The world’s best mountain bike riders descend on Whistler, British Columbia, and start ripping the pump track tonight. Here’s how to watch.
The Crankworx MTB World Tour returns to its birthplace — for the first time since 2019. When Crankworx first started back in 2004, the best indication that it would become an international powerhouse was the home venue’s reputation.
For years, mountain bikers have known Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, as an epicenter for their sport. So when a small festival started there, it made sense. Rad terrain and a vibrant community came together in stoke.
Fast forward to 2022, and Red Bull presents the Crankworx World Tour’s 39 events. Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know it visits legendary locales in Australia, New Zealand, and Austria.
But it all started in Whistler, and that’s where it returns tonight after 2 years of COVID cancellations. You can watch MTB slopestyle crushers like Brook Macdonald, Jill Kintner, and Remy Morton tear it up all weekend. Better yet, you can stream it live, for free, on Red Bull TV.
Here’s how to catch the action from Whistler, with a live link to each — including the Red Bull Joyride, aka the Super Bowl of slopestyle.
RockShox Ultimate Pump Track Challenge
In this pump track comp, two riders square off in head-to-head heats. They flow through a maze of berms and rollers, trying to cross the finish line first without making a single pedal stroke. “Chains off. Game on,” says Crankworx.
Practice and qualifying take place throughout the day, then the pro finals go live at 8 p.m. Central.
When: Wednesday, Aug. 10, 8 p.m. CDT
Where: Crankworx Pump Track at Base 2 on Blackcomb Mountain
Who to watch: Kintner, who hasn’t ridden in a Crankworx World Tour since 2020 but won the pump track comp at Whistler in 2019
CLIF Speed & Style
The name of the game in Crankworx Speed & Style is “go fast and do tricks,” said past winner Martin Soderstrom.
It sounds simple enough, but the head-to-head format and hybrid scoring make it easier said than done. Two riders line up at the top of a trick course with big gaps and big jumps. The fastest rider wins the heat but gets more points for better style. Points add up to help determine the overall champion.
When: Thursday, Aug. 11, 7 p.m. CDT
Where: Speed & Style course at Blackcomb Base 2
Who to Watch: France’s Tomas Lemoine, who’s consistently podiumed at Speed & Style comps he’s entered since 2020 and won a handful
Red Bull Joyride
The Super Bowl of slopestyle returns on Saturday for the first time since 2019. The Whistler slopestyle course is the biggest, baddest one on the circuit. So anyone serious about winning the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship or the Triple Crown of Slopestyle better come to post the best score.
Each rider gets two chances to huck tricks in the “Boneyard” in front of 35,000 loud and rowdy fans and millions more on TV.
Be one.
When: Saturday, Aug. 13, 6:30 p.m. CDT
Location: The Boneyard
Who to Watch: Swedish youngster Emil Johansson left the field in the slowly settling dust at his second-ever Joyride in 2019
RockShox Canadian Open Downhill
The Canadian Open downhill takes place as a single takedown on Whistler’s rooty singletrack. Spectators can look forward to plenty of high-speed cornering, technical and evasive action, and body rattle.
Dropper posts are recommended.
When: Sunday, Aug. 14, 4 p.m. CDT
Where: The course starts just below the Schleyer drop, takes detours along Joyride, crosses the Mountain Road below the 1.0 mileage marker over the road gap, and passes the Slopestyle course on the way to the finish line
Who to Watch: We’d have a hard time keeping our eyes off Bas Van Steenbergen, who gets through sharp corners as though demons — very graceful ones — possess him
