The Ultimate Pump Track Challenge at Cranworx Thursday night saw a field of 32 finalists race back-to-back down a 20-second course of berms, doubles, and gaps—without making a single pedal stroke.
The Air Downhill is at the heart of Crankworx. Four hundred racers individually take to A-Line, one of Whistler Bike Park's most iconic runs, for 1,200 vertical feet of speed, berms, and jumps. Each rider gets one timed run, winner take all.
The Trabec is POC's first lightweight, in-mold helmet designed for the XC/AM/Enduro market. It's very well vented and offers good coverage, but its styling and colors might take some getting used to.
There are pro models and then there are Pro Models. The Praxis MVP is Kevin O'Meara's, and we are taking to Las Leñas the pair that Kevin literally built for himself to compete on this season. Not many skis out there appear to offer the MVP's level of playfulness, stability, and versatility.
Rounding out the events this weekend at Crankworx was Sunday's Garbanzo DH, a 7-kilometer, 3400-foot descent through some of the gnarliest terrain of the Whistler Bike Park. Masochists, right this way.
The Dual Speed and Style event debuted Saturday at Crankworx, pitting an invitational field of Dual Slalom riders and slopestyle superstars against each other head-to-head and side-by-side down tricked-out Dual Tracks.
With the camber profile of an all-mountain carver and the 5-dimension shape of a more dedicated powder ski, the Dynastar Cham 107 is a unique hybrid design that aspires to offer the best of both worlds.
If you're surprised to see that we're taking Fischer to Las Leñas, then you need to read this. (And if you're not surprised, then you probably already know what we are just beginning to figure out.)
The Five Ten Women's Blackwing is an aggressive, slim, relatively comfortable climbing shoe that's most at home on anything overhanging. But they offer no protection from being klutzy.
So why are we taking the K2 Pettitor to Las Leñas? Because it's Sean Pettit's first pro model, that's why. Plus, six months ago in Japan, Sean very politely asked us to review the Pettitor, and we've kept him waiting. Read on for the full story.
Promising good edge grip on hard snow, strong rebound through carved turns, and an impressive speed limit, the Atomic Ritual has the potential to be a big-mountain gun that might still be suitable for any given day of riding. We can't wait to find out.
A narrower version of the original Rocker 2,122, the Rocker 2 108 looks like a great backcountry jib tool and a versatile all-mountain ski (especially for the West).