FOURTH ANNUAL KOKANEE CRANKWORX FREERIDE MOUNTAIN BIKE FESTIVAL LAUNCHES JULY 21-29, 2007 IN WHISTLER, BC
Three new competitions including a women’s only Pro/Am event expand festival line-up

WHISTLER, BC, March 20, 2007, – The world’s best mountain bikers will roll into Whistler, BC for the fourth annual Kokanee Crankworx Mountain Bike Festival July 21-29. Whistler will be ground zero for nine full days of world class mountain bike events, free daily concerts and a wide range of action throughout the village for all ages including a legendary party scene.

Kokanee Crankworx has established itself as the most exciting freeride mountain bike event on the planet and cash and prizing totaling more than $50,000 will ensure a spectacle that has to be seen to be believed. The world’s best riders will convene on the hallowed dirt of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park to push the limits of mind, body and gravity for crowds numbering up to 15,000 for events such as the Kokanee Slopestyle slated for Saturday, July 28. Spectators, whether young, young at heart, hardcore enthusiast or checking out the freeride mountain bike scene for the first time, are sure to be blown away by Kokanee Crankworx with something going on at every turn.

“Every year Kokanee Crankworx outdoes itself,” says Rob McSkimming, VP of Business Development at Whistler Blackcomb. “This festival attracts the best riders in the world and they demand continuous progression from themselves and us. We are committed to providing the ultimate forum for the evolution of freeride mountain biking.”

Kokanee Crankworx’s athletic line-up has been expanded for 2007. Festival mainstays including the Kokanee Slopestyle, Air Downhill, Garbanzo Downhill and Biker X will be joined by three new events – WomenzWorx, Dual Slalom and the Canadian Open Downhill.

Pro riders Katrina Strand and Lisa Lefroy have been enlisted to help develop WomenzWorx, a two-day event designed for the ladies starting on Monday July 23. Drop-in Spokeswoman clinics, special après events, and an exciting Pro/Am event called The Gala which will group amateurs with pros in teams to compete on a four or five stage course, are just a few of the exciting elements planned.

Other new events include a Dual Slalom on Friday, July 27 and the Canadian Open Downhill on Sunday, July 29 which will feature a new downhill course in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. The entire event line-up, which takes place in Whistler Blackcomb’s famed mountain bike park and throughout Whistler Village, also includes a massive outdoor expo featuring the latest in bikes and gear, pro riding demonstrations, free live concerts and entertainment.

“Integrating women into the WomenzWorx event is an exciting evolution of the Kokanee Crankworx experience,” says McSkimming. “As we move into our fourth year athletes and spectators can look forward to jaw-dropping freeride mountain bike action and an unbeatable summer festival experience in the epicentre of the world of freeride mountain biking.”

Kokanee Crankworx is presented in partnership by Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and the Resort Municipality of Whistler. At centre stage of Kokanee Crankworx is the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. With over 200 km and 3,855 feet of lift-serviced gravity-fed, adrenaline-fueled descending trails, the Bike Park is the unequivocal leader of lift-accessed mountain bike parks in the world.

For more information about Kokanee Crankworx – Whistler’s premier freeride mountain bike festival – please visit www.crankworx.com. Event information for Kokanee Crankworx 2007 will be updated by April 1.

Whistler is a year-round adventure destination located 75 miles north of Vancouver, B.C., Canada, and site for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Consistently rated among the top ski resorts in the world, Whistler is a cosmopolitan and diverse community that welcomes travelers seeking recreation and natural beauty four seasons of the year. Whistler has the world’s most diverse offering of mountain biking terrain, attracting all disciplines of mountain biking from cruising to cliffs. From 150 miles of singletrack trails and 200 km of lift-accessed downhill runs in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, to trials parks and 20 miles of the paved Valley Trail system, there’s something for every rider.

Proud to be a venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games The world’s best mountain bikers will roll into Whistler, BC for the fourth annual Kokanee Crankworx Mountain Bike Festival July 21-29.