There will also be a raft of other events surrounding the festival for amateur and non-bikers, including a soon-to-be-announced music festival featuring top New Zealand artists.
Skyline's Mountain Bike Gravity Park will host the mountain biking events, with Eat Streat the second base of action for the music festival, prize-giving and competitions.
Run in conjunction with Canadian owners Crankworx Events Incorporated (CEI), the local festival operator and organiser will be not-for-profit company Mountain Bike Events Ltd, a public-private joint venture of Rotorua District Council, Skyline Rotorua and Tak Mutu.
Mr Mutu, event director and owner of Multi-Day Adventures and Mountain Bike Rotorua, said Crankworx was the best it got for mountain biking.
"We are so stoked to be bringing Crankworx to our home town Rotorua. I can't think of a better place to bring the world to showcase our adventurous spirit and culture. The benefit to both the community and the economy is going to be huge and will put Rotorua on the map as the place to be for mountain bikers in the Southern Hemisphere."
Mr Mutu said securing the first round of the Enduro World Series, on March 28, was also a massive coup.
He said top New Zealand artists had already been secured for the music festival and it was a great opportuntity to showcase New Zealand's emerging music industry on the world stage.
"It's not all about the biking at Crankworx - a lot but not all."
Rotorua deputy mayor and Economic Growth Portfolio lead Dave Donaldson has been a pivotal part of attracting these events to the region and is currently at Crankworx Whistler with a privately funded Rotorua delegation including Mr Mutu, New Zealand Giant 2W Enduro series director Neil Gellatly and Skyline Rotorua general manager Bruce Thomasen.
Mr Donaldson said Crankworx would be an event not just for riders, but for people who liked to watch extreme sports too.
"It's not just for mountain bikers, but for anyone who likes to see amazing athletes demonstrating incredible skills - it's like the X-Games of mountain biking, with a real festival vibe.
"Sitting here at the foot of the trails of Whistler it is easy to see why this is so important for New Zealand. In terms of global exposure for mountain biking events, Crankworx is number one, so securing the third international location is a fantastic thing for Rotorua and the community."
Council events manager Martin Croft said securing a showcase event of this calibre was exactly what Rotorua needed and thrived on hosting. He said it complemented the council's and community's Rotorua 2030 goals around energising the local economy, and recreation and lifestyle opportunities.
"The Crankworx festival fits naturally with Rotorua's profile as being a world-class host city and an ever-growing community of mountain biking fanatics with a deep-seeded passion for the sport - it's a perfect fit for who we are. One of the criteria for CEI was to find a location that was truly passionate about mountain biking and they recognised that in Rotorua straight away."
Rotorua has become known as the home of mountain biking in New Zealand, building on a number of events such as the 2006 UCI World Champs and two successful Rotorua Bike Festivals. Red Bull Magazine also ranked Rotorua's Whakarewarewa forest in the top eight mountain biking destinations in the world in 2013 - the only Southern Hemisphere location to feature.
The Crankworx festival was born and bred in Whistler, Canada and is in its 11th year of operation. Crankworx Rotorua marks the third international event for Crankworx, adding to the current festivals in Whistler, Canada and Les 2 Alpes, France.
Crankworx brings together the world's downhill, slopestyle and enduro legends, with the Superfans, the rising stars, the industry's innovators and the next generation of mountain bike riders.
The Enduro World Series in Rotorua marks the first of eight rounds of international racing for the year.
There are 25 Official Enduro World Series Teams hand picked by the EWS Board - these teams represent the biggest brands and fastest racers on the planet.
Enduro racing replicates what many bike riders do every weekend by allowing the competitor to ride for up to six hours, taking in the local environment at their own pace, whilst only competing against the clock on the best downhills.
For more information see www.crankworx.com or www.enduroworldseries.com. For coverage of Crankworx Whistler see www.pinkbike.com.
