Crofty's Crankworx Blog-Final day and pics up

[dcrofty]

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&current=DualPractice8-8-08066-unknowns.flv

That's it for now. More tomorrow.

Hours so far 6.5

Crofty

 

[Sean]

That's awesome Crofty! Good to see you volunteering and putting into the sport instead of just going there to ride. Would have been a bit awkward if you'd have said hi to Sam, but something to tell your mates about! The courses look awesome as, keep the updates coming.

 

[jda]

I got the chairlift up with Brycland and Beaumont yesterday, missed out jumping on the chair with Sam today but only just

 

[downhiller_1]

mmmmmmm cant wait till its on

 

[jamesiscold]

Yeah crofty, looks like your having a great time. Must be good. Some of the bike shed guys are over there atm so you should look out for them or their jerseys.
Are you coming back for the world cup?

 

[tupper]

Kovarik was there when i was there a few weeks ago.. he must have the course dialed about now..

Looks like fun being a vollie.

 

[parker93]

If your looking for someone that's extremely jealous, then look no further

 

[CensoredDH]

It's kinda crazy being here...I just back after 4 months away from Whistler and the first three pro riders I see in the village were the Athertons. I was like "Fark!!"

 

[dcrofty]

Yo yo you my homies wassup. Perhaps I've been in north america too long?????

Day 1.

First day of Crankworx. Sweet. Day begins at 7:30 at the vollie centre and first on the agenda is Garbanzo DH training. Garbanzo is the very top of the bike park area and you ride all the way down. Fast Farkers do it in a touch under 15 minutes I think. For some reason it always rains when this race is on, today was no exception. We got shuttled to the top of the mountain and ride into place. I get to look after the triple hump which is a rock roll and chute with mucho roots and rocks. Surprisingly there was no carnage there today although most riders were taking it pretty easy with wet weather, I have a feeling that race pace will see a few more tumbles. Photos and vids of this section below. As an aside, it funny to see the reaction of a rider in the middle of the fog on a mountain when you jump out with a cow bell shouting "pedal pedal pedal".

After the training was over we got to ride down the course. Its pretty crazy stuff. I've ridden the trail in the dry before and was pretty stoked that I cleared some stuff, in the wet with root and rocks its a different ball game. I walked a couple of bits and had some robust dabs too. respect to the racers.

Afternoon saw the Dual Slalom finals. The rain had made the track super tacky for most of the finals and I think the riders really liked it. Rain towards the end made it a bit greasy and turned a few spectators away but the racing was top quality.

The only Aussies I recognised were Rando and Sam. Both got knocked out relatively early on. I'm not sure who beat Rando but Hill came up against a red hot JD Swanguen. That dude impressed me last year and this year he stepped it up a notch with the win. Sam looked effortless and extremely smooth but JD was quick and took the win. In the women Annike B takes the win over Rachael Atherton. Both looked pretty damn quick over the two days.

OK my internet is being a bugger so its pic time and I'm to bed.

"my patch" on the trail In Deep
(and a big shoutout to Fallboy from the yups-I believe this bit is a personal fave )

random Riding shots

and a quick films
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l...&current=GarbanzoPractandDSFinal9-8-08061.flv

DS Shots inc pro men's and women's podiums

and a bit of JD's winning run
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l...&current=GarbanzoPractandDSFinal9-8-08068.flv

Hours today 13.5
Total 20

 

[tupper]

What course is the Garbanzo actually run on?
Freight Train or Original Sin to Goats Gully/In Deep?
Is D1 part of it? If so.. spectacting that would be insane..

 

[dcrofty]

What course is the Garbanzo actually run on?
Freight Train or Original Sin to Goats Gully/In Deep?
Is D1 part of it? If so.. spectacting that would be insane..

Pinched from another forum the course is

osin-osin-blue velvet-in deep-in deep-duffman-golden triangle-world cup singletrack-ho chi minh-monkey hands-glc drop.

Yeah its hardcore, not a lot of spectators up high I don't think

 

[dcrofty]

Are you coming back for the world cup?

G'day Jimmy. Nope, gonna stay over here a bit longer. Dunno when I'll be home

 

[jda]

If I knew that was you with the cow bell today i would have stopped and said hi.

I did 3 practice runs today and it was different each time.

 

[Cranx]

... 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.
Crofty

You should have definately said "Hi". I'm sure Sam would have loved to have heard from another Aussie.

And HUGE PROPS for all the great photos and insights. They are awesome. For us poor suckers stuck back here in mundanville, starved for the real thang, these jewels are much appreciated.

 

[Hobzai]

Way to go, Crofty! Thanks for the updates. I didn't know Joel was racing in the Garbanzo - awesome stuff!

Turns out I rode most of the Garbanzo course when I was there but didn't know it at the time. I missed out the In Deep section, though. Original Sin was pretty gnarly when it was dry, it must be like ice in the wet on those rock sections.

Have fun, guys - wish like hell I'd never left the place!

 

[dcrofty]

Hmmm. Mud mud mud.

Garbonzo race today and it was muddy. Not a lot more rain overnight and today but still foggy and overcast so the track didn't dry out at all.

I guess you might have heard that Sam came second today. Apparently he stopped riding for a bit, went for a walk in the mud, lost his shoe, found it, put it back on and still made it down in time for second place. Otherwise Rachael Atherton showed that she is a cut above to take the ladies race.

I was stationed at the same place that I was in practice up top of the mountain. From our point of view the race went pretty smoothly although there was a bit of a wait whilst trying to clear the course between practice and the start of race runs. After that it all went well. I pulled out the cowbell again to give riders a bit of encouragement. I also had a bit of a chat with a photographer who set up near me. Very interesting to see the guys at work. He said his name was Sven and that he works for a lot of mags so I think he might have been Sven Martin. Nice fella anyway and I will keep an eye out in the mags for any shots I recognise.

Here are a few random photos that I thought captured the day.

Mud, say no more

Zebra's in the mist

Couple of random racers

Rachael Atherton

Kovarik

Not a great shot of Sam but he was moving so fast I didn't get a second chance. Sven said pretty much the same thing so I felt better.

Did someone say more cowbell?

Couple of short vids with encouraging noises in the background.

http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l...ction=view&current=GarbonzoRace10-8-08224.flv
http://s96.photobucket.com/albums/l...ction=view&current=GarbonzoRace10-8-08221.flv

Tomorrow its Womensworx which should be pretty cool as all the ladies over here are pretty damn good riders.

Hours today 11
Total 31

 

[dcrofty]

Oh yeah

Men's podium

and the women's

Its kind of weird watching the women's presentations 'cause they have promo girls come out with the medals and big cheques and hand it to the women and sometimes both look a bit awkward. It's strange.

 

[dcrofty]

Well it was a quiet day today. No major events on and training for womensworx.

I started the day with a lap down the Garbonzo Race course removing flagging tape and marvelling at how chewed the course was in places. Also marvelling at how quick the good riders go over some sections. Weather was fine and sunny today and parts of the track were actually beautiful and tacky. Shame in a way that the race wasn't today. Anyway, after pulling down reams of flagging tape and picking up hundreds of tear-offs from peoples goggles we were done. I also finally discovered the balls to hit the creek gap (I think its on Dirt Merchant?) again by following one of the chicks who works on the mountain in and matching her speed. Pretty happy with that even though its probably not a big thing for most riders.

That was the morning, afternoon we put up flagging for the A line race that's on in a couple of days and then did a lap down A Line to scout the race Marshall positions for the training tomorrow. Last thing was putting flags on the Giant Slalom course and then beers.

I didn't take many pics, just a couple of the boneyard where we were working on the slalom course.

New jump up onto the Kona box, or ladder to splat?

Different view

Giro box and new drop to the right of it. Drop is massive, bigger than the old road gap that Bearclaw famously 360'd. I would love to see someone send it off this.

Air DH training and Slopestyle and best trick practice tomorrow I think so I should have some cool photos.

Short day. 8 hours
Total 39.

 

[Samy]

" I would love to see someone send it off this. "

Make sure your sitting right over the top of it on the chairlift when they do! What a view that would be.

Hi-5!?

 

[Jon]

Now that's a bell