Crankworx female athletes ‘shine’
Rotorua's Crankworx sees female athletes debut after male competitors withdraw
Female athletes marked a major milestone in Rotorua yesterday by competing in a Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship event for the first time.
The culmination of this year’s Crankworx Rotorua was an all-female event after the festival’s male competitors decided the day before not to participate following negotiations around renumeration and support infrastructure.
Thousands of spectators gathered at Skyline Skyrides to watch the firstever Women’s Diamond Level Slopestyle World Championship.
Kiwi Robin Goomes ascended to the top podium spot grabbing a $16,000 cheque, followed closely by Harriet Burbidge-smith and Caroline Buchanan.
In a statement on Sunday , Crankworks organisers said the female athletes captivated the audience with a dazzling array of tricks and airtime while competing for a total of $41,000.” Buchanan, who placed third, said the event was iconic.
”I remember, two years ago sitting in the booth here when the men were on ...I said, ‘you know, it would be unreal to see women [compete]’. And fast forward to two years later, now, I see the top six ladies in the world who are completely ready for this course and this experience... shine.”
“There were so many little girls in the stands, there were so many spectators, so many people cheering. For me, growing up in BMX since the age of 5, it’s really hard to be what you can’t see, so being seen I think is the most important thing right now for the future of women’s slopestyle, and yeah, to be one of the older girls in the class at 33, still throwing down, this is probably one of my career highlights today.”
Dropping in last in the first run, Goomes came out on top of the field with an outstanding 90.75-point run, with Burbidge-smith hot on her trails with 85.5 points.
After the other riders finished their second runs, the two athletes, who are good friends and trained together opted for a “party train” led by Burbidge-smith on their final run. Elaborating on their decision Goomes said: “Honestly, that’s the dream having fun with your friends. It’s been a good week!”
The riders not only celebrated women but also honoured the legacy of Kelly “Mcgazza” Mcgarry with a “Mcgazza Train”.
Mcgarry, one of New Zealand’s best slopestyle mountain bikers and track builders, died in 2016.
After withdrawing from the competition on Saturday, the male athletes joined the female riders and other members of the mountain bike community to remember the mountain bike legend.
In a statement on Saturday, Crankworx said the men’s decision not to participate in the Crankworx
FMBA Slopestyle World Championship event came after negotiations around remuneration and support infrastructure.
Crankworx stated it respected the athletes’ decision “and remain committed to fostering a positive and supportive environment for all athletes within the Crankworx community”.
“While we have been listening, on site feedback has shown that some male Slopestyle athletes feel that their voices have not being [sic] heard by the event organisers when it comes to weather and course build decisions.
Crankworx was committed to giving athletes decision-making power as well as open communication between them riders and the management team, the statement said.
“Despite a 10 per cent increase in prize money from 2023 to 2024 for Crankworx Rotorua, and similar increases for other Crankworx World Tour festivals, the athletes also demanded the establishment of an appearance fee for all male athletes as well as another significant raise of the prize money across all Crankworx World Tour festivals.
“Whilst the Crankworx World Tour agreed to an additional prize money raise for Crankworx Rotorua, bringing it to a 37 per cent increase (compared to 2023) after conversations and negotiations with the athletes, this offer has been refused and countered by the male athletes.
“Given the structure of the Freeride Mountain Bike Association (FMBA) and the framework the Crankworx FMBA Slopestyle World Championship operates in as a professional sport, Crankworx cannot effectuate an appearance fee or an additional prize money increase as demanded by the male athletes,” the release said.
After the decision was announced on Saturday, Rotorua mayor Tania Tapsell said it was “unfortunate” the event in the city had been impacted.
“Council and other sponsors invest in these international sporting events because we believe in providing opportunities for athletes to compete and for supporters to watch them live.
“Crankworx is always a hit with our community and this year’s festival has been no exception. We hope the issues with this one event can be resolved moving forward and wish all the women competing in the slopestyle event ... the best of luck.”
Crankworx is an annual event in Rotorua that pumps millions into the local economy and draws thousands of visitors keen to the city.
Last year,rotorua NZ stated the event generated more than $34 million in direct revenue for the region during its nine years of operation. This year’s event, the 10th for the city, was expected to produce up to $5m.