Crankworks Rotorua starts Saturday in New Zealand
Canadians have migrated south for week of slopestyle, downhill and enduro events
New Zealand hosts the first round of Crankworx World Tour starting this weekend, with a week of races, events and competitions as part of Crankworx Rotorua. The opening round of the four stop world tour runs from March 17-25, with downhill, enduro, dual slalom and the main event: Crankworx Rotorua Slopestyle in Memory of McGazza, honouring the late New Zealand freeride legend, Kelly McGarry. With three downhill races on top of the slopestyle, plenty of Canadian’s have made their way to the southern hemisphere to kick start the year in a warmer climate. Multiple time junior DH world champion Finn Iles and his teammate, current world champion Miranda Miller are both in Rotorua. Slopestyle star Brett Rheeder is also down under, looking to kick off his Crankworx campaign. And Casey Brown will be kicking off her Queen of Crankworx campaign in Rotorua.
Starting tomorrow, the race for King and Queen of Crankworx kicks off as well, a season long cumulative points race that sees competitors compete across disciplines in order to recognize the most well rounded Crankworx athletes. Casey Brown of Revelstoke, riding for Trek Factory Racing, has won the title before in 2014 and placed second on a couple other occasions. With a full Crankworx schedule planned this year, look for her to be in the hunt again this year. Brown will likely face a strong contest from American Cranworx royalty, Jill Kintner, who’s won the title before on multiple occasions.
This weekends events include the Giant Toa Enduro on Saturday, featuring six stages of enduro racing action in the Whakarewarewa forest. Giant Toa Enduro double as an Enduro World Series qualifier event, so there will likely be newcomers looking to get into the EWS putting pressure on the Crankworx focused athletes.
Sunday is the Redwood Downhill, a new event for Crankworx Rotorua and for the race for King and Queen of Crankworx crowns. Staying in the Whakarewarewa forest, the Redwood Downhill sends racers down the Tanihwa Trail, also known as the National Downhill track. The new addition brings the total number of Downhill races in Crankworx Rotorua to three, providing plenty of opportunities for the racer crowd to show their stuff.
Think you know who’s who, and who’s royalty in the world of Crankworx? Sign up for the free Crankworx Fantasy League to build your team and win prizes in individual events, and the overall King and Queen of Crankworx. The first fantasy league event is the Mons Royal Dual Speed and Slalom early next week, so get signed up now.
