dcrofty
Eats Squid
G'day Farkers,
Well its Crankworx time again and by complete coincidence there is a 10 day gap between me changing jobs
So I've come up to Whistler to volunteer and check out all the goodness.
I'm interested in the whole event management side of things so I've signed up as what they call an endurance volunteer, ie I work a heap of hours and the Crankworx people show me the ropes behind the scenes. Should be pretty cool.
I think I might try and post a few pics and thoughts from each day, just to rub it in to those that can't be here.
Anyway today I caught the bus up from Vancouver and wondered in to sign up. Turns out that the vollie signup is the same as the rider sign up so there were plenty of well known faces to stare at whilst I waited. As I was standing around waiting I noticed this bloke that I though I knew walk up. I make eye contact and nod thinking "Fark where do I know this guy from?" he nods too and I have this awkward feeling of thinking should I say Hi and try and work out where I know him from or just say nothing. I go the nothing option and he walks past. I look round and stare and it dawns on me that its Sam Hill and he doesn't know me from a bar of soap. Glad I didn't say anything. Anyway, he's signing in with teammate Fairclough and the nice Intense 5.5 lying on the ground with Kovarik written on it does indeed belong to Chris. I feel like a 14 year old girl at a rock concert.
Once sign in and get the gear I head up on the hill. First job is putting up fencing to keep the plebs out of the boneyard when the slopestyle is on. Hot, dry and not particularly exciting work but it has to be done.
After that its time for Dual Slalom practice. The course looks mint as seen in the pics below. There is a mix of big international names, local pinner kids and hacks all getting open practice for three hours. I stand on the side of the course and keep an eye on things. Tasks include repairing the bunting when riders spear off the course and break it, being a course nazi and asking people not to walk across the course, fixing the flags that mark the flat turns that the riders have to pass between but keep hitting and occasionally springing into action to drag bikes and carcases clear when someone goes too hard and crashes.
All in all a pretty crusy day. The course looks spectacular and I think the riders really like it, I cant wait to see the racing on it.
Below are a few pics.
Me in the boneyard
Couple of slopestyle contenders check out the course
Trail crew work their magic
Work on the Slopestyle course. I think its John Cowan driving the machine
Dual Course-Bermy goodness
Semi compulsory gap
Few riders rail the berms
Couple of short vids. First is a Lopes-Gracia train, dunno the riders in the second one
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l...rrent=DualPractice8-8-08060-Cedriclopestr.flv
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l...ew¤t=DualPractice8-8-08066-unknowns.flv
That's it for now. More tomorrow.
Hours so far 6.5
Crofty
Well its Crankworx time again and by complete coincidence there is a 10 day gap between me changing jobs
So I've come up to Whistler to volunteer and check out all the goodness.
I'm interested in the whole event management side of things so I've signed up as what they call an endurance volunteer, ie I work a heap of hours and the Crankworx people show me the ropes behind the scenes. Should be pretty cool.
I think I might try and post a few pics and thoughts from each day, just to rub it in to those that can't be here.
Anyway today I caught the bus up from Vancouver and wondered in to sign up. Turns out that the vollie signup is the same as the rider sign up so there were plenty of well known faces to stare at whilst I waited. As I was standing around waiting I noticed this bloke that I though I knew walk up. I make eye contact and nod thinking "Fark where do I know this guy from?" he nods too and I have this awkward feeling of thinking should I say Hi and try and work out where I know him from or just say nothing. I go the nothing option and he walks past. I look round and stare and it dawns on me that its Sam Hill and he doesn't know me from a bar of soap. Glad I didn't say anything. Anyway, he's signing in with teammate Fairclough and the nice Intense 5.5 lying on the ground with Kovarik written on it does indeed belong to Chris. I feel like a 14 year old girl at a rock concert.
Once sign in and get the gear I head up on the hill. First job is putting up fencing to keep the plebs out of the boneyard when the slopestyle is on. Hot, dry and not particularly exciting work but it has to be done.
After that its time for Dual Slalom practice. The course looks mint as seen in the pics below. There is a mix of big international names, local pinner kids and hacks all getting open practice for three hours. I stand on the side of the course and keep an eye on things. Tasks include repairing the bunting when riders spear off the course and break it, being a course nazi and asking people not to walk across the course, fixing the flags that mark the flat turns that the riders have to pass between but keep hitting and occasionally springing into action to drag bikes and carcases clear when someone goes too hard and crashes.
All in all a pretty crusy day. The course looks spectacular and I think the riders really like it, I cant wait to see the racing on it.
Below are a few pics.
Me in the boneyard
Couple of slopestyle contenders check out the course
Trail crew work their magic
Work on the Slopestyle course. I think its John Cowan driving the machine
Dual Course-Bermy goodness
Semi compulsory gap
Few riders rail the berms
Couple of short vids. First is a Lopes-Gracia train, dunno the riders in the second one
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l...rrent=DualPractice8-8-08060-Cedriclopestr.flv
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l...ew¤t=DualPractice8-8-08066-unknowns.flv
That's it for now. More tomorrow.
Hours so far 6.5
Crofty
Last edited: