Podium for the Rotorua Taniwha Downhill during Crankworx Rotorua. Photo / Clint Trahan
Podium for the Rotorua Taniwha Downhill during Crankworx Rotorua. Photo / Clint Trahan
A traditional Māori welcome, good vibes and real quick humans all came together to kick off Crankworx Rotorua 2022.
Several of the world’s best lined up for the Rotorua Taniwha Downhill, the track described by Crankworx downhill manager Dave Hamilton as “well known in NZ as the OG”.
It welcomed184 racers, pro and amateur, to the Whakarewarewa Forest – the only event held in the forest as the festival now moves the epic racing action to Skyline Rotorua.
Athletes and organisers were also invited to attend a pōhiri at Te Puia on Sunday after a day of fierce competition. Local iwi and mana whenua representatives gathered to welcome international Crankworx riders and visitors to the event and the region.
Darren Kinnaird, managing director of the Crankworx World Tour, acknowledged the eight beating hearts of Te Arawa.
“We are honoured that you welcome us so that our hearts may beat in time with yours.
“I just love how our people welcome manuhiri – with acknowledgements of all the factors that contribute to the cause, and with karakia and waiata to put minds and hearts at ease,” Crankworx Rotorua event director Ariki Tibble said.
Rotorua Taniwha Downhill attracted the world's best on the weekend. Photo / Clint Trahan
“We all have such a big week ahead of us and the opening gets us all set on the right trajectory for the moments that are to come.”
Just like the ongoing battle over who created the pavlova, it was a real Kiwi vs Aussie showdown in the first event of the festival.
Christchurch local and crowd favourite Sam Blenkinsop won the men’s final with the fastest time of the day and a commanding lead - more than three seconds ahead of Australia’s Jackson Frew.
Hawke’s Bay local Brook MacDonald took third in his first Crankworx event of the year against fellow Kiwi Matt Walker.
“It was probably the biggest amount of people I’ve seen out watching in the Redwoods. It was pretty awesome,” Blenkinsop said.
With a track length of 2.3km and an elevation drop of 320m, the Taniwha DH featured a gnarly mix of tight technical sections, slick roots, high-speed drops and jumps. Riders hit speeds around 60km/h on one section.
New this year the sprint to the line featured a motorway section resembling a supercross straight rhythm of doubles, whoops and steep on/offs. The last steep section resembles a tree stump graveyard and shoots riders into two gap jumps.
“High speed, high risk, high adrenaline. Such fun…” Hamilton said.
Blenkinsop said it was awesome to win by a pretty good margin.
“I feel good. It’s just good to be back home in New Zealand and riding Rotorua. I’ve grown up racing here. This was my first Nationals race, racing here and did well, so it’s always cool to come race in Rotorua. The dirt’s amazing, you just have fun riding your bike.
“I think anyone that comes to Rotorua has a good time riding. Every time I come here there are so many new trails. We’re pretty lucky here in Rotorua, and everywhere in New Zealand now. Just how the trails are evolving. It’s awesome. And like I said, it’s cool to win.”
The competition was no different on the women’s side.
Although Aussie Sian A’Hern clocked the fastest time of the day for the pro women, Rotorua local and Junior Women’s DH World Champion Jenna Hastings who lives just five minutes from the Whakarewarewa Forest did not go down without a fight landing second place in front of friends and family.
Hastings earned serious mana at Crankworx Rotorua 2021, landing on the podium in every race she competed in.
Will she do it again in 2022?
Results – Taniwha DH
Sam Blenkinsop (NZL) 2:44.114 // Sian A’Hern (AUS) 3:11.372
Jackson Frew (AUS) 2:47.479 // Jenna Hastings (NZL) 3:16.751
Brook MacDonald (NZL) 2:48.143 // Marth Gill (GBR) 3:23.995
Crankworx’s top all-round athletes are in hot pursuit of King and Queen points at Crankworx Rotorua.
Blenkinsop’s win at the Rotorua Taniwha Downhill pushes him up to fourth in the overall standings, while Jackson Frew’s second-place finish puts him into third.
Bas van Steenbergen finished his day in sixth, which adds to his points stash as he sits at the pointy end in first.
The women’s results don’t shuffle, but tighten up, with the top three remaining the same. Jordy Scott sits in first, one point ahead of Vaea Verbeeck, and Caroline Buchanan close behind in third. Scott finished eighth today, Verbeeck fifth, and Buchanan 10th.
Festival passes are still on sale for Crankworx Rotorua 2022. Do not miss your chance to rub shoulders with the world’s mountain biking elite and watch them race right on your doorstep. For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit crankworx.com
