and Whip-Off, among others.
Racing action at Crankworx Cairns, as well as at all other stops on the 2022 Crankworx World Tour, will be available live and on demand on Red Bull TV.
She’s gonna be a beaut.
So, what’s next?
Athletes: watch for event details in the coming months, with registration set to go live in July.
Fans: fire up the group text (“Crankworx. Cairns. October. In?”), put in your time off request, book your hotel, and heck, take some inspo from Cam McCaul and figure out where the heck you stored your snorkel gear. Tickets for spectators will be released later in the year.
Crankworx Cairns 2022 will be the first of three years of the festival in the coastal Queensland city, with the event running through 2024.
Stay up to date with all things Crankworx: https://www.crankworx.com/
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Oh, and the dates also clash with Sea Otter Oz in Canberra, so thats awesome event planning right there!
Sea Otter is already postponed to 2023 so date clash is not an issue.
October is a ripper time of year in Cairns - relative humidity is in the mid 50% range, and heaviest rainfall in October 2021 was 5mm, and that represented 70% of all the rain in the whole month!
Also the seas are free from stingers!
While the Event itself is cool, the City has so much troubles since a couple years with Mountainbikers.
In Austria, Mountainbiking is legally only allowed on designated Fireroads or Shared Trails due to Insurance and landowner liability issues.
And Innsbruck currently has only one (!) official Trail (AAT) outside Mutterer Alm were Crankworx is hosted. the other one on Nordkette is closed.
There are countless problems with Landlords stepping up against Mountainbiking, as illegal Trails being shredded into their Lands.
Riders getting reported to Police or Hunter / Forest Departement (in Austria state certified supervisory Hunters or Forest Officials can stop and report illegal Riders and report them to Police which can cost up to 750 EUR fines). Hikers at times report Bikers on Trails too, or you run into Arguments.
The one legal Arzler Alm Trail (AAT) sees up to 60.000 runs per Season, with Rider waiting lines of up to half an hour. An estimated 25000 (student) Enduro riders plus Locals live in the City, and have virtually no place / trails to ride / train legally.
Next stop is Bike Republic Soelden at Oetztal 1-1/2h hours away where they can ride/train.
The very MTB friendly state forest authority which subsidies trail projects (in Tyrol if you have a trail project agreed to by a Tourism Board etc, State of Tyrol finances 50% of the Build and Maintain Costs), however tries hard to get more shared trails legalized and trail projects realized, but more and more land owners object as trails are being shredded instantly. bikepark riding style on public shared hiking trails does not work but the majority of riders doesn’t care and shreds.
and the many existing partly very steep hiking trails around the city are deteriorating rapidly as they are being shredded as well, destroyed by riders which do not care about these century old trails which are maintained by volunteers by the local summit club (alpenverein).
it’s a big mess.
and so Crankworx in Innsbruck is actually and sadly a big Joke. it needs to be postponed until the City and the surrounding Villages get a legal riding network together. which is hard work and many meetings with landowners.
the big Money used for Crankworx in Innsbruck should instead go into funding professional trail maintenance, ride awareness programs, ride training programs to reach riders how to ride trails trailsafe.
Until then we as Locals and riders see no benefit at all.