Crankworx Enduro DH Results

The Crankworx Enduro DH consisted of a Super D-style course, a mass start (riding, not running), and loads of competition. Fionn Griffiths took her second win of the week (she also won the Air DH), besting Melissa Buhl by 10 seconds in this 24-minute race. The final race of Crankworx 2009 will be held today, and it's the Canadian Open DH. For more information, visit Crankworx.com.

Pro Women
1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Melissa Buhl
3. Emmeline Ragot
4. Katrina Strand
5. Kari Mancer
6. Anka Martin
7. Eve-Marie Marcotte

Senior Women
1. Amber Chorney Wilson

Crankworx Giant Slalom Results

Jill Kintner cruised to victory in last night's Crankworx Giant Slalom. Emmeline Ragot easily rolled through her early heats, but couldn't snag Jill in the finals. Melissa Buhl crashed in the second run of her first round, allowing Manon Carpenter to advance, and Leigh Donovan returned to gravity racing with a solid 3rd-place showing.

Today is the Canadian Open Enduro downhill race. It's a mass-start Super D/Megavalanche-style race designed for all-mountain bikes. Sunday is the Canadian Open DH race. More info is available at Crankworx.com.

Pro Women
1. Jill Kintner
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Leigh Donovan
4. Manon Carpenter

Senior Women
1. Anita Naidu
2. Stephanie Grassi

Crankworx Air DH Results

The Crankworx Air DH race was held on A-Line at Whistler Bike Park yesterday. Fionn Griffiths snagged the win by exactly one second over Jill Kintner. Competition for the ladies resumes tomorrow with the Giant Slalom. Get more info at Crankworx.com.

Pro Women
1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Jill Kintner
3. Emmeline Ragot
4. Micayla Gatto
5. Melissa Buhl
6. Leana Gerrard
7. Katrina Strand
8. Sarah Leishman
9. Beth Parsons
10. Manon Carpenter
11. Dawn Cashen
12. Anne Laplante
13. Britney White
14. Lorena Dromundo
15. Stephanie Nychka

Senior Women
1. Jamie Hill
2. Lisa Mason
3. Carolyn Kavanagh
4. Veronika Voracek
5. Cami Falk
6. Simmone Lyons
7. Savannah Rogers
8. Johanna Weintrager
9. Terri-Anne Howard
10. Daniela Cezaretto
11. Chantal Felten
12. Catherine Cartwright

Junior Women
1. Lauren Rosser
2. Holly Feniak

Crankworx WomenzWorx Results

The Crankworx WomenzWorx contest was held yesterday in Whistler, BC. There were two separate competitions at the WomenzWorx. There was an invite-only slopestyle contest, the Gala. In addition, there was a separate 4-run, 2-section judged component. Riders descended a technical section of trail, and they also rode a slopestyle-type jump run on Dirt Merchant. Stephanie Nychka and Claire Buchar shared the victory by tying in the Gala Slopestyle contest. Claire Buchar took the overall win for the two judged riding sections.

The Air DH is today! Visit Crankworx.com for more info!

Pro Women
1. Claire Buchar
2. Lorraine Blancher
3. Kathy Pruitt
4. Leigh Donovan
5. Anne Laplante
6. Stephanie Nychka
7. Manon Carpenter
8. Kristen Smart
9. Kathryn Hayes
10. Lynne Aitchison
11. Beth Parsons
12. Dawn Cashen

Open Women
1. Jamie Hill Pemberton
2. Lisa Mason
3. Rachelle Frazer
4. Johanna Weintrager
5. Savannah Rogers
6. Naomi Fife
7. Amalie Budgen
8. Fleirie Hunter W
9. Daniela Cezaretto
10. Jessica Vogt
11. Kerri-Ann Thibeau
12. Stephanie Grassi

Crankworx Results...so far!

Crankworx is underway in Whistler, BC. So far, the Dual Slalom and Garbonzo Downhill are in the bag. WomenzWorx is today! Jill Kintner won the Dual Slalom and Miranda Miller scored the top spot in the Garbonzo Downhill. For more info about Crankworx, visit Crankworx.com.

Dual Slalom
Pro Women
1. Jill Kintner
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Micayla Gatto
4. Melissa Buhl

Senior Women
1. Jessica Vogt
2. Anita Naidu

Garbonzo Downhill
Pro Women
1. Miranda Miller
2. Emmeline Ragot
3. Kathy Pruitt
4. Fionn Griffiths
5. Danice Uyesugi
6. Manon Carpenter
7. Katrina Strand
8. Kari Mancer
9. Dawn Cashen
10. Lina Skoglund
11. Kristen Smart
12. Beth Parsons
13. Dromundo Vargas Lorena
14. Anka Martin
15. Melissa Buhl

Senior Women
1. Celina Moore
2. Carolyn Kavanagh
3. Jamie Hill
4. Carrie Poole
5. Meghan Illingworth
6. Brittany Boyer
7. Liana Gregory
8. Kaz McGill
9. Jessica Vogt
10. Daniela Cezaretto

Junior Women
1. Lauren Rosser

May's Featured Rider: Katie Holden

Katie Holden is a talented downhill and dual slalom racer based in Whistler, BC. Katie has quickly become a podium threat at North American races, and she has her eyes on top 10 finishes at the two Canadian World Cup downhill races this season. She's studying Destination Resort Management and will be working for Tourism Whistler this summer and through the Vancouver Olympics. But Katie isn't all work and no play, she's an absolute riot to hang out with, and she's always ready to ride.--FF

Name: Katie Holden
Home: Whistler, BC
Age: 24
Favorite type of riding: Downhill
Why you ride: I love it!
Sponsors: Specialized, Race Face, Sunline, 661, Leatt, SRAM, 5.10, Crankbrothers, Smith, Gamut
Website: KatieHolden.com

When I was young I always wanted to go to the Olympics for swimming or be a sled dog racer in the Iditarod! Although the sports are different, I feel like I am not too far from my childhood dreams.

In high school we had a week out of every year called Focus Week where we would get out of class for a week and go on a trip with a teacher. My trip to Greece and Italy was canceled because of September 11th. So, I had to pick another trip. All of the trips were filled up except a bike trip and a film festival. I can barely sit through a movie, so I chose to go on the bike trip. I had absolutely no interest in biking. I didn't even want to go, but I went and it changed my life. The camp was led up by Simon Lawton (formerly of DownhillNorthwest now with Fluidride) and Damien Smith (now a Yeti World Cup mechanic). They got me so stoked on riding. I was super into softball and soccer and I quit both of those shortly after the camp. All I wanted to do is ride. My life has revolved around biking since that week!

I rode Whistler for the first time at the end of the 2002 season, but I got hurt so that was the end of that. Luckily, it made me like biking even more, so the following summer I came back. I have been here for 2 winters and every summer since. I love it here, so it is pretty much my permanent home now. Whistler is hard to explain. I love it because I can bike, ski, snowboard, hike, go to the beach--basically I can do everything that I love to do. But beyond that, Whistler is rad because of the people. There are so many passionate, hard-working, driven people in this town that it really motivates me to be better at everything. In the summer, I'm pushed to be a better biker. In the winter, I'm pushed to be a better skier. In the gym I'm pushed to work harder than I thought possible. The sense of community here is incredible!

People give me a hard time about it all the time, but riding chainless has done so much for my riding. I ride chainless a lot. When you are riding without a chain you just look at the trail differently. You are looking at how the natural terrain can make you go faster. Not only do you gain speed in technical stuff but you have much better traction, because you are not concerned about braking. You are concerned about increasing your speed and keeping your rhythm. If you are having a hard time riding a section, take your chain off.

Another piece of advice is to ride with people who are better than you. Sure it can be intimidating but it will make you a better rider, I promise!

Week-Long Women's DH Camp in BC!

Sacred Rides has put a week-long women's-only downhill camp together. The camp will be held July 31-August 7, 2009 in Fernie, BC. For $1295CDN, you get a week of lodging, shuttles, instruction, lift tickets, breakfasts, lunches, and more! If you're looking to improve your skills and take a super-fun vacation, click here to learn more about the camp and Sacred Rides.

SlopeSistair III Is in the Works!

Stephanie Nychka is working on making SlopeSistair III a reality! The SlopeSistair events are women's-only slopestyle contests that parallel the men's events. The event ran in 2005 and 2006 and will return for 2009. Add it to the now-established Whistler WomenzWorx, and we could see some incredible women's slopestyle talent emerging. The 2009 event will hopefully be held at the Kamloops Bike Ranch in September.

Here's a link to video of the 2006 event.

December's Featured Rider: Katrina Strand

It's hard to discuss Canadian downhill riders without mentioning Katrina Strand. She's a Whistler, BC local who has dedicated her career to gravity riding. Katrina and Claire Buchar are the Candian DH Girls, and the two were ranked 19th in Decline Magazine's 26 Most Influential People in Mountain Biking earlier this year. When Katrina's not racing World Cups or Canadian Nationals, she coaches other athletes through her business, Katrina Strand Fitness Coaching. Oh, and can someone get this girl a frame sponsor?--FF

Name: Katrina Strand
Home: Whistler, BC
Age: You can only be young once, but you can be immature forever?!
Favorite type of riding: Downhill! But there isn’t any type of biking that I don’t like – you’ll see me at the dirt jumps and the velodrome, riding cross country, all mountain , BMX, and road
Why you ride: Challenge, adventure, fun
Sponsors: Oakley, Maxxis, Shimano, Mavic, Fox Shox, Crank Brothers, Syncros, Dakine, e13, Giro, Fizik, Whistler Bike Park, Evolution Bike Shop, Peak Performance Massage Therapy
Website: CanadianDHGirls.com

On a rainy summer day in 1997, my best buddy Lisa Lefroy and I grabbed her dad’s cruisers and brought them up the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. We were the only people out there, slip and sliding the whole way down. At the end of the day, we were scrapped, bruised, muddy and happy. Shortly after I bought my first mountain bike!

When I first started mountain biking, my intentions were %100 genuine. I loved being outside with my friends, riding trails, going on adventures, and challenging myself. Ten years later, I have traveled all over the world with my bike – from South America to Jamaica, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. I have represented Canada at the World Championships, had top-three finishes at the Canadian National Championships, and top-15 results at World Cups. I have written several media and editorial projects, been in countless marketing campaigns and magazine articles, coached thousands of people and co-created the only women’s-only freeride event in existence, The Gala.

Through all of this, my intentions remain the same – I ride because I love to ride! All of this came through being passionate about mountain bikes. I work hard because I want to work hard. It has not been glamorous in any way. I have, for lack of a better expression, worked my ass off! But, I love it. I am so lucky to have found my passion – so when the hurdles get big, it doesn’t scare me away, it only makes me jump higher.

I’m starting off 2009 with a trip overseas to Australia and New Zealand. As for the rest of the year, I’m not so sure yet. I am still working on a frame sponsor so we’ll have to see. But whatever happens, the future looks bright. I’ll always be a rider and I will always be out there, riding in the woods, looking for the next adventure, pushing my limits and laughing with my friends.

Results from Final Canada Cup Downhill

Ok, so we're back to posting loads of results. There's been a lot of racing the past few days, so we're just trying to keep up. The last race in the Canada Cup series was held at Sun Peaks Resort, BC this weekend. Micayla Gatto snagged the win with four seconds to spare over Rebecca McQueen.

Elite Women
1. Micayla Gatto
2. Rebecca McQueen
3. Miranda Miller
4. Harriet Harper
5. Danice Uyesugi
6. Katrina Strand
7. Tanya Grunsky
8. Kelly Kozevnikov
9. Amber Zirnhelt
10. Kat Duffels

Citizen Women 19-29
1. Jamie Hill
2. Kari Mancer
3. Lisa Howey‐Couter
4. Danielle Baker
5. Jen Mancer
6. Caleigh Christie

Citizen Women 30+
1. Lara Dixon
2. Monika Marx
3. Christine Dennstedt

Women 13-14
1. Holly Feniak

Women 15-17
1. Jenna Phelps

Master Women 30+
1. Lisa Tedesco
2. Edith Janzen

Senior Women 19-29
1. Dawn Cashen
2. Alexis Moore
3. Kimberley Boyko

Junior Women 17-18
1. Casey Brown

We found these results on the BC Cup website.

Canadian Open Downhill Results

The final competitive event of 2008's Crankworx in Whislter, BC was today's Canadian Open downhill. Rachel Atherton pulled out a win by two seconds over Tracy Moseley. A podium surprise was Whistler local Katie Holden, who put together a 3rd-place run over a slew of World Cup regulars and just barely edged out Claire Buchar who took 4th.

Pro Women
1. Rachel Atherton
2. Tracy Moseley
3. Katie Holden
4. Claire Buchar
5. Kathy Pruitt
6. Danice Uyesugi
7. Micayla Gatto
8. Sheryl McLeod
10. Helen Gaskell
11. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth

Amateur Senior Women 19+
1. Dawn Cashen
2. Jamie Hill
3. Meghan Illingworth
4. Jerusha Millar
5. Terri-Anne Howard
6. Alexis Moore

Anneke Beerten Takes Second Slalom Win at Crankworx

Anneke Beerten dominated the Giant Slalom races from start to finish today. She took the win over Sheryl McLeod. Anneke won the Dual Slalom on Saturday too. Casey Brown put in an impressive performance for the Amateur women, easily taking the win there.

Pro Women
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Sheryl McLeod
3. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
4. Lorraine Blancher

Amateur Women
1. Casey Brown
2. Tanya Grunsky
3. Stephanie Grassi

Crankworx Women's Event #4: Air DH

Rebecca McQueen ruled Whistler's A-Line track today in the 4th women's event of 2008's Crankworx. The Whistler local barely edged out fellow British Columbian Micayla Gatto for the win. The Air Downhill races down the jump- and berm-filled A-Line trail, where the speed is found on the ground, not in the air. Several girls have participated in each event, and Fionn Griffiths has proven the most consistent, placing in the top seven in all four competitions.

Pro Women
1. Rebecca McQueen
2. Micayla Gatto
3. Stephanie Nychka
4. Fionn Griffiths
5. Anneke Beerten
6. Bethany Parsons
7. Katrina Strand
8. Lorainne Blancher
9. Casey Brown
10. Sheryl McLeod
11. Anne Laplante
12. Harriet Harper
13. Danice Uyesugi
14. Shannon Chugg
15. Katie Holden

Junior Amateur Women 13-18
1. Jessica Allouche
2. Lauren Rosser
3. Holly Feniak
4. Jackie Langen

Senior Amateur Women 19+
1. Carolyn Kavanagh
2. Jerusha Millar
3. Emma Lewis
4. Aja Philip
5. Dawn Cashen
6. Jaime Hill
7. Nellee Lavoie
8. Theresa McGeragle
9. Anita Gerhig
10. Caryn Cantu
11. Meghan Illingworth
12. Rachelle Frazer
13. Britnee Boychuck
14. Kat Sweet
15. Terri-Anne Howard
16. Michelle Sims
17. Anita Naidu
18. Louise Classon
19. Courtney Nash
20. Nancy Beaudette

Super Showing at Womenzworx

Yeah girls! Check out how many ladies participated in the 2008 Womenzworx Gala at Crankworx in Whistler, BC. If you scan the list, you'll see healthy mix World Cup downhillers, local racers, freeriders, and slopestyle specialists. It's pretty awesome to see so much pro and amateur participation from girls with such a wide range of riding skills.

Pro Women
1. Lorraine Blancher
2. Stephanie Nychka
3. Casey Brown
4. Claire Buchar
5. Kathy Pruitt
6. Wendy Robinson
7. Fionn Griffiths
8. Katrina Strand
9. Emily Johnston
10. Rebecca McQueen
11. Katie Holden
12. Darcy Turenne
13. Bethany Parsons
14. Harriet Harper
15. Kristen Smart
16. Sheryl McLeod
17. Anne Laplante
18. Micayla Gatto
19. Jacqueline Harmony
20. Kathryn Hayes
21. Danice Uyesugi
22. Aurelie Tournier
23. Tara Johnson

Amateur Women
1. Eleanor Maxfield
2. Kjersten Lone
3. Dawn Cashen
4. Nancy Beaudette
5. Kasie Stroshin
6. Carolyn Kavanagh
7. Rachelle Frazer
8. Tara Mowatt
9. Caryn Cantu
10. Michelle Sims
11. Kim Jacques
12. Stephanie Grassi
13. Beatrice Jakob

Lorraine Blancher Takes Top Spot at Womenzworx

This is a press release from Crankworx:

Lorraine Blancher Takes Top Spot at Womenzworx Gala Competition at Kokanee Crankworx 2008

Womenzworx Presented by Sombrio a Great Success with Prize Purse of $3,200

WHISTLER, BC August 12, 2008 - The second annual Womenzworx Gala Competition at Kokanee Crankworx took place in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park today. The course included four main sections - a technical descent on In Deep; an air section on Schleyer; jumps on Crabapple; and two options for slopestyle, Dirt Merchant or the Boneyard.

Each rider passed through the judged sections and was awarded points based on five main criteria; style, fluidity, tricks, amplitude and creativity/originality. "We are very happy with this year's Gala, the event ran very smooth and the women shredded it," says Lisa Lefroy, professional mountain biker and Womenzworx co-founder. "It's such a great platform for an all-women's event and the women love riding together, I'm just so stoked."

In the Pro category - Lorraine Blancher of Revelstoke BC took first place with a score of 30.0; Stephanie Nychka of Beverly, OR took second with a score of 29.8; tied for third place was Claire Buchar of Whistler, BC and Casey Brown of Revelstoke, BC with a score of 27.5 and Kathy Pruitt of Santa Cruz, CA took fourth place with a score of 27.3

"It's awesome to have an event for women based on the all-around riding of the athletes, not just one aspect of it," says Womenzworx winner Lorraine Blancher. "I'm not sure what to say except, I loved everything about the event and all the girls rode really well."

In the Amateur category - Eleanor Maxfield of Bristol, UK took first place with a score of 22.0; Kjersten Lone of Victoria, BC took second with a score of 20.8; Dawn Cashen of Calgary, AB took third place with a score of 19.8; Nancy Beaudette of Pemberton, BC took fourth place with a score of 19.5 and Kasi Stroshin of Whistler, BC took fifth with a score of 19.0.

Womenzworx, presented by Sombrio, was the highlight of Day Four at Kokanee Crankworx 2008. Day Five includes the Jim Beam Air DH as well as more live music on the TELUS Mainstage featuring Mother Mother from 5:30-6:45 and Plants and Animals from 7:00-8:00pm. NIKE 6.0 will also be at the NIKE store in the Village showcasing NIKE ID Thursday, August 14.

Crankworx Garbanzo Downhill Results

The second competitive event of 2008's Crankworx was the insanely long Garbanzo Downhill. It took Rachel Atherton over 16 minutes to finish the race and secure first win of the week. About a minute separated her from second-place finisher Fionn Griffiths, and a minute separated Fionn from third-placer Danice Uyesugi. There is no racing today, but the Womenzworx and Gala are being held tomorrow.

Pro Women
1. Rachel Atherton
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Danice Uyesugi
4. Rebecca McQueen
5. Helene Valerie Fruhwirth
6. Bethany Parsons
7. Jacqueline Harmony
8. Anka Martin
9. Joy Mutoli
10. Kari Manser
11. Shannon Chugg
12. Abigail Hippely
13. Angi Weston
14. Kristen Smart
15. Kelly Kozevnikov
16. Niki Gudex

Junior Amateur Women 13-18
1. Holly Feniak

Senior Amateur Women 19+
1. Eleanor Maxfield
2. Carolyn Kavanagh
3. Dawn Cashen
4. Aimee Dunn
5. Christie Caleigh

Crankworx Dual Slalom Results

The first competitive event at Crankworx in Whistler, BC was last night's Dual Slalom. Anneke Beerten continued to rule the gates, as she took the win over Rachel Atherton in the Final round. Rachel has rarely raced gated events this year, but she got into the final by beating second-place qualifier Fionn Griffiths in the Semi-Final round. Fionn and Kathy Pruitt finished third and fourth respectively.

Final
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Rachel Atherton

Consolation
3. Fionn Griffiths
4. Kathy Pruitt

Semi-Final Round
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Katie Holden

1. Kathy Pruitt
2. Leigh Donovan

1. Rachel Atherton
2. Sheryl McLeod

1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Micayla Gatto

First Round
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Bye

1. Katie Holden
2. Stephanie Grassi

1. Kathy Pruitt
2. Bye

1. Leigh Donovan
2. Bye

1. Rachel Atherton
2. Bye

1. Sheryl McLeod
2. Danice Uyesugi

1. Micayla Gatto
2. Miranda Miller

1. Fionn Griffiths
2. Bye

Qualifying
Pro Women
1. Anneke Beerten
2. Fionn Griffiths
3. Rachel Atherton
4. Leigh Donovan
5. Kathy Pruitt
6. Sheryl McLeod
7. Miranda Miller
8. Katie Holden
9. Stephanie Grassi
10. Micayla Gatto
11. Danice Uyesugi

Speaking of Sombrio

If you're not doing anything on Wednesday night, and you live anywhere near Mount Seymour, BC, go ride with Sombrio. This ride is for women only and includes demo bikes, wine and cheese. Sounds about perfect to me! Click here to learn more from Pinkbike.com.

Mount 7 Psychosis Results

The 10th annual Mount 7 Psychosis downhill race took place July 5 and 6 in Golden, BC. The Psychosis has been named the longest all-singletrack downhill race in the world. Claire Buchar claimed the Psychos Women's title, finishing in just over 17 minutes.

Psychos Women
1. Claire Buchar
2. Sarin Warman
3. Bethany Parsons
4. Katie Holden
5. Kari Mancer
6. Marcie Shatula
7. Kristen Smart

Sandbagger Women
1. Dominique Doyon
2. Dawn Cashen
3. Jerusha Millar
4. Michelle Locke

Stephanie Nychka Wins Boneyard Air Affair

Canada's queen of slopestyle, Stephanie Nychka, took the win in the Open Women's category at the Whistler Boneyard Air Affair contest last weekend. She was the only woman competing, but with consistent 11+ scores on both of her runs, she bested many of the boys out there. Watch for Stephanie to put on a show at this year's WomenzWorx too!