“The Triple Crown of Slopestyle isn’t something we expect to see won every year. This is the pinnacle of where we think the sport can go. Is it possible to do? We don’t know, but we’re more than happy to provide the platform for the athletes to the reach new heights,” says Darren Kinnaird, Crankworx World Tour general manager.
Rotorua lies on the southern shores of the lake of the same name
Skyline Rotorua Gravity Park; Photo: © Tak Mutu
“Crankworx Whistler has always been what Slopestyle is to me; they’ve always had the raddest course. To see a series that has similar courses is what I've always wanted to see,” says Brandon Semenuk, three-time Red Bull Joyride champion. “Instead of riding a bunch of other courses, I’m just going to do the Crankworx events because that’s what I’m most stoked on.”
Now in its fourth year, Crankworx Les 2 Alpes touches down under the largest skiable glacier in Europe, staking a claim for mountain biking in France, the global centre of cycling.
Should Semenuk, or any other athlete, win all three Crankworx Slopestyle events, he will be awarded the all new Triple Crown of Slopestyle and earn an unheard of $50,000 in prize money. The invites are out and four new individual competitions created: the Crankworx DH Championships, the Pump Track Challenge Series, Speed & Style World Championships and the Crankworx Slopestyle Championships. The time is on, prepare for one of the best race rosters seen at Crankworx.
Staged in the world’s number one lift-accessed mountain bike playground, Whistler’s peaks are Crankworx home turf.
In addition to these individual competitions, an overarching battle to crown the King or Queen of the Crankworx World Tour will wage all season long as one man and one woman strive to become the best all-round mountain bike athlete. Crankworx Whistler has always recognized an outstanding male and female athlete with a coronation at the conclusion of its festival. The new King or Queen of the Crankworx World Tour ups the ante to recognize the male and female rider whose skill and versatility dominate on a global stage, and the prestigious title comes with $25,000 for both King and Queen.
ROTORUA: MARCH 25–29
LES 2 ALPES: JULY 9–12
WHISTLER: AUGUST 7–16
Source: http://www.crankworx.com
