Crankworx Cairns Blows Up!

Words: Mike Blewitt

Photos: Mike Blewitt and Crankworx

When news broke in late April 2022 that Crankworx was landing on Australian soil in October 2022 – parts of the Australian mountain bike community went wild! It was fitting that the iconic mountain bike festival would choose Cairns as it’s tropical home in Australia. Cairns helped put Australia on the world-stage when it hosted a World Cup and World Championships in the mid 1990s, and the region was the backdrop to much of the Mudcows antics in the same decade. You could argue that the growth and success of Crankworx has been built on the foundation laid by the Mudcows crew, amongst many others who pushed the progression of mountain biking over the past two decades. But that’s a story for another time.

Red mountains in the jungle

Cairns and surrounds are where the mountains meet the sea, with rainforest covered slopes tumbling to the azure blue of the ocean, with the Great Barrier Reef beyond. Smithfield is just north of Cairns, and has been home to World Cups and 2 World Championships. So it’s fitting that the mountain bike park and the amenities nearby play host to Crankworx. The UCI-approved Downhill track was already there, but the Pump Track, Slope Style, Speed and Style and Dual Slalom courses would need to be built. And they went big.

The courses were carved out of the edge of the World Heritage listed rainforest behind James Cook University, increasing the size of the natural amphitheatre that is present at the venue. New features were added to the Crankworx courses, riders were arriving in the tropics and the expo was filling with tents full of cool new products – but would the spectators come to watch the show?

Jungle Jams

The question of who would come was resoundingly answered as the swell of spectators built through the week. With the fun kicking off on Wednesday afternoon, the edge of the jungle was covered with fans, yelling encouragement and cheering on their heroes as trains of riders sent it into the Whip Offs. The sun was setting and taking the heat of the day with it. Aussies Thomas Locke and Harriet Burbidge-Smith took out second with David McMillan hot on their heels for third.

“That was the coolest experience I’ve ever had in my life – the chainsaws going off, all the sounds, that was incredible. I couldn’t help myself but just keep riding up the hill. I think I did at least ten runs. I’m so glad Crankworx World Tour has landed in Cairns. Everyone threw down and it was such a sick afternoon.” said Locke.

“The course was super fun; it was nice and chill. A few speed problems but great session with everyone. It’s good to be riding at home in Australia. The rest of the week is stacked, I am entered in the all the events” Harriet said.

Day on day the crowds grew, with riders in the expo available for autograph signings, which was super popular with the younger fans in Cairns. Crankworx was just getting fired up, and Speed and Style was setting the scene for the action. Thomas Lemoine and Harriet Burbidge-Smith took the wins, but not before some tight battles. Haz was stoked to put her runs together and find success.

‘The flips are a big thing for me. It’s a new thing for me, so to get them in every run, that’s still a battle for me. They feel good but it’s still scary, which maybe takes off the pressure ‘cause I’m not thinking about racing, I’m just thinking about getting that dialled. That, and I haven’t had a good Crankworx win this year, so that felt really good. And to do it in Australia is really sick.’

The Downhill racing was popular for the Elite racing and age groups alike on Friday. Having hosted two World Championships, the Smithfield DH track isn’t one to be underestimated. Still, some riders did and came unstuck. In the Elite races it was a battle between top Australian riders, with Troy Brosnan edging out Connor Fearon, and Tracey Hannah taking the win ahead of Sian A’Hern. Tracey’s win was all the more popular for the local crowd, and in a way was redemption for the 2017 World Championships.

The weekend kicked off with a huge swell of mountain bike fans arriving at Smithfield. With the pump track offering such close quarters for spectators, it was a hum of activity any time there were heats. Fans were able to line the barricades, and get a high five from riders as they pushed back up to the marhsalling area. But that wasn’t the only reward. Every rider found their own unique line on the courses, with high speed moves being tested so riders could get an edge and move onto the next round. Caroline Buchanan and Jayce Cunning took the wins – with the homegrown success being well-received.

Slopestyle took the energy to another level. With just the top 16 invited riders taking part in a sport that combines BMX and gymnastics, we were all left to look on and wonder how the riders can perform as they do. Nikolai Rogatkin was the best on the day, but for those who were watching their first Slope Style event, it was clear how tight knit this small community is. The riders are secretive in practice, keeping some lines and moves under wraps. But the elation on nailing their runs is shared joy – and the crowd lapped up the emotion and spectacle.

The final day had riders’ attention turned to the Pump Track. On a course that may have passed for Speed and Style a few years ago, riders needed to negotiate a tricky triple early on, before a wall ride and a series of hard and fast berms. The action was thick all day, and it was a fitting culmination of Crankworx Cairns to see Sik Mick Hannah and Caroline Buchanan take the wins in Australia’s first Crankworx.

Our take on Crankworx Cairns

Let’s be honest, Australia is a long way from anywhere, and Cairns is further still. But Crankworx Cairns provided the stage and the top riders in the world put on the show. Better yet, top Australian riders got to perform for a home crowd, while younger riders and amateurs got to take part in plenty of other events. Crankworx will be back in Autumn, so if you sat on the fence for this one, jump off and book your tickets.

Crankworx Cairns 2023: 17-21 May
crankworx.com

Carrying Momentum

A few riders from the 2022 Trek Momentum Camp were at Crankworx in Cairns. The camp saw 10 women from around Australia join the likes of Caroline Buchanan and Harriet Burbidge-Smith to push their skills and abilities in a supportive environment. So how has that played out?

Ellie Smith

‘Momentum was an awesome start to the year. I was so stoked to be a part of the camp. I learnt heaps and got to meet so many young, Aussie women shredders. It was awesome to have an all-girl crew from so many parts of Australia, and to just shred together.’

Ellie has raced Downhill World Cups and Enduro World Series in 2022, before coming home for Pump Track, Downhill and Dual Slalom at Crankworx. And the camp really made a difference.

‘The biggest thing I took away from the camp was my improvement in jumping. That really helped over in Europe. There were some pretty big jumps and it meant I had that confidence to back myself and give things a crack.’

Having two top women riders on hand as coaches was part of the impact that the Trek Momentum camp had for Ellie, in her approach to major events and the challenges they presented.

‘My mind set had changed. Caroline and Haz had talked to us in-depth about how to approach things that you may be nervous for. I remember Caroline mentioning that everyone has fear and she just puts in her back pocket and takes it along for the ride. That helped to remind me that it’s good to be nervous. The mental training is probably the biggest part – you may already know how to jump but you need the confidence to know you can do it.’

Sacha Mills

Sacha Mills made the trip to Crankworx and won the U17 Pump Track, and also noted that the Trek Momentum camp was an important step for her.

‘We all did freeride courses and a downhill course. We learnt new tricks with coaches and pro riders. Having coaches gave more more confidence to do some of the bigger jumps. I managed to do the whole line that everyone was doing, and got better doing tricks like one-handers. Overall it was the fun of it that was the highlight. The whole camp gave me more confidence in my jumping. It was a better experience just having all girls there, seeing their level of skills and getting to hang out with them all was a lot of fun.

Sacha took those skills through to local downhill races this winter, but wants to go further in 2023.

‘I’ve been doing a lot of the SEQ DH races near me, nothing too big. I want to go overseas to do World Cups as a Junior in 2023. But I don’t really know yet.’