Crankworx Cairns - the world stage in the tropics
The Crankworx party is coming to Cairns this October, and this is the first time a major MTB event has been to Australia for over two years!
When it comes to mountain bike festivals, they don’t get much bigger or badder than Crankworx. At the core of this festival is elite competition, rounding up the best downhill and freestyle riders as it traverses across the globe to different and stunning locations. The focus is unapologetically on the extreme end of the mountain biking spectrum – think slopestyle and downhill. But Crankworx is also about the spectators, drawing thousands of avid mountain bike and sports fans alike to this spectacular show.
Hosting Crankworx is a privilege consigned to the most epic destinations, hence why Whistler (Canada), Innsbruck (Austria), and Rotorua (New Zealand) have hosted multiple renditions of the festival. When it was announced that Crankworx would be travelling to Aussie shores this October, some of us were almost caught off guard. Which location could showcase some of the best descending trails against a jaw-dropping background, while catering to thousands of riders, teams, and spectators? The answer was none other than Cairns, Queensland.
READ: Your guide to Smithfield MTB Park
On October 5th – 9th 2022, Cairns will join the Crankworx World Tour. With a luscious rainforest on one side, and the Great Barrier Reef on the other, Smithfield Mountain Bike Park is the ideal venue for this special event. This magical trail network is sandwiched between two World Heritage Areas. You’d be silly not to pack your snorkel, extend your stay, and take in all the beauties this tropical paradise has to offer. Cairns has taken on the unofficial endearing name – “Crankworx – Paradise Edition.”
READ: Mountain biking in Tropical North Queensland
Nathan Bassett is the Event Director for Cairns, and recently attended Crankworx Innsbruck. “Preparation is moving ahead in leaps and bounds, and we have some exciting plans for our course builds. Being the first World Tour stop in a Tropical Rainforest setting, it brings some unique opportunities to what we can do.”
Not only is the natural setting of the highest quality, Smithfield itself has already played host to three World Cups and two World Championship. Suffice to say, this network of trails is of the highest of international standards. This is where Loic Bruni won his first World Cup, and Aussie Cameron Wright donned the rainbow jersey.
READ: Kuranda – King of the Range
It’s also where local downhill legends Tracey and Mick Hannah were raised as they honed their world class skills. “Crankworx is a festival that embodies the mountain bike culture that is so strong in Far North Queensland,” said Mick. “Cairns has hosted international mountain bike events since the early 90s and has always been one of the places to challenge the limits of what can be done on a bicycle. Back then what we now know as freeride was just mountain biking in Cairns and now we have the highest level of freeride coming to Cairns.”
Crankworx is not just one event, but rather a series of them. The competitions include slopestyle, downhill, whip-offs, dual slalom, speed & style, and pump track. Athletes have a choice as to which competitions they enter; some will choose to focus on one or two, while others will embrace the entire smorgasbord.
Our most recent Crankworx success stories include a series of medals at Innsbruck this year. Harriet Burbidge-Smith is on the forefront of the women’s freestyle movement and showed this with a bronze medal at the increasingly competitive Whip-offs, while Mike Ross also claimed a bronze medal in the Speed & Style.
Caroline Buchanan proved why she remains one of Australia’s finest exports, taking both a silver medal in the Pump Track Challenge and a bronze in Speed & Style. Aussie junior sensation Remy Meier-Smith claimed a silver in the Downhill during a short break between World Cup rounds, and Canberra junior Mario Baldwin brought home some silverware in the Dual Slalom. With local talent this expansive, Aussies should be flocking to Cairns this year to share in the celebrations.
The fun at Crankworx is not exclusive to elite athletes. The CWNEXT category caters to those buddying amateurs who want to test themselves on the world stage. There’s even a kid’s category (Kidsworx) for those groms ready to soak up the big stage, or just practice their skills in a safe environment.
The event will run over 5 days, with Early Bird spectator passes starting from $30 for a single competition, or $110 for the full week of heckling. These passes are on sale now and can be found on the Crankworx Cairns website. Athletes will need to register to race by September 30th, and Elite and U19 categories will require a 2022 UCI License.
Festival passes are available now.
Whether you’re a budding freestyle rider or a retired fan, Crankworx is here to entertain everyone. If you’ve been to a Crankworx elsewhere, or patiently listened to a friend rant about their marvelous mountain biking holiday and all the selfies they took with their idols, you will know what a unique experience it is. And it will be even more unique for Aussies this year, being able to compete and cheer on home soil beneath the Queensland sun.
