Crankworx 2015 Final Weekend!
The final weekend of Crankworx 2015 is upon us, bringing the Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival, Red Bull Joyride and the Canadian Open Downhill.
Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival
When: Sat, August 15 | Where: Base 2 Blackcomb Mountain | Time: 12 PM - 4 PM | Cost: FREE
For cheese rolling you need a steep hill, a wheel of cheese and a bunch of people willing to race down after it. Cheese rolling started centuries ago at Cooper's Hill in Gloucestershire, England and for the last 5 years has found a home in Whistler, B.C. The Canadian version of the event is now in its 6th year and is a day filled with everything cheese.
The Canadian Cheese Rolling Festival will include free cheese samples, cheese seminars, kid’s activities and the annual men's and women's cheese rolling competitions. Cheese makers from throughout Canada will have booths setup around the event showcasing their different varieties of cheese. This is a great chance to sample a variety of cheeses to see which ones you like best and if you find one you like cheesemakers will have their products available for purchase.
Children's activities include cheese bowling, face painting, uphill races, bean bag toss, photo cut-outs, and many more. There will also be cheese seminars starting at 12:15PM running every hour until the end of the event. These cheese seminars will be given by cheese expert Reg Hendrickson who has a wealth of knowledge in the cheese making and tasting process.
The main cheese rolling event starts at 12pm and features both a men's and women's category. The event starts off at the top of a hill at Base 2 on Blackcomb Mountain where a group of participants will chase an 11 pound wheel of cheese down the hill. You can watch or take part… as bodies cartwheel, tumble and downright roll down the hill chasing the cheese! The first person to get a hold of the glorious cheese wheel is crowned the winner. The winner of both the men’s and women’s event will not only be living in cheese folklore for years to come but will also win the cheese wheel they caught and a Whistler Blackcomb winter season pass.
To sign up for this madness, you can register on the day of the races at Base 2 on Blackcomb Mountain. Registration is FREE and is open at 11 AM. Organizers advise people who are wanting to participate to get there early, as spaces fill up quickly. You must be at least 19 years of age and have ID to prove. *The Excalibur Gondola will be shuttling people up to Base 2 (The site of the event) for FREE or you can get there by car.
Red Bull Joyride
When: Saturday, August 15 | Where: Skiers Plaza | Time: 4:30 PM - 8 PM | Cost: FREE
The Red Bull Joyride is without a doubt the biggest event of Crankworx.
After the Cheese fun has ended head to Skiers Plaza and prepare to be amazed. The best free-style mountain bikers in the world will navigate a custom-built course that blends natural terrain with ginormous man-made features. Including elements of slopestyle, dirt jump and North Shore style biking.
During the event bikers will choose their own custom lines down the area of the bike park known as the bone yard to hit huge jumps and bust out amazing tricks. It is a sight to see as, thousands of spectators will pack Skier’s Plaza to cheer on these amazing athletes.
Home bred canucks Brandon Semenuk, Paul Genovese, Logan Peat, Anthony Messere, and Brett Rheeder are among the 20 athletes looking to capture a glorious win.
Witness the spectacle that is Joyride and head to Skier’s Plaza on Saturday, August 16. The event starts at 4:30 PM but you need to get there early if you want a decent spot.
Canadian Open Downhill
When: Sunday, August 16 | Where: Whistler Mountain | Time: 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Cost: FREE
To finish off the 10 days of madness is the Canadian Open Downhill presented by IXS. Described as, Straight Down, No Mercy!
Riders have one run down a rooty single track course, with big air features and steep rock drops. Riders must come out with laser focus and their guns blazing to tackle what’s ahead. As the years go on the course continues to solidify its place in the mountain biking world as a premier downhill course of gnarly character and raucous renown. There are many spots to spectate along the course and at the finish line in Whistler’s Skier’s Plaza.
There's still time to attend these amazing events!
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