The first ever World Freeride Championships of Mountain Biking will be held in Whistler, BC, September 20-24, 2000.
The World Freeride Championships (WFC) will bring together the world’s best professional mountain bikers for five exhilarating days of mountain bike action. Top pro downhill, dual slalom, trials and freeride athletes will compete for $50,000.00 CAD in three disciplines, Technical Time Trial, Bikercross, and Big Air Booter.
The World Wide Freeride Federation (W.W.F.F.) World Championship Title will be awarded to the overall top male and female.
‘The World Freeride Championships will forever redefine the boundaries of mountain bike competition,’ says Patrick Kaye, Co-Director, Joyride Productions. ‘This fast-paced spectacle will showcase the amazing talents of the current leaders, the latest technology in the industry and cutting edge course designs.’
Confirmed riders to date include some of Canada’s best mountain bikers: #1 men’s downhiller Andrew Shandro, #1 dual S.L. racer Dave Watson, #1 women’s downhiller Damiann Skelton, and renowned freerider Richie Schley. Other confirmed big names include legendary filmmakers Christian Begin and Bjorn Enga who will be filming for KRANKED IV during the events.
World Freeride Championships event disciplines include:
*Technical Time Trial: Competitors descend on an extremely technical and fast single-track littered with crux maneuvers. Stunts will include log bridges, steep chutes, rock obstacles and gap jumps to ensure ‘never-seen-before’ action.
*Bikercross: Groups of four riders race head to head on an action packed course with massive banked corners, tabletop jumps, gaping gaps and other obstacles.
*Big Air Booter: Riders jump in an open jam format and are judged on amplitude and style. The finals will be held in the twilight hours at the base of Whistler Mountain where riders are expected to go BIG for the cameras and the crowd.
‘The World Freeride Championships is about celebrating a rider’s ability to manoeuvre his or her rig with speed and precision through extreme circumstances,’ says Chris Winter, Co-Director, Joyride Productions. ‘We’re looking forward to quite a show from these top riders.’
The epicenter of this mountain bike extravaganza is Whistler Village in the heart of Canada’s mountain bike country, British Columbia. Throughout the five day WFC Festival, Whistler will come alive with high-action competition, entertainment, music and industry demos. Stay tuned to www.worldfreeride.com for more event details, athlete registration and Whistler accommodation packages.
The World Freeride Championships was created by Whistler sport marketing agency Joyride Productions. Joyride Productions is committed to expanding the profile of the sport of mountain biking and has been developing the WFC over the past two years. Joyride Productions combines local professional resources to offer a full range of services including event planning and marketing, television and film production, athlete management, and destination development.
For Further Information Please Contact:
Christina Allsop, Public Relations Manager
Resort Communications Group
T. 604.905.3038
F. 604.938.1005
callsop@rcgglobal.com