Tuhoto-Ariki Pene is the King of Crankworx 2023. Photo / Clint Trahan
Tuhoto-Ariki Pene is the King of Crankworx 2023. Photo / Clint Trahan
Young Rotorua downhill racer Tuhoto-Ariki Pene has been crowned “king” of the Crankworx global mountain bike festival in Canada.
The 22-year-old’s achievement meant he beat all the pro and elite men competitors in the four-stop mountain biking event.
His victory was witnessed by Mountain Bike Events Limited chief executive Ariki Tibble from Rotorua who told the Rotorua Daily Post today from Canada that watching Pene stand on a podium on the global stage was “a really special experience”.
Tibble said it was “a really proud moment” as a Rotorua local and a Kiwi, and he was “so happy” for Pene and his family, who were unable to be there, but “were very much on his mind”.
Tibble said he was standing alongside “thousands upon thousands” of people, “and the King is a Māori from Te Arawa from all the way back home. It’s pretty amazing”.
Yesterday, at 3pm New Zealand time, Pene was crowned the King of Cranworx after competing at all four stops of the international festivals in Rotorua, Cairns, Innsbruck in Austria, and Whistler in Canada.
Pene was ranked number one on 839 points with one event to go, which he decided not to do to rest for his next World Cup race, as he had already won the title.
He was followed by Bas Van Steenbergen from Canda who was sitting second with 763 points, and Australia’s Jackson Frew sitting third with 736 points.
Tuhoto-Ariki Pene is the King of Crankworx 2023. Photo / Clint Trahan
Tibble said Pene had a couple of beers last night to celebrate, but he was now on a plane to the next World Cup race.
Crankworx is a global tour of mountain bike festivals that takes place in Australia, New Zealand, Austria and Canada.
The overall titles of Crankworx King and Queen are awarded to the riders who accumulate the most points across a multidisciplinary challenge, involving multiple events and disciplines, over the four international festivals.
Tibble said Pene beat all the pro and elite men competitors across all the different disciplines to take out the title. Each stop had various disciplines, and each discipline allocated points for a competitor’s place over the season.
“In order to be the king, you really have to be able to dominate over a wide variety of disciplines, and it’s that diversity that makes it challenging.”
He said it was an “absolute world-class field” of competitors, and riders had to be consistent throughout the season and be good at a lot of things.
“It’s a huge achievement, what he’s had to overcome in order to make that happen. It’s just amazing ... This was a huge week for him,” he said.
“To pick yourself up again and again, week after week, and not get injured even is a real feat. A lot of things have to line up ... but he’s done it.”
Tuhoto-Ariki Pene is the King of Crankworx 2023. Photo / Clint Trahan
Pene did his first BMX Nationals at the age of 3 and claimed many titles as a youngster.
Pene, his brother and his cousin transferred their skills from BMX to downhill mountain biking when Pene’s dad started driving the shuttle busses at the Whakarewarewa Forest in Rotorua.
“I remember him catching the shuttles when he was little in the forest, and I would never have dreamed that he would be standing on top of the podium in front of thousands of people 15 years on. It’s a pretty incredible journey for him.”
Cira Olivier is a social issues and breaking news reporter for NZME Bay of Plenty. She has been a journalist since 2019.
