Freshlines at Whistler Mountain Bike Park

They say time flies when you’re having fun. I know I’m having fun when I’m flying most of the time. This must be why the season seems to have soared so swiftly into September. While it’s true that there is just over a month left for the Bike Park this season, there is no need to despair because for mountain bikers, the best really does come last.

The first reason why ‘tis the season: Hero dirt. This phenomenon has forever delighted bike riders because it makes them feel like Superman. It occurs when there is just the perfect amount of moisture in the dirt. Neither dusty nor muddy, this surface is ideal for traction and speed. Landings previously unattainable will be within your reach; corners will feel like you traded your old shag wagon for a Formula One. Up, up and away! 

Another point to credit this marvellous time is that if you want to save your skin with armour, you won’t have the unpleasant feeling of cooking yourself in it. In fact, with the daily temperature falling between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius, you will be comfortable in just about anything. 

No one likes having to wait to ride and you won’t have to. Fewer rider visits means virtually non-existent lift lines and wide open trails. Don’t be one of the ones missing out! 

A final thought: hero dirt is also great for trail maintenance. That maintenance will last longer when the temperature is cooler and it isn’t getting degraded by thousands of tires. 

Now is the time and this is the place to ride the ultimate trail conditions, but believe me, this last month is golden and will be gone even faster than it arrived.

  The second Phast Wednesday is now in the history books. It was held on a course described by event organizer Seb Fremont as “Possibly the most difficult course that will ever see a Wednesday race.” The course was Upper Joyride, Lower Whistler’s DH, Detroit Rock City, Lower Joyride (including the Ladder-bridge Gap at the bottom). Of the 112 racers entered–the low turn out was probably due to the self-preservation instincts of the rest of the field–there were no serious injuries. The fastest time of the day was 2.25.11 posted by Tyler Morland. Come out next week, when we are back to Phat Wednesdays, course TBA. 

   Temperatures are forecasted to be hot for the next few days – the last few have actually been a little cooler than anticipated. Anyway, here are few thoughts on how to beat the heat. Find a way to take some water on board. Start early and go to the lake when it bakes and then back to the park for Extended Play. This is by far the best time to ride; cooler temps, fewer people and most of the trails are shaded. Lastly, Garbo is the coolest place to be when the mercury rises. I head for the shade of O-Sin, In Deep and Fatcrobat. These trails are at their best during these big high pressures.

  Cumulonimbus clouds formed around the Whistler valley last night, bringing thunder, lightning and some much needed rainfall to the area. About 5mm of rain fell in a two hour period yesterday evening, and today the trails are perfectly tacky and much less dusty. Take advantage of this moisture while you can, because it is forecasted to be hot and dry for the next week.

The Canadian Open course will be sicker than ever this year thanks to a completely redesigned upper section (under the chair). For those of you who don’t know what the Canadian Open is, it is DH race held on the last weekend of Crankworx. It is open to all riders, however, it is run on a National calibre course and will be entered by world class riders. This is your chance to race against the likes of Sam Hill, Gee Atherton and Steve Peat. For those who are familiar with the course you’ll be blown away by the quality of the top section which features two high speed gap jumps, some new berms and a whoops section.

The Boneyard is quickly taking shape and has been partially opened to the public. The “Whale Tail” start feature and the large wooden jump after it have safety bridges across their gaps and are open. The dirt/wood quarter pipe and a big drop are also open, so come ride the course built for the world’s best slopestyle riders!

In the mountains north of the 49th parallel, there are two months that can be relied upon to be hot and sunny: July and August. While the spring and fall can be perfect for biking, these two months are simply the best. If the average daily temperature of 27 degrees is too much for you, try heading up to Garbanzo where it will be 5-10 degrees cooler, not to mention the awesome riding on some new trails like Blue Velvet and New Joke. The season of beaches, beers and bike park is upon us, so get on your bike and ride!

The final section of Crank It Up is now complete and open. This new section of trail runs parallel to the Singing Pass road and features several new rollers, jumps and a bright green wall ride. Lower CIU now blends seamlessly into Heart of Darkness just before its first table top. To make the ride even sweeter, the boys have worked smoothed out the armoring on HOD and widened the trail around the “Orange Fence” corner. It is unbelievable how some small touches can make such big improvements.

From the Olympic Chair to the Village the CIU – HOD combination is a smorgasbord of trail building mastery. Where else can so many riders of such a broad range of abilities and riding styles have so much fun? This reminds me, for you rippers out there (you know who are) – this is an intermediate route – be polite, pass wisely and do not intimidate – you weren’t always a ripper.

Another sure sign of summer is that the grass is starting to grow in the Boneyard. The crew is in there this week getting it ready for public consumption. They are working on a cool line that will feature a portion of the giant wall ride at the top of the course, a new wall ride/on-off box that looks like a giant couch, a hip into the Kona QP and big wooden drop. Look for new sections to be open within the next week.

Summer is definitely in full swing here in Whistler. The forecast is calling for a bit of precip. early this week followed by more sunshine for the weekend. Just what the doctor ordered. Love summer – get it while it lasts.

J McS

PS: Look for more frequent updates in the Fresh Lines section of the website

What’s Going On???? Lower A-line has been overhauled by Marty and his machine this week. This means a smoother ride for you!

The first Phat Wednesday DH race on B-Line was a huge success, despite the inclement weather; 170 racers! The winning time was 3:44.75 posted by Yann Martin. There was a $5 side pot for riders who wanted to race each other chainless, resulting in an arm wrestle and beer-chug contest–and eventual tie–between Adam Billinghurst and Curtis Keene due to a dispute over Billinghurst’s run.

This Wednesday will be the first of the new “Phast” Wednesday series, and of course, that being Canada Day, you can expect a high level of national pride! These three additional races will be on harder courses and are being sponsored by the GLC, so come out and race the trails you love to fear!

Do you think of the bike park as an intimidating haven for the fearless? Do you think you need a bike built like a monster truck to ride it? If you do, we would like to show you the gentler side of the park. There are several intermediate trails in the Fitszimmons zone that are actually better ridden on an XC or trail bike, so there is no need to use any different equipment than you already have. If you don’t believe us we offer the “Sampler” ticket for $27, which is good for 3 runs. Fun trails like Ninja Cougar, Karate Monkey, and Ho Chi Minh are waiting for you…what are you waiting for?

JMcS

Garbanzo is open, Garbanzo is open! One week earlier than planned, at that. I knew that the Bike Park crew just couldn’t wait to crack Garbo, and neither should you. Not only is Garbanzo open but it is in great shape. Every trail is open and the best news of all for those who didn’t get up to Garbo late last fall is that there are three sweet new additions.

Freight Train now continues down to the Highway 86 tunnel. The dream is almost a reality: except for a few short sections, there is a continuous jump trail from the top of Garbanzo to the Village (Freight Train to Dirt Merchant or A-Line). If flowy single track is your poison, you will love what the crew has done to No Joke – now called New Joke. Some of the original mixed with some rerouting and a ton of rock and wood work make this the Garbo version of Angry Pirate. Last but not least, Blue Velvet keeps on growing. The best section of all has been added from the top of the chair to link up to the Treefort. Combined, these three sections multiply the Garbo flow factor considerably – still an area that requires skills, but now suitable for a much broader range of riders.

While Garbanzo is the big news progress continues to made in the Fitz area. Finishing touches are being completed on the final phase of the Crank It Up masterpiece. This section will bypass the unremarkable Singing Pass Road straight shot and add several tables, a ladder bridge and two more wall rides joining Heart of Darkness (or HOD for those who read Brian’s last update) at the water tower. No promises on the opening date but it should be before Canada turns 142.

If you have ridden the Giant Slalom course, you may have found that while great at the top and bottom, the middle was more like an XC course than a GS. Well that is no longer the case, thanks to a new design and some expert machine work. If you haven’t ridden it yet, then get in there!

There is tons more going on as the Park gets into full summer swing . The Phat Wednesday race series begins on the 24th with three additional races this year – nine in total thanks to some support from the apres race headquarters , the GLC. Women’s Nights are back on full force every Monday and Wednesday. Finally, this weekend’s moisture, while not pleasant at that time is exactly what the trails needed.

See you soon,

JMcS

Hey out there all you dirt shredders, we have made some great improvements to the bike park lately, and many more are to come.

Firstly, Angry Pirate has had some awesome work done; rock armouring to enhance flow and some creative bridgework as well. This trail is truly the best it has ever been right now, so set yer sails for Whistler and come ride the Pirate, y’arrr!

Next, for all you interested in racing your buddies head to head in two parallel tracks, we have the all new Double Vision course finished and open. Consisting of tabletops, step-downs, tunnels, dozens of excellent berms and featuring the two “Satellite Dishes” from last year’s slopestyle course, Double Vision is ready for action.

Moving on to Crank It Up, you will notice that there are new rollers before Singing Pass Road: whether you pump, manual or double them, I assure you, rider, it will be very rad! Also, there will be a short new section of CIU available for your riding pleasure very soon. When completed, you will be able to ride right to the water tower on Heart of Darkness without riding on the road, making CIU/HOD a completely uninterrupted trail!

Finally, the Boneyard Slopestyle course is shaping up nicely, with insane wall rides, huge gaps and super cool step-downs. This world class Slopestyle course will not be open to the public until after Crankworx, when it will be made safer (because we don’t want you to die).

Thats all for now, come check it out!