Earlier this year, the famous Crankworx Whistler round was canceled due to COVID restrictions. Undaunted, the Crankworx team sprang into action and scheduled a British Columbia round, which would tour several bike parks across the country, instead. Athletes and fans alike were stoked that racing was back on in British Columbia, and people around the world tuned in to catch the action live.
The first event was the Dual Slalom at Sun Peaks on Thursday (9/23). Dual Slalom racing always brings the entertainment, and this race was no exception. Maxxis athletes leapt to a successful start in the Elite Men’s field, with Bas Van Steenbergen (Hyper Bikes) capturing first place and Tomas Slavik (Ghost Bikes) right behind him in second. In Elite Women, Vaea Verbeeck (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) catapulted into first, with Kialani Hines (Pivot Cycles) sliding into third place.
Friday (9/24), the round continued at Sun Peaks with the Air DH race. Air DH races vary from a normal DH race because they’re normally held on trails with little to no technical features and instead feature large jumps and fast, flowy sections. Once again, it was Bas Van Steenbergen in first for Elite Men and Vaea Verbeeck first in Elite Women. Friday’s last event at Sun Peaks was the DH race. Following up on her previous results, Vaea Verbeeck scored first place in Elite Women, the second time that day!
On Monday (9/27), the legendary Psychosis DH race took place at MT7, which is around the Golden, B.C. area. This track is infamous for being ultra-steep, super long, and having a big uphill section in the middle. Bas Van Steenbergen pushed through to third place, extending his King of Crankworx Title points lead.
The Speed & Style event was supposed to take place at Kicking Horse on Tuesday (9/28) but was ultimately canceled due to weather and course conditions. Instead, the riders got together for a day of fun, resulting in a ‘Jump Jam’ session for photographers to capture.
Next on the racing calendar was the Dual Slalom at Silver Star on Thursday (9/30). Bas Van Steenbergen kept the ball rolling and managed a second-place finish in Elite Men. Kialani Hines snagged first place in Elite Women, with Harriet Burbidge-Smith (Trek Bikes) just behind her in second.
Held Friday (10/1) at Silver Star Resort, the Pump Track Challenge was a spectator favorite. Van Steenbergen was able to come away with another second-place result, with Keegan Wright (Devinci Cycles) back in third. The Elite Women’s podium was stacked with Maxxis riders as Hines, Burbidge-Smith, and Verbeeck went first, second, third.
Saturday’s (10/2) Slopestyle event was one that everybody was looking forward to. The course was completely new for this year’s event and was specifically designed for riders to be able to throw progressive tricks and jaw-dropping runs. The event exceeded the hype, and Maxxis athlete Emil Johansson (Trek Bikes) kept his winning streak alive, throwing down an unbelievable run to claim victory. On the same day, Crankworx held another Air DH, and Van Steenbergen took first yet again in Elite Men, while Verbeeck was first in Elite Women.
With Crankworx British Columbia wrapped up, racers will have one more opportunity to earn points for the King and Queen of Crankworx titles: in Rotorua on November 1. Currently, the Canadian power couple, Bas and Vaea, are in the points lead for their respective categories.
