The Crankworx World Tour will kick off in Rotorua on March 18. Photo / Jay French

Hundreds of mountain biking athletes, thousands of live spectators and an online audience of millions can expect a “bigger and “better” Crankworx when the international event returns to Rotorua from March 18 to 26.

In November, Crankworx’s week of events drew crowds of 297 athletes, a 28,000-strong trackside audience and 24 million video views.

And event organisers say this year’s numbers are on track to at least reach similar heights.

Event director Ariki Tibble said the week was about re-building for the future and cementing Rotorua’s position as the first stop in the Crankworx World Tour.

“Over the past eight years, Rotorua has become integral to the fabric of the Crankworx World Tour,” Tibble said.

“It’s our culture, our spirit, our people and our forest that makes our Crankworx World Tour stop unique and special.”

Tibble said changes to the event this year included the first live broadcast of the RockShox Taniwha Downhill race from Whakarewarewa and Titokorangi Forests, with a stacked field of riders and world-renowned announcers Rob Warner and Eliot Jackson.

“Locals will also be able to experience the downhill race trackside [in the forest] and it will be phenomenal.”

Tibble said the event’s partnership with Red Bull meant that this year saw the strongest field of competitors for the downhill race in Crankworx’s history and Rotorua residents wouldn’t want to miss out on the action.

The Rockshox Taniwha Downhill race being held in the Whakarewarewa Forest would be free of charge for trackside spectators.

“Our locals days [at Skyline] will be on again this year and we’re bringing back the Educate Programme for schools to get engaged and we’re expecting a lot of school-aged attendees.”

Tibble encouraged locals to join the Crankworx volunteer programme.

“Basically you get some free tickets to the best seats in the house. It’s an awesome experience.”

Rotorua raised, seven-time Crankworx placer and junior downhill world champion Jenna Hastings said that at Crankworx Rotorua the main goal was to have fun.

“My first years at Crankworx I was a mega fangirl. I had a white shirt that I absolutely covered in signatures of all my heroes.”

Hastings said it was “weird” turn of events to be the person signing t-shirts at Crankworx now.

“It’s pretty cool though, to see myself start as a little kid racing Crankworx events and now I’m racing the Crankworx World Tour.

“I also think for a lot of up-and-coming kids, to be able to see someone from their hometown do what they want to do, I think it’s cool for them to see it and realise that they can do it too.”

Rotorua Trails Trust trustee and Rotorua Mountain Bike Club committee member Clare Coker said Crankworx was an event that got “better and better” each year.

“The stunts are getting bigger and bigger. It’s incredible.”

Coker said that from the mountain biking community’s point of view, Crankworx put Rotorua on the world stage alongside internationally famous venues like Whistler, Canada, and Innsbruck in Austria.

“Crankworx also gives local athletes the incredible opportunity to compete on the world stage at a place that is accessible to them from Tauranga or the Hawke’s Bay.”

Coker said at the same time, Crankworx gave the wider Rotorua community an opportunity to get involved. Coker herself first got into mountain biking because she was a marshall at Whaka100.

“Whether you’re a volunteer or organising a social ride or you’re here to watch, Crankworx gives everyone a chance to have a go.

“There’s a place for everyone. You don’t even have to ride a bike.”

RotoruaNZ marketing manager Haydn Marriner said events like Crankworx were important to the overall identity of Rotorua with mountain biking contributing an estimated $90 million a year to the local economy.

“[That’s] as well as the incalculable value to our tourism brand through our destination globally broadcast through media giants Redbull TV.”

Marriner said Rotorua was “blessed” to have such a strong and supportive volunteer base who showed manaakitanga to visitors.

“There is also an amazing amount of local business participation, from event sponsors, to expo participants, to accommodation and hospitality providers, making the Crankworx Rotorua eco-system one that shares its benefits across the wider economy.”