Countdown is on for the return of Crankworx Whistler

The wait is almost over. After more than 1,000 days since the King and Queen of Crankworx were crowned in Whistler in 2019, the countdown is officially on for Crankworx's return to Whistler.

This year marks the 19th year of Crankworx competitions, 17th year in Whistler and the 10th anniversary of the Red Bull Joyride slopestyle competition.

To celebrate Red Bull Joyride's milestone, the course will showcase a fan-voted feature from five-time Joyride winner Brandon Semenuk's project, "Realm," according to a Crankworx press release.

The project consisted of Semenuk and trail builder Justin Wyper teaming up to create four unique features on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast, designed to promote different angles of creativity on the bike, which fans can vote on to be built for Crankworx Whistler.

"It's crazy that we are coming up on a decade of Red Bull Joyride," said Semenuk in the release. "Slopestyle was born on this hill, so it will be great to see Red Bull Joyride return with a completely new course and better than ever."

Along with the pro racing and competitions, this year also marks the return of all the usual fan favourite events including amateur and CWNEXT racing, Kidsworx, Dirt Diaries, Deep Summer Photo Challenge, a buzzing Village Stroll, free events and workshops, a tech and demo zone, and nightly parties.

"Crankworx Whistler is one of the most legendary stops on the mountain bike circuit. It just happens to be my home event as well," said Squamish local and 2021 Junior Downhill World Champion Jackson Goldstone in the release. "What makes it special is the amount of hype and status it has. Crazy amounts of fans and an insane amount of riders from the world show up to compete. The vibe is crazy every single year and I think it's going to be even crazier this year. [I'm] really stoked to race at home for the first time in a while. It's always better to have a home crowd with more people you know, and I can't wait to race this year."

Registration for Crankworx Whistler is now open for pros, amateurs, CWNEXT racers, and Kidsworx competitors at www.crankworx.com/athletes/locations/whistler.

Meanwhile, for those who want to have a go on the same tracks as the world's best enduro racers, there are a limited number of spots still available for the EWS100 and EWS80 at www.crankworx.com/event/ews-whistler.

“It’s been a wild ride, but we’re coming home,” said Darren Kinnaird, Managing Director of Crankworx in the release. “We’ve done a ton of racing and done some pretty creative pivots in the past two years. We’ve kept moving forward, and had a real good time along the way, but nothing compares to Crankworx Whistler. It’s where it all started, it’s our biggest festival of the year, and it’s an event that brings riders from all over the world together to celebrate all that is mountain biking. We can’t wait to welcome the athletes, media, fans, and industry back once again. It’s going to be one heck of a reunion.”

A preliminary schedule (subject to change), a full list of events and updates on the festival are all available at www.crankworx.com.