All About the Crankworx Summer Series
With its distinctive Central Otago landscape there is no doubt Matangi Station MTB is going to provide the most incredible opening scenes for the inaugural Crankworx Summer Series, before moving on to some equally challenging terrain in Queenstown and Wānaka over the full three-weeks of events.
The series of events pits local riders against a world class international field, with the top riders on the day taking away what is important to them all, bragging rights.
What is the Crankworx Summer Series?
The Crankworx Summer Series is a multi-stop mountain bike festival that brings a taste of the Crankworx action to new riding destinations outside the Crankworx World Tour. It’s Crankworx - calibre racing, with a grassroots vibe, staged in new, epic locations on world-class tracks. It’s all about locals, up-and-coming youngsters, and some of the best in the world mixing, mingling, and dropping in. The series brings together the best of summer (sun, road trips, bikes, friends, party shirts, adventure, ice cream) with Crankworx festival vibes. It’s an undeniably local experience, elevated to the world stage.
Summer, unleashed!
Five events, at four locations over the course of two weeks. Athletes can tackle a race or two, or take a crack at racing them all! Events include:
- Alexandra: Super D
- Queenstown DH and Pump Track (broadcast)
- Cardrona: Air DH
- Wānaka: Dual Slalom (broadcast)
How did it come about?
Before being caught up about having an event as epic and wide-reaching as Crankworx in our own back yard, we should acknowledge and thank the local mountain bike community for their hard work that has laid the groundwork for hosting an event of this scale. For many years Alexandra’s mountain bike scene has quietly celebrated some of the best conditions in New Zealand. Happening at a grassroots level, those that know, know, and those that don’t have just simply missed out.
With the support of the owners of Matangi Station, plus the blood sweat and tears of the local community and mountain bike club, some of the very best mountain bike trails in the world exist here right in our back yard. And, Matangi Station is getting set to open their land to the wider public as a commercial Mountain Bike Park –www.matangistationmtb.com
What does it mean for Alexandra, and Central?
This is an opportunity to tell the world that Alexandra’s trails are amazing, and they’re set to take your breath away, one way or another. It’s true, that in typical Central Otago style, it’s not the done thing to boast too much about stuff, but when you attract a global sporting event like Crankworx to your back yard you’re entitled to feel some pride and maybe do just a little boasting.
The invited riders who attended the Crankworx Rotorua event and are now participating in the summer series have a combined following on Instagram alone of 765,000 – that’s before taking into account the wider media coverage from Mountain Bike media and Crankworx channels.
What’s in it for the community?
Right from the very first conversations had with the Crankworx event team, they told us they wanted to know how they could connect with and show their appreciation to the local community when they’re here. So, with that in mind, later next week before the event kicks off, competing athletes will be hosted by local riders and shown more of our local trails. There will hopefully also be some opportunities for younger local riders to spend time with the athletes too.
Keep an eye out for a few extra bikes around town next week. You never know, it could be the 2021 King and Queen of the Crankworx World Tour, or an 8x BMX and mountain bike world champion and two times Olympian.