The final day of the Kokanee Crankworx Festival saw over 260 racers tear up the gnarliest race track in the Whistler Bike Park. The Canadian Open track, designed and implemented by Whistler local Tyler Morland and a hand-full of volunteers, made for a challenging ride to the bottom of the mountain.
Chris Kovarik held on through the event filled week and managed a 3rd place finish on the Canadian Open track. He was one of the only top competitors to compete in all the timed events.
Starting on Upper Joyride, connecting to a new line under Fitzsimmons Express, across Old Olly Road, merging back into Joyride, across the flats to Monkey Hands and continuing into the finish corral in Whistler Village, this years Canadian Open track consisted of a little bit of everything. There were technical sections, steep chutes, drops and jumps and the new sections became blown out and full of holes making a rough and sometimes unpredictable ride.
"I liked it because it was all natural terrain and it got rougher as more people rode it", says Chris. "I held back a bit in the final, I was worried I was going to blow out some corners or lines. I just wanted to make it down the hill and get on that podium but I still had some left in me when I crossed the finish."
In the Pro Men category, Sam Hill of Australia took first place with a time of 3:09.6; Gee Atherton of the UK took second with a time of 3:11.2; Australian-Whistler transplant Chris Kovarik took third with a time of 3:17.4 and Nico Vink of Belgium took fourth with a time of 3:19.1.
These results were the highlight of the final day of the Kokanee Crankworx Festival 2008. For more festival highlights, event videos and full results, visit www.crankworx.com.
Report by Claire Buchar and pictures by Yorick Carroux
