Competitions

# 1 Crankworx is here. All you other Slim Shadys are just imitating.

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For the best mountain bikers in the world, the legends of the sport, the superfans, the rookies and next gen, the shred sisters, the action sports enthusiasts, the weekend warriors, dawn patrollers and twilight pedalers, and everyone in between: it’s go time.

As Crankworx Whistler, the world’s biggest mountain bike festival, launches for another year, here’s a look at where we’ve come from and what’s coming, by the numbers:

19: days of competition so far in the 2018 Crankworx World Tour over 3 global stops
1100+: competitors, descending on mountain bike mecca for the last, and biggest, stop of the tou
12: events for pros and amateurs
7: titles on the line
5: women’s-only events
1000+: Kidsworx competitors, ready to get amongst the action
7: film and photo shows, dig days, parties, and more
15: years since it all began
10: Crankworx Whistler festival days, coming in hot, August 10-19

Want to get in on the action? Whistler will be ground zero for all things mountain bike over the next 10 days. Check out our Spectator Guide for insider knowledge on how to get there, where to watch, and how to make the most of your time on the ground.

Following along from home? That’s the next-best seat in the house. Here’s what you need to know to get amongst the Crankworx Whistler goodness in 2018.

Clif Dual Speed & Style presented by Muc-Off

Watch it LIVE on Red Bull TV and crankworx.com:

Saturday August 11th 5:00 pm PDT
Sunday August 12th 12:00 pm NZST
Sunday August 12th 2:00 am CEST

In the words of 2013 winner Martin Söderström (SWE), the name of the game in Dual Speed & Style is: “go fast and do tricks.” Easier said than done.

So far this season Söderström, Tomas Lemoine (FRA) and Kyle Strait (USA) have each topped a podium, with Sam Reynolds (GBR) on the hunt having earned a second and third place finish in the discipline in 2018. All four are either current or past slopestyle competitors, bringing big style and pedal power to the Crankworx dirt arena. Who will go big and charge to the top when it matters most?

CamelBak Canadian Open Enduro presented by Specialized

Watch Stage 5 LIVE on crankworx.com:

Sunday August 12th 5:30 pm PDT
Monday August 13th 12:30 pm NZST
Monday August 13th 2:30 am CEST

400 of the best all-mountain riders in the world, putting it all on the line. Five all-encompassing stages, showcasing some of the best riding on the planet. One all-round challenge, to conquer the ups, shred the downs, and bring it all together when it matters most. It’s time to go all-in at Round Six of the Enduro World Series at Crankworx Whistler.

Last year it was a historic win in front of the home crowd, with Whistler-local Jesse Melamed (CAN) crossing the line fastest in front of friends and family, while downhill legend turned enduro star Sam Hill (AUS) settled for second. On the women’s side, it was total stage domination for the powerhouse that is Cecile Ravanel (FRA). So far this season, Hill and Ravanel have shown they’re on top of their game. Can a local usurper, with Whistler trail knowledge in their back pocket, shake things up on Whistler’s famed singletrack?

Fox Air DH
Watch it LIVE on crankworx.com:

Wednesday August 15th 3:30 pm PDT
Thursday August 16th 10:30 am NZST
Thursday August 16th 12:30 am CEST

The Whistler Mountain Bike Park’s most iconic trail, and it’s perfectly sculpted berms and jumps, gets taken over by the world’s fastest and most stylish. This is one you won’t want to miss.

Last year, Adrien Loron (FRA) proved he’s got what it takes to race with the best, beyond the pump track (the event in which he’s built his reputation). Meanwhile, Jill Kintner (USA) asserted her domination, taking her fifth win on the track. Who’ll scrub smoothest and charge hardest down A-Line this year?

RockShox Ultimate Pumptrack Challenge
Watch it LIVE on crankworx.com:

Thursday August 16th 8:00 pm PDT
Friday August 17th 3:00 pm NZST
Friday August 17th 5:00 am CEST

The pump track has become one of the signature events of Crankworx, drawing slalom stars, stylish slopestylers and powerful BMX riders to its series of meticulously shaped berms and rollers to battle for the top.

This year, an all-new pump track awaits competitors in Whistler. Last year’s winner Caroline Buchanan (AUS) is back after a lengthy recovery from injury, while her main adversary of last year, Jill Kintner, may be looking for redemption after taking an uncharacteristic second at Crankworx Les Gets. Not to be discounted, a new star has risen in 2018. Kialani Hines (USA) has taken to the discipline with gusto, sitting one below Kintner at every Crankworx pump track contest this year.

On the men’s side, Tomas Lemoine (FRA), Chaney Guennet (FRA) and Keegan Wright (NZL) have each taken a win this year, while frequent pump track winner Adrien Loron (FRA) has only managed one second place finish in 2018. It’s anyone’s game as the gate drops on the season-ending pump track event in Whistler.

100% Dual Slalom Whistler

Watch it LIVE on crankworx.com:

Friday August 17th 6:00 pm PDT
Saturday August 18th 1:00 pm NZST
Saturday August 18th 3:00 am CEST

The runaway hit of the season. After expanding to Crankworx Rotorua and Les Gets, Dual Slalom racing comes home to Whistler. Raw rivalry is the name of the game as competitors from a variety of disciplines put down the pedal strokes, head to head, looking to cross the finish line first. A simple but winning concept that culminates in what many competitors call their favourite event.

The season’s brought a mixed bag of victories, with Jill Kintner kicking off her season with a win in Rotorua, though going down in the finals against Rachel Atherton (GBR) in France. Tomas Slavik (CZE) claimed the top step in the first contest for the men, while Bernard Kerr (GBR), back from an early season injury, charged to the top through a combo of forest-flanked and grass turns at Crankworx Les Gets. All eyes now turn to Whistler to see who can dominate in the dual on the world’s biggest stage.

Red Bull Joyride
Watch it LIVE on Red Bull TV and crankworx.com:

Saturday August 18th 4:30 pm PDT
Sunday August 19th 11:30 am NZST
Sunday August 19th 1:30 am CEST

14 of the world’s best. The biggest course of the year. The most legendary event in the sport. The marquee event of Crankworx Whistler.

This year’s final event of Crankworx slopestyle season has shaped up to be one for the record books. On the line? The win at Red Bull Joyride, the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship overall title, and the elusive Triple Crown of Slopestyle, never been won before, but once again within reach for one rider.

Can Nicholi Rogatkin (USA) take his third win of the season, in the event he’s never won before, and in doing so claim the Triple Crown? Can Brett Rheeder (CAN) draw on his experience and dominate the dirt, knocking the crown out of Rogatkin’s hands and locking down the Slopestyle World Championship title?

Canadian Open DH presented by iXS
Watch it LIVE on crankworx.com:

Sunday August 19th 2:00 pm PDT
Monday August 20th 9:00 am NZST
Sunday August 19th 11:00 pm CEST

Stevie Smith. Rachel Atherton. Troy Brosnan. Tracy Moseley. Sam Hill. It’s a downhill race with a storied history that inspires, and demands, greatness. The mid-August dust that awaits racers at the final event on the final weekend of competition in Whistler seems to favour the Aussies, with Brosnan and Tracey Hannah repeating in recent years. Will history do the same, or is it time for the dirt tides to turn?

It all starts today. Don’t miss a moment as Crankworx Whistler launches into the realm of the extraordinary for the 15th year.