Among all the events that Crankworx has to offer, the Whip-Off World Championship is special.
It draws lively crowds that are exceeded in size only by those of Red Bull Joyride. It gives athletes an opportunity to let their hair down and bask in the joy of riding together, albeit with prizes at stake. The cash is great, but the prestige of winning a Whip-Off is even greater.
Just ask Alessio Tonoli and Janelle Soukup, who both secured the very first Whip-Off gold medals of their careers.
Tonoli made his presence felt in a men's start list full of raw talent, besting last year's champ Hayden Zablotny (who secured silver) and 2023 victor Eddie Reynolds (who ended up with bronze). Soukup was joined on the podium by runner-up Angie Marino and Kirsten Van Horne in third.
"It's actually crazy to be here and ride the Whip-Off, and to win it is pretty sick," Tonoli said. "I love to ride with all the guys, and everybody was throwing down hard."
Soukup gushed: "Insane. Wouldn't have thought that would have been the result in a million years, but I'm really stoked. The crowd is insane and the atmosphere around it, and also…I think this is the biggest group of girls that goes into a Whip-Off. It feels insane to be recognized among them all.
"I just thought to have as much fun as possible, and I know how to whip only if I take a foot off so I'm like: 'I'll take a couple feet off and see what it does, but if not, oh well.'"
Keeping it real
The Whip-Off is, in many ways, an authentic expression of mountain biking subculture, and Tonoli decided to be honest in his post-event remarks. He felt that he did not bring his A-game and was outperformed by Zablotny and Reynolds.
Zablotny respects that sentiment.
"Hearing that from him proves to me that he's very real, because it's hard to tell the truth sometimes and I just appreciate Alessio for thinking that way," said the freerider from Vernon, B.C. "I think he deserves it though, because he's never won a Whip-Off before. I am not in any way disappointed to have second place against Alessio, because I think it's been a long time coming for him and he's an amazing bike rider. His whips are just as good or better than mine. I'm happy for him, and I'm happy for everybody at the end of the day."
Soukup was likewise supportive of her peers, commenting: "Angie brings the whole BMX side and that whole community, and then Kirsten just got into [Red Bull] Rampage so it's like the coolest thing ever. It's like the next generation, always bringing girls up."
While Tonoli was rather humorously unaware of the fact that Crankworx Whistler is marking its 20th year, both Zablotny and Soukup voiced appreciation for the festival's heritage. Zablotny was particularly effusive in his praise, revealing that he'd watched Crankworx all the time as a kid and is grateful to contribute to the event's image by "just living it up" in the Sea to Sky.
More results are viewable here.
