Our man on the ground at Crankworx, Lee Miller heads to Crabapple Hits to take in all the sideways action from the Official Whip Off Worlds.
If low and fast was the name of the game in yesterday’s Fox Air DH here in Whistler then the opposite was required today for the Unofficial, yet Official, Whip Off World Championships. The now infamous event that has spawned a series of the same nature at each of the Crankworx World Tour stops is about going big, and going big with style.
Freeride legend Darren ‘Bearclaw’ Berreclough was mainly throwing big flips during the finals, he did put in the occasional whip just to keep the judges happy though.
The three track-side judges, Duncan Riffle, Bernard Kerr and Sven Martin were looking for the best of the best, the whip of whips with a good measure of steeze thrown in on the huge ‘Crabapple Hits’.
Blenki’s slow mo style whips were on point today, the Kiwi as stylish as ever.
The huge crowd that lined the hill had come to see if local boy Finn Iles could retain his crown as the King of Whips, however it was Allan Cooke who would take the honours in the men’s field with Casey Brown making it a perfect 4 from 4 at each round this year in the women’s.
Brendan Fairclough and Brook Macdonald keep an eye on proceedings as they make the hot push back up the hill.
The Bulldog, Brook Macdonald getting warmed up on the run in jumps
It would be the duo of Brook Macdonald and Finn Iles who would kick off the 30 minute warm up session.
Allan Cooke was on another level today, wowing the crowd with every run. A well-deserved winner.
Emilie Siegenthaler getting sideways en route to a third place.
Last year’s Whip Off champ Finn Iles couldn’t retain his crown despite some seriously good attempts.
Mikey Haderer teasing all the ladies out there with a skin suit run, not sure the UCI would approve.
T-Mac was on fire today and perhaps deserved to be on the podium at the very least.
Anthony Rocci took the gold in this event at the Crankworx round in Les Gets a month or so ago, down a couple of spots in to third place today.
Koas Seagrave laying it down for the huge crowd along the Crabapple Hits today.
Austin Warren was going huge at every opportunity, perhaps a little too huge as a crash on his last run would leave him with a suspected broken ankle. A second place might help him feel better though – speedy recovery Austin.
Plenty of back flips and 360s followed the whips today, not usually this close though.
