This year, for the first time ever, New Zealand becomes the final stop of the Crankworx World Tour. From November 1 to 7, Rotorua, on the North Island of New Zealand, the King & Queen of Crankworx will be crowned, along with the final of the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship season. This year will look slightly different from usual, with no spectators allowed to attend the festivities, however all the action will be available to watch on-line.
Representing the Goodyear Bike Wingfoot Alliance this year, born in Scotland – based in New Zealand, MTB legend & Wingfoot Alliance athlete Conor Macfarlane, will be sending it in his usual effortless style, taking part in the Whip Off and the Speed & Style contests.
What is the Whip-Off we hear you ask? The Whip-Off World Championships started in 2012, and the winner is usually crowned during Crankworx Whistler, Canada. The winner of the Whip-Off will basically go as high and as sideways as possible in the air. The riders will be judged by height, style, how far past 90-degrees the bike goes, and importantly, if the bike comes back down to earth in a straight line! Why does a Whip-Off contest exist? Well, why not?
And what is the Speed & Style? It kind of does exactly what is say on the tin. You have to go fast, you have to do tricks and be stylish. Two riders compete head-to-head on a track which is a mix of Dual Slalom and Slopestyle. The winner is calculated based on the speed they complete the course + additional points judged and awarded depending on style. So, you could come first in your head-to-head, but be beaten to the number one spot if the second place rider completed the course with more style. What is style? Well it’s that ‘je nes se quoi’ that you can’t quite measure, but the judges know it when they see it!
Veteran of events like the Red Bull Rampage, Conor was born to ride events like Speed & Style! A rider with a huge bag of tricks on any flavour of bike especially his DH bike, knows how to go LARGE, and can hold his own in the speed department against anyone. Which Goodyear tires will Conor be riding at Crankworx? Take a close look at Conors wheels as he’s going past sideways at 20 foot in the air, and you might get a sneak-peak into what we have baking away in the tire ovens.
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