Crankworx event director Ariki Tibble. Photo / NZME
Crankworx event director Ariki Tibble. Photo / NZME
After a rollercoaster of a planning journey which included the tough decision to not allow spectators, Crankworx Rotorua 2021 is about to roll into town.
And event organisers, volunteers and athletes alike are "chomping at the bit" to get the action under way.
Event organisers announced via a Facebook post earlier this week the only way to watch Crankworx would be online.
Competitor Nicholi Rogatkin said while he was disappointed, the riders still wanted to put on a show.
"I've done every single year of this event since the first one in 2015 so I'm always thrilled to come back and experience the amazing vibes of this place.
"The atmosphere in Rotorua every year has been amazing and the fans are so down to earth, so awesome to talk to and show so much support to all the riders.
"We will try to put on a great show regardless of having no spectators.
"All of us riders have been in quarantine for two weeks so we are very eager to get on course and do our tricks and our runs.
"However, we will have to play it smart, progress gradually and strategically plan the perfect run for contest day."
Rogatkin is competing in Slopestyle, and will also be one of the announcers for the Speed & Style event.
Despite having no spectators, almost 200 volunteers are needed to make the event happen. This included a range of roles, including trackside marshals, shuttle drivers, car parking, accreditation, branding, media and production.
Volunteer manager Daniela Olphert, who is new to the role, said seeing the event come together, to see the pro athletes compete in Rotorua and watching the crew and athletes on site would be a buzz.
"Being part of the Crankworx team is like being part of a big welcoming family."
Olphert said staff would be following Ministry of Health Covid-19 guidelines.
Event director Ariki Tibble said they were chomping at the bit to deliver another Crankworx Rotorua.
"There have been moving pieces of the puzzle for 20 months now and we are ready to finally kick the goal and make the event happen."
He said Covid-19 had been one hell of a rollercoaster, and they could not have anticipated the planning challenges they faced but he trusted the team and the processes they had in place.
"I am confident that we are going into the event in the best possible shape that we can given the circumstance," he said.
"Crankworx Rotorua is the pinnacle event for the athletes so we are determined to provide them with a great event regardless.
"We cannot wait for more normal times so we can give the Rotorua community the full Crankworx experience in years to come.
"We will do our best this year and look forward to bringing everything back in 2022."
There are 79 total athletes registered to take part in Crankworx Rotorua 2021. Of these, 32 are travelling and are going through or have been through MIQ.
New Zealand's Keegan Wright in the 2019 Crankworx Rotorua Downhill event. Photo / Fraser Britton
Tibble earlier said the decision to not allow spectators had been a tough one.
He said organisers waited until they had as much information as possible and explored every single opportunity.
Tibble said Crankworx did get permission to have a limited number of spectators and had been working with the Ministry of Health and WorkSafe to set up "robust" Covid-19 protocols.
"But when we sat back and asked ourselves whether we should [have spectators] this [announcement] just seemed like the right thing to do.
"We're just trying to operate as safely as we possibly can. At this point, anywhere people are gathering is an opportunity for Covid-19 to take hold."
Mountain Bike Rotorua co-owner Tak Mutu said the Crankworx World Tour team had experience with spectator-free events and so did many of the mountain bikers.
"Crankworx Canada was broadcast-only. So we've got good support from the people who have been through it."
Crankworx Rotorua still intends to reach an international online audience through Red Bull TV and a domestic audience through Spark TV.
