August 11, 2007

Whistler Mountain Bike Park Cranks it Up with new addition to the popular bike trail

The Whistler Mountain Bike Park opened a new section of the popular bike trail Crank It Up Saturday, August 11.  A guaranteed thrill, Crank It Up is a progressive trail with a variety of jumps and obstacles suitable for riders intermediate and up.

Crank It Up opened in 2005 and is a bike park favorite for visitors and locals alike.  Designed by the Bike Park Trail Crew and Gravity Logic, Crank It Up was built to give riders who might not be ready for the expert trails a place to hone their skills and push their limits. “This trail was designed for intermediate riders but it’s so much fun everyone is stoked on it,” says Tom Prochazka, Whistler Mountain Bike Park Manager.

Crank It Up is about 4.5 kms in length with the addition of the new section and is a great compliment to the existing trail. The popularity of the trail is a testament to the effort and talent of the bike park trial crew.  One of the main features new to the trial is the 180 degree bridge that stands almost 20 feet tall at its highest point.

The original section of the trail begins at Olympic Midstation on Whistler Mountain.  Descending nearly 1000 vertical feet, Crank It Up now finishes about 600 feet above Heart of Darkness, another popular bike park trail.  With more than 25 variations of wall rides, gap jumps, boxes and sweet berms, this is the perfect freeride trail for any mountain biker looking for a good time in the park. “This trail will flow you away”, says Prochazka.

The Whistler Mountain Bike Park offers something for everyone, from green trials for beginners to double black diamond trails for the expert mountain biker. The with over 40 trials and three chairlifts accessing over 200 kms of terrain full of mind-blowing sickness, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is the leader of lift-accessed bike parks in North America. 

For more information on Whistler Blackcomb and the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, visit www.WhistlerBlackcomb.com. 

  

Consistently ranked as North America's top ski and snowboard resort, Whistler Blackcomb elevates summer adventure to new heights. On-Mountain activities include high alpine hiking and sightseeing via the Peak Chair on Whistler, epic riding in North America’s number one ranked lift-accessed mountain bike park, and summer skiing and riding on Blackcomb’s Horstman Glacier. In the valley, sparkling mountain lakes and beaches, four championship golf courses, and Whistler’s vibrant pedestrian village filled with restaurants, patios, cafés, shops, galleries and spas are all surrounded by breathtaking scenery. Whistler Blackcomb continues to raise the level of mountain excitement for its guests, and has unveiled plans for a new high speed quad accessing Whistler Mountain’s spectacular high alpine for the 06/07 winter season. Located a scenic two-hour drive north of Vancouver up the spectacular Sea to Sky Highway, this four season resort is truly spectacular by nature. Check it out at www.whistlerblackcomb.com.

ABOUT INTRAWEST
Intrawest is a world leader in experiential destination resorts.  The company has interests in eleven resorts at North America’s most popular mountain destinations including Whistler Blackcomb, a host venue for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The Intrawest network also includes Canadian Mountain Holidays, the largest heli-skiing operation in the world, Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida and Club Intrawest—a private resort club with nine locations throughout North America.  In addition, Intrawest develops real estate at its resorts and at other locations across North America and in Europe.  Intrawest is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia. For more information, visit www.intrawest.com

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Proud to be a venue for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

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