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Crankwork Rotorua #10 - Golden Pow and Golden Volunteers
Finding the best line on Taniwha DH 2024 practice day. SLOMO FILMS/bluedog media
Dateline: Friday March 16, 2024.
Location: Marshal position 1 for practice day at the Crankworx DH on The Taniwha in Rotorua’s world renowned, IMBA gold status, Whakarewarewa mountain trail network.
Day one of Crankworx Rotorua 2024 - edition #10.
Once the Mountain Bike Rotorua buses and trailers arrive and the first rider rolls off the start ramp the event will be officially underway.
12 months ago I marshalled at the start line.
It rained so much my gumboots started filling up with water. At the top of the forest (around 700 metres above sea level) it also got quite cold…
This year, after rain overnight, there are some light showers forecast for today and the great news is that the weather for the rest of the week is looking positive, the very best of autumn/fall in Rotorua. Sunny with day time temperatures from 17 to 21C.
The evening before there was an induction for all the weekend’s vollies at the Waipa MTB car park, the main trail head for the network.
This morning it was a second comprehensive briefing by the Course Manager, Dave Hamilton (an absolute legend of the Rotorua and New Zealand DH community for 20 years) with excellent advice, radios, high viz vests and whistles dispensed.
Dave’s mantra is punctuality, preparation and teamwork.
His briefing emphasises all of these, laced with a healthy sense of humour.
Lots of laughs.
Which is a great way to bring together a group of people who may have never met before.
The Legend of Dingo Dave...
Volunteer Manager Clair Coker allocates marshal positions with her trademark positivity and characteristic smile.
Like Dingo Dave, this isn’t Clair’s first rodeo.
The Rotorua Mountain Bike Club’s first-ever woman president has worked on this role for Crankworx and multiple club events.
“Managing volunteers is my favourite gig, seeing those familiar faces, the ones who show up year after year, race after race, fills me with an incredible sense of pride,” she says. “They're the backbone of the sport, the silent heroes who make the magic happen.
“And let's be honest, an experienced marshal is worth their weight in gold!"
Clair’s first volunteer experience was on NDURO Events’ legendary Whaka 100.
“At the very start of Frontal Lobotomy, which I didn’t realise…because I was very fresh to the world of MTB and had yet to ride up this awful climb…was a great place for riders to stop and prepare themselves, emotionally, for what lay ahead,” Clair continues.” I had a bag of jet planes that I was offering to the riders and I instantly became their favourite person.
“I had the best day just yarning to all these awesome athletes and I was hooked with the whole feel-good factor volunteering gives you, my cup was always full after a day in the forest supporting riders and local events.”
After volunteering at Crankworx for couple of years, Clair was introduced to Event Director Ariki Tibble and took on the Volunteer Manager role with her sidekick, Matt Browning in 2019.
“This gave me the confidence to get amongst the local MTB Club where I've since ticked off a whole raft of epic roles, including President.
“I manage the volunteers for a host of Club Events from NZDH Series, MTBNZ Series, Triple Crowns, 2W Gravity Enduros and, most recently, the Rotorua BMX Club and their UCI BMX Racing World Cup rounds.
“We always get the same people. And when I see their names on the sign-up list, I just know we’re going to have a smooth event. An experienced marshal is worth their weight in gold.
“And many don't even ride bikes.”
Rotorua is the only MTB destination in the world to have hosted…deep breath…the UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships (2006), the UCI Trials World Cup final round (2009), the Singlepeed World Champs (2010 and 2017), WEMBO 24 Hour Solo World (2016), the Enduro World Series (2015, 17 and 19), Crankworx x 10, UCI BMX World Cups (2 in 2024)…as well as getting that IMBA gold status in 2014.
Small local clubs have driven a lot of this - Rotorua Mountain Bike Club, Rotorua Singlespeed Society and Rotorua BMX Club, all little engines that could - and they, in turn, are fuelled by volunteers.
“I first volunteered to be a medic at a DH race on Taniwha,” says Crankworx Event Director, Ariki Tibble (Ngāti Porou). “I was positioned at the Hill Road step down. I’d never watched a downhill race before and when the first rider hit that gap I almost vomited…I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.
“After what seemed like every rider had hit the gap multiple times over the course of the day, my nerves were absolutely fried. After that I swore I never wanted to be responsible for MTB riders again.
“And here I am 20 years later…”
Ariki understands the value of great volunteers.
“We’re really lucky here in Rotorua,” he says. “Think about all the projects that’ve made our city a top spot for mountain biking on the world map. It’s all thanks to a community of people putting in the work, year after year, decade after decade. And you’ll spot a lot of the same faces leading the charge in many of these projects, over many years. It’s this kind of tight-knit community vibe that keeps us going strong.
"Our volunteers are everything. It’s incredible that folks are willing to just jump in and help out, giving their time to help make this festival the best it can possibly be. It makes our events something special and helps to keep our community united."
Dave Donaldson has been around the Rotorua MTB project for over 30 years including all of the above.
In the early 2000s, SPOKE magazine named Dave D one of the Top 10 people involved in mountain biking in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
He still is.
Dave’s chair of MTB Events, the not-for-profit company that oversees Crankworx.
“2024 marks a decade of Rotorua hosting Crankworx, the nostalgia is palpable, and this year is a pivotal one for the Taniwha DH Trail,” says Dave. “It was built 30 years ago by locals, Rick Todd, Kev Walton and Graeme Murray with input from Graeme’s twin brother, Dave and Alden Ardern.”
A decade later, Rick would design and lead the build the XCO course for the 2006 UCI Mountain Bike and Trials World Championships at Skyline Rotorua.
And Alden would fill the same role for the 2006 DH course at Skyline.
“The start and finish lines of The Taniwha remain the same with many modifications in between with so many great volunteer trail builders contributing,” Dave continues.
“That trail has featured in more World, Continental, and National level events than I can count on both hands.”
Dave was also part of the build advocating for the Rotorua Mountain Club with forest management for access and permission to build.
Shortly after Crankworx, the aging tree crop surrounding the top and middle section will be harvested.
“Who knows when and what will replace the Taniwha, but, local fans will be there in numbers to witness the swansong event on this epic trail as we know it,” says Dave.
I hear the first bus and trailer rolling up the hill.
The riders will buzzing with first day adrenaline and anticipation.
Show time…
After the Taniwha DH and the North Island Schools XC, DH and Enduro MTB Champs in the forest wrap up, Crankworx moves to the other side of town to Skyline Rotorua where the action will kick off, again, on Wednesday March 20 till Sunday March 24.
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