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So we've got a big summer holiday booked touring around the west of Canada. We're going to be in Whistler from afternoon of Monday 8th August until sometime late morning of Thursday 11th.
Quite unexpectedly, crankworx is on at the same time...
So I'm wondering 2 things
1) What the situation is likely to be with getting passes and lifts to ride the trails, and also bike hire.
Is it going to be a busy nightmare and I should book well in advance?
Or is it likely to be fine to rock up for a bike, a pass and a lift anytime?
It's a family holiday so I won't be going out all day every day but I'd really like to get half a day in at least!
2) Is there anything on during that period that is worth going to spectate at, at crankworx itself?
Looks like specialized dual slalom training / race on my on Monday afternoon and Tuesday, and then rockshox pump track challenge training/race on Wednesday
Thanks in advance if anyone has insight!
We did the same a few years ago, accidentally had a few days at Whistler smack bang in the middle of Crankworx - it was fine, even on the more popular 'race' days. We rocked up with our bikes (can't comment on hire) got passes and off we went... once you are out the village it was business as usual on the trails.
I also got to ride Top Of The World (after EWS had been down). Came down into the finish area just as Sick Mick was finishing a run - thought the crowd was cheering me 😉
It will be busy, there's no two ways about it.
Tourism is back to normal, crankworx is back on, the resort is hungry to drive visitor numbers and more people than ever are riding bikes.
A sunny Wednesday evening and 268 people raced the phat Wednesday course. That's 40% more than the same race in 2019.
Passes, no problem, Vail won't sell out. Bikes I'd certainly look to book in advance.
Lift lines, that period is normally less busy than later in the event, but I'd still expect 30-45 minute lineups plus there are no Creekside operations this year to diffuse volume.
Events wise, the pumptrack challenge will be a good one. Depends where they build it as to accessibility (looks like DS and pumptrack are base 2 so away from the main village core up at blackcombs base2), but it's always a full house for spectators. The photo challenge is also worth trying to get to as the production value is high. It been a ticketed event previously but likely in an open air venue so if you don't want front row tickets you can still watch from a distance.
The resort will almost certainly be buzzing and by that I mean probably at full capacity..
If you haven't got accommodation booked yet, do that.
Thanks both, yes got accommodation booked but nowt else!
Sounds like I need to think about bike hire sharpish
Was there as part of a big road trip in 2019. Again unexpectedly in the middle of Crankworx. We had accommodation booked so that wasn’t a problem, but there wasn’t a lot of choice left for bike hire, but still got 4 Scott Ransoms. Lift lines busy, but I think we only queued once longer than 20 mins. Most trails pretty quiet.