All about Crankworx Rotorua
Crankworx is coming back to Rotorua, and the final stop should really go off!
The Crankworx World Tour is back in full force in 2022, and it’s final stop in Rotorua is set to be the most epic of them all. After ripping it up in Innsbruck, followed by Whistler and Cairns, the travelling spectacle of the world’s best extreme riders will go out with a bang in the towering redwoods of Rotorua, New Zealand in a huge week of stunts and thrills between November 5–13.
Since its inception at Whistler in 2004, Crankworx has celebrated the extreme stoke that comes with riding extreme heights, extreme speed, and extreme skill. The headline events: AirDH, Downhill, Slopestyle, Speed and Style, Dual Slalom the Whipoff, and the Pump Track Challenge – give spectators a chance to see the world’s best riders duke it out for the chance to be crowned King and Queen of Crankworx – an honour that will be bestowed on the final day of the Rotorua festival.
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In the words of Crankworx World Tour Managing Director Darren Kinnaird, “If Whistler has historically been considered the heart of the Crankworx World Tour, then Rotorua, with its rich heritage of Maori Culture has certainly become the soul.”
Only the most epic locations are bestowed with the honour of hosting Crankworx, and Rotorua was the first ever selected outside the northern hemisphere, hosting in 2015 and, over the following years, witnessing some of the most epic, high-flying moments of the tour.
Coming hot on the heels of the Cairns round of the World Tour should give Aussie and Kiwi fans plenty to watch. Caroline Buchanan will be looking to improve on her silver and bronze medals in the pump track and slopestyle, as will Harriet Burbidge-Smith, who added a bronze in the whip-offs to her trophy cabinet, but will be on the hunt for more.
Mike Ross and Remy Meier-Smith will likewise be looking to step up to the top of the podium. For the Kiwis, Samuel Blenkinsop will likely be in full flight in the Downhill, as will George Brannigan, who also came away with a silver medal at Innsbruck’s Dual Slalom event. Robin Goomes, the 24-year-old wunderkind, supports her riding by driving shuttles in Rotorua’s Whakarewarewa forest, so has an intimate, home track advantage in the Redwoods. The first woman to land a backflip in a Crankworx competition dazzled at Innsbruck, taking gold in the Speed and Style and Whipoff events, will be in form and ready to wow her local crowd.
But the elite competition at Crankworx is just one part of this massive celebration of the power of the bike. The AirDH, Downhill, and Pump Track Challenge all offer up huge opportunities for amateurs to test their mettle on the same hallowed ground as the pros in the CWNEXT category, and Kidsworx gives the pros of tomorrow the chance to ride the trails of their idols. All this takes place around a pumping village centre with non-stop entertainment like demo bikes for you to take out on the trails, interactive product displays, riding demos, music, competitions, and plenty of room to chill out and soak up the vibe.
While you’re in town, don’t miss a trip to the Skyline Rotorua bike park, tackle the Rainbow Mountain ride, and of course ride the hundreds of kilometres of trails the Redwoods have to offer.
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Further afield, you can ride the spectacular trails around Lake Taupo, and whether you fly into Auckland or Wellington, it’s worth spending time on the trails elsewhere in the North Island.. Off the bike, don’t forget to visit the geyser, and take some time to soak off the day’s riding in the natural hot springs. Tickets are on sale at fantastic early bird rates, with five day passes for adults just $49, kids $29, and families $99 – all details are on the Crankworx Rotorua page.
