Crankworx Rotorua hosting 2021 wrap party.

Grand finale festival in New Zealand will wrap 2021 Crankworx season in November

For seven sunny days in November 2021, the eyes of the mountain bike world will be on Rotorua, New Zealand. For the first time in its seven year history, the Southern Hemisphere festival will close out the Crankworx World Tour. Crankworx Rotorua 2021 will welcome the best mountain bike athletes in the world to its storied competition grounds between Monday, November 1 and Sunday, November 7.

The shift from the festival’s usual home in the calendar in March was made to safeguard the event against the ongoing challenges of COVID-19.

“New Zealand’s vigilance in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic has kept case numbers low and enabled life to return to near normal, including public gatherings at sporting events without restrictions,” says Crankworx Rotorua Event Director Ariki Tibble. “With this in mind, and a November date to work toward, we’re confident we’ll be able to deliver what our athletes, fans and sponsors are accustomed to, while prioritizing the safety of all involved, and our local community.”

Crankworx Rotorua will be planned as a full Crankworx World Tour festival, including a stacked roster of international athletes, pro, amateur and CWNEXT race categories, Kidsworx competitions, and a bustling expo within the ticketed venue for local and international fans to enjoy alongside the action.

Organizers have worked with local health authorities in making the changes to the calendar and will continue to do so in the planning of Crankworx events in New Zealand in 2021. To be able to bring the ultimate experience in mountain biking to life in 2021, Crankworx’s #1 priority is rider, staff, festival attendee, and community safety.

For fans following the action from their homes around the world, live coverage of Crankworx Rotorua 2021 will include:

Dual Slalom
Pump Track
Speed & Style
Slopestyle
Downhill

The Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle will mark the final event of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship (SWC) season. And as the final event of the Crankworx season, Crankworx Rotorua will also be where the season’s champions are crowned, including the King and Queen of Crankworx and the individual discipline championships.

“With some creativity and flexibility, the Crankworx World Tour season is shaping up to be something pretty special in 2021,” says Managing Director Darren Kinnaird. “We’ve got lots of irons in the fire for the year ahead, based on our successful made-for-TV festivals, including the Summer Series in B.C. and the recently wrapped Crankworx Innsbruck, as well as projections of where our festival homes are going to be at in 2021. We’ll be announcing our full Crankworx World Tour calendar in the coming months, but for now we are excited to put a stake in the ground for Crankworx Rotorua next November.”

In 2022, Crankworx Rotorua will shift back to its regular home in the MTB calendar, kicking off the season in March.

Meantime, in addition to the November festival, Tibble and local organizers in Rotorua are continuing to explore fresh and exciting ways they may be able to bring together action sports fans in New Zealand sooner.

“Domestically, we’re working on some ways to fan the flames of that trademark Crankworx excitement ahead of November. As we head toward summer in New Zealand, there’s definitely an appetite for some action.”