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The Whistler Pump Tracks

jasonvh — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 07:08:22 +0000

One thing about the trail builders at Whistler; when they take on a project, it gets taken to the next level. Case in point: the pump track constructed for the Ultimate pump track challenge.

The competition pump track at Whistler

The symmetrical design and the addition of the center platform removes the need for timers, and creates a head to head race format that wasn’t just spectator friendly, but TV friendly as well. While it isn’t necessarily the be-all end-all of pump track design, it has created a new race format that combines dirt jump and dual slalom skills, and crams it into a relatively small amount of real estate.

Manual-licious.

That really is the beauty of the pump track. The user experience is whatever the designer/ builder makes of it. Essentially just a bunch of dirt rollers and berms, it can emulate a mini-race course, the ultimate trail riding experience, or offer a dirt skatepark-like riding session. The reason I’m so stoked on them is that unlike full on dirt jumps, it is possible to create a basic pump track with a relatively small amount of time and labor. (Assuming raw materials are handy, and the indigenous soil compacts well.) Brakes and a drive train are non-essential to the pump track experience, as a correctly built pump track requires neither brakes or a chain. (although brakes are never a bad idea for those “oh shit” moments.) This also makes them accessible to kids with .. how you say? Crappy bikes.

Girls can pump too. (heh)

The pump track experience is rapidly influencing both bike park design as well as contemporary trail design, as more and more pop up. Where is the pump track trend going? It is tough to say, but at this point, it is safe to say that you’ll be seeing a lot more of them, as they are the freeriding version of the gateway drug. Because they are best ridden on hard tail dirt jump bikes, and the fun, unintimidating atmosphere, they are likely to be the first foray into the world of dirt jumps and bike skills for many.

Dropping the shoulder

The Whistler competition pump track.

This isn’t the Whistler bike park’s first pump track either. Next to the skatepark, nestled between the dirt jumps and the concrete park lies a pump track line that has been considerably expanded on in the last year. The downside to this location is the sandy soil. I only rode this track for a minute, and it seriously needed some water and some love.

OG Whistler pump track

To read more on my coverage of the Ultimage Pump Track challenge on MBA, including the results of the Challenge, click here.

I had a request for more pics of the Monster girls- you're welcome.

Crankworx Road Trip 2010

jasonvh — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:38:22 +0000

The goal was to be on the road and to arrive in Whistler with time to ride the pump track before the Saint Deep Summer slide show. It was a good plan, and we were on track to make it- until we hit evening traffic in Vancouver. Up until that point we had made great time; even our border crossing went quickly. No anal probes were administered, and we didn’t even have to get out of the car. One look at the massive amount of crap stacked in the bed of the pickup probably had something to do with that one.

Four dudes, one chick. One fully loaded pickup.

Our dreams of riding shortly after arriving were dashed, but we did get some cool Saint pint glasses at the Saint slide show to comfort our sorrows. The Kokanee, sadly, wasn’t included with the cost of entry. I forgot how much stuff costs in Canada, but I think I remember seeing a case of beer running about $45 or so. Damn!

Freeriding's holy land: Whistler

With this view taunting us, we were off to look at slideshows of photos taken for the comp. There was a large quantity of gorgeous imagery being projected for our viewing pleasure. Bike Magazine Contributor Jordan Manley ended up with the win- his images really did a good job showing a solid perspective on what Whistler was all about: trails and epic riding. Must be nice to be a local and have this sort of greatness in your backyard. What is it about Whistler that makes us want to become Canadian? Is it the insanely awesome riding, the mountains, or the free health care? Maybe it’s all of the above.

Ryan and Kaylee Gibb: awesome peeps

After the show it was off to the pub, where we partook in pitchers while watching Follow Me on screens, over and over. GA! I just wanted to get out and ride. When it was finally the next morning, and time to ride, the day began with a warm-up run down Crank It Up. Joining me for this run was PDX yokel and grumpy-man (as in surlier than me) Mr. Corey Tepper, and friends. Someone got held up on the trail, so I shamelessly ditched them to get onto my second run when I spotted some of my favorite Canadians, Mr. and Mrs. Gibb. I hadn’t met Ryan yet, but just about all of us have seen the previews for his new MTB film Lifecycles.

You are at the start of Freight Train.

The Gibbs have been living the dream for the last three years in trying to get the film made and finished. Word is they hope to have the official premier for Interbike, just weeks away. The movie has been over budget for some time now, which means the Gibbs have been scraping to get by, and we discussed the pros and cons of trying to live the dream. It’s not an easy road. However, Ryan and his partner are on the verge of raising the bar for mountain bike films to a whole another level. Hopefully it makes it all worth it in the end.

This gap featured in Follow Me is way bigger in person. I'm not ashamed to say I didn't have the urge to try it.

I don’t even own a Blue-Ray player yet, but I’m planning to pre-order the movie in high-def. It looks that good. The Gibbs took me up to the top of the mountain for the first time and showed me the wonder that is Freight Train. Super good stuff.

Kaylee sends it down the GLC drop for her first time

The Gibbs had to take off after a few runs to do a shoot somewhere, so I grabbed a almost-free can of Monster energy and got back in line. While standing in the singles line I ran into Jon Kennedy, marketing guy for Diamond Back Bikes in Seattle. He was doing some “testing” of his latest ride, (the 2011 Diamondback ScapeGoat) so I got to check it out. (Pinkbike actually did a feature on it. Check it out here.)

Jon Kennedy and the 2011 Diamondback Scapegoat

I can’t say I’ve been a fan of the Diamondback all mountain line to date, with their relatively steep 68° head angle, and lack of stand over. They have been gaining in popularity though, and for 2011, the all mountain line looks considerably more dialed. With the new 2011 Fox 7″ single crown fork the bike comes in at 66°, and it now has additional stand over. If you consider the features at Black Rock and Post Canyon part of your normal all mountain ride, this might be a good bike to check out for next year. Check it out here. They also have a true DH platform in development which we should see by this time next year.

Did I mention Jon is a skilled rider to boot? Thanks go to Jon for showing me even more of the trails up top. We had a hollering good time shredding a train down Dirt Merchant.

Later on I met up with the PDX crew and we did many runs down the mountain. Zim took his riding to the next level by going big on this rock wall. Yeah!

Zim on the rock wallride on Duffman

On day two of the trip, I stopped by the SRAM truck to get some love for my Boxxer, and to say hi to Jon C and Evan W at SRAM. These guys are always on the go, following the traveling road show that is the DH race circuit. While I’m capable of redoing the damping on my fork, there is something to be said for having all the right parts, and the right tools on hand. Evan was on Boxxer duty, and had over 12 forks lined up at one point. Watching him tear apart my fork was a lot like watching a totally dialed bar tender making his specialty drink. Not just any bartender either, I’m talking Tom Cruise in “Cocktail.” Evan is the man.

Evan is a master of the Boxxer pro-tune.

He blew my mind by completely revamping my fork. Not only did I get the full pro-tune, but new seals, dampers, and bushings made my day. The fork now rides better than any Boxxer I’ve ever owned. My next run down the mountain (and every one after that) was seriously off the hizzy, and my riding for the rest of the trip got better and better. Evan and Jon, next time I’m in Colorado, drinks are on me.

My Trek Session 88 got some serious love

While I was hanging out in the square, I stopped by the Decline booth to visit Nicole and pick up a copy of the latest issue. Two of my photos from the Ashland Super D ran in this month’s issue. Check it out:

Nicole from Decline holds the latest issue with my shot of Weir.

While I was bugging the boys at SRAM, I peeped Black Box Manager Jon Cancellier’s latest ride, a tricked out Carbon Enduro. Six inches of travel front and rear, DH tires, 5″ height adjustable seat post, air sprung DH rear shock, 10 speed XX drive train, weighing in at a total of 30lbs.

You may be jealous now. I know I might be. A little. With light wheels, his ride comes in at 26-27lbs. I used to race Cross Country on a Trek Y-22 that weighed 27lbs. Yeah, his bike is pretty bad ass.

Jon C of SRAM always has the latest and greatest gear.

The upper mountain has a lot of rad trails to explore. I only made it to a handful of them- hopefully I’ll be back again soon to finish exploring. Maybe I’ll even shoot some photos. The problem with being a newbie to Whistler (2nd trip) is that you just want to ride until you can’t anymore. And nothing else.

This trail was sweet. After I rode this section, I had to hike back and shoot the next guy.

Stay tuned for my photos from the slopestyle and additional photos of the pump track. In the meantime, check out my coverage of the Crankworx Pump Track Challenge on MBA’s website.

The Whistler Pump track looks sweet.

jasonvh — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:18:50 +0000

The Whistler pump track looks rad. These days pump track design had been going in two distinct directions: one way, race-course style, and more of a free-form dirt skate park style. Either way, done right both are wicked fun. Check this bad boy out:

the Whistler pump track for Crankworx

At the moment it sounds like I’m going to make it to Crankworx, and I can’t wait. In fact, just looking at this track has given me a number of ideas on how I want to re-work the s-turn section of the ih8bikes track. (I’m loving the step up/down there too!)

We’ll be heading up that way this weekend to see how it held up over the painfully long wet spring to get some time in.

If you’re planning to be in Whistler for Crankworx, here are the deets on the pump track comp:

The Ultimate Pump Track Challenge will be all about speed, flow and flair as Kokanee Crankworx’s newest event lights up the night. The new pump track, which has just been completed, at the top of the Boneyard in the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, will be christened when the ultimate “mano-a-mano” battle goes down Thursday, August 12 at 8pm.

“We worked closely with Monster Energy to develop the Ultimate Pump Track Challenge which will display some fast and fierce action,” says Jeremy Roche, Kokanee Crankworx General Manager. “With a bell ring and knuckle-knock start, riders will drop and chase each other through a 20-25 second course chock full of berms, doubles and gaps. This is going to be one intense show.”

Pump tracks, an endless loop of steeply banked corners, doubles, gaps and rollers, have grown steadily in their popularity through the last five years. The track built for the Whistler Mountain Bike Park is 70 feet by 90 feet, translating into a spectator-friendly and compact arena for insane mountain bike action. Acceleration is built by pumping with legs and arms rather than continuous pedalling and there is one caveat – riders must have at minimum 26 inch wheels.

At the Ultimate Pump Track Challenge finals a stacked line-up of 32 men and eight women, culled by time trials from a field of 60 men and 25 women, will enter into a head-to-head quest through the final ladders. Winning the title is going to take speed, strategy and endurance to last through the five heats required.

The qualifier event held at the Whistler Mountain Bike Park July 25 will award wildcard spots to the fastest male rider and the fastest female rider, granting them automatic entry to the finals on August 12. Stay tuned towww.whistlerblackcomb.com/bike for more information and how to register.

There will be a $500 cash grab for the best antics dropped randomly through the night while the top man and top woman will each go home with $750 cash. Registration for the Ultimate Pump Track Challenge and other Kokanee Crankworx 2010 events found online at http://www.crankworx.com/whistler/athletes/athletes.

Ultimate Pump Track Challenge Schedule:

Wednesday August 11 5:00pm-7:00pm – Training (Registered Athletes Only)

Thursday August 12 11:30am-1:00pm – Time Trials (Drop in)

7:00pm-8:00pm – Training (Finalists only)

8:00pm-10:00pm – Finals (Live Webcast)

2010 Whistler Edit from the Eugene Crew

jasonvh — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 16:17:54 +0000

Dan Wrightington, Tom Lyons and friends (AKA the Eugene Crew) just posted their first Whistler edit of the year on Vimeo. It’s a nice mix of a few different mounts using a GoPro HD POV helmet cam. Sweet!

It looks like it was a bit wet on a few days- at 7:58 one of the guys dumps it on the wood switchback on Crank It Up. Yowch.

Why haven’t I been up there yet this year?

Whistler Bike Park set to open on May 15

jasonvh — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 05:04:48 +0000

Originally posted at mbaction.com 3/26/10

The bike park at Whistler is set to open May 15, 2010. If you have yet to make the trip to what is undoubtedly the freeriding motherland, here is a quick glimpse at what you have been missing. If you have, hopefully it brings back some incredible memories, and raises the stoke level for the next visit.

Portland’s relatively close proximity to Whistler was one of our deciding factors in moving here, so you can bet we are psyched. (It sure as hell wasn’t the economic opportunities!) We had postponed our first pilgrimage until last year, but made up for it by visiting and riding a full five days at the revolutionary freeride destination.

World famous jump trail, A-Line. Photo: Jason Van Horn

Shooting photos at Whistler can be a tough one, when the urge to take run after run until you are utterly exhausted takes over. Whistler has a way of doing that. I wanted to shoot a lot more, but I couldn’t get away from riding. I’m more than a bit envious of the local photographers, but this year I plan to be spending as much time as I can there.

The OG Freerider, Brett Tippie! Photo: JVH

One of the best days I had at Whistler was during an afternoon of riding when I met up for some runs with a crew of locals, including original freeride legend Brett Tippie. Seriously, the VIP tour is the best way to learn your way around the mountain! I had a blast ripping trails with the OG rippers. That is the beauty of Whistler though- as THE destination, everyone goes there to ride, test themselves, as well as their product. Stick around long enough and you’ll see it all.

Hangin with some Canadian locals and a French dude at the bike park

The Whistler build crew in the midst of adding a new section to Crank It Up. Photo: JVH

Whistler employs a build crew that is out full time adding new trails, or doing maintenance and reworking the existing lines to make sure your MTB vacation rules. When you see the guys on your way down, don’t forget to thank them for their hard work.

Jason Van Horn on the classic Whistler DH trail, Schleyer. Photo: Inga Beck

Inga Beck drops off the box on Crank It Up. Photo: JVH

The world famous A-line trail was recently replaced as the most popular trail on the mountain last year by the intermediate line, “Crank It Up.” With a “never ending” series of berms and jumps complete with table tops of every variety, the trail was designed to develop intermediate freeriding skills to the next level. The flow and features on the trail are fun whether you are a beginner or an advanced rider. By far one of our favorite warm up lines, a run down Crank It Up is a great way to start a day of riding at Whistler.

Here’s a quick POV video clip of a typical warm up run on Crank It Up to help get the stoke on for the 2010 season. Inga Beck is the rider, followed by Jason Van Horn. See you there!

The upcoming Bike Park season, which is scheduled to begin May 15, 2010, is coming up quickly. Next month Bike Park guests can look forward to a brand new website with some exciting new functionality and an extra special early bird Season Pass and Triple Play campaign scheduled to launch April 15, 2010.

The opening of the Bike Park also marks the start of event season and this season an old favourite, the Crud 2 Mud Downhill, will return on May 22. Then the first-ever Canadian Fluidride Cup kicks off May 30. Stay tuned for more information about the events, registration, etc soon!

For more info on the Whistler Bike Park bikepark, head to Whistlerbike.com

view the original version of this article here