Kokanee Crankworx 2011 - Neethling and Anne Caroline win Air DH!

Jul 20, 2011 at 18:27

Andrew Neethling and Anne Caroline Chausson have won the Jeep Air DH at Crankworx today, Brian Lopes second and Mick Hannah third for the men, Jill Kintner second and Sara Leishman third for the ladies.

Men's top 3

1. Andrew Neethling
2. Brian Lopes
3. Mick Hannah

Women's top 3

1. Anne Caroline Chausson
2. Jill Kintner
3. Sara Leishman

Complete Results at bottom



If history really does repeat itself then one thing that is for certain is that all kings will fall. Today the racer who could arguably be called the 'King of A Line' finally went down. For the past five years Brian Lopes has had the Air DH in a strangle-hold but in a hard fought battle the king had to relinquish his crown as one of the younger riders toppled him from the throne.

At forty-one most racers would consider their competitive careers over but Brian Lopes is still going strong. The Californian had pedaled his way from Victoria on Vancouver Island to Whistler in the BC Bike Race, finishing just the week before Crankworx started. Then on the first night of the festival he won the Fat Tire Crit after hitting up the Dual Slalom for some practice laps. Lopes has consistently competed against and dominated over racers much younger in many different events. He has had more first place finishes at Crankworx and they run the gamut from the Garbanzo Endurance DH to the Air DH to the Fat Tire Crit. The guy is an all-around bike riding fiend.

A Line is the most ridden trail in the world, riders the world over would be hard pressed not to have a silly smile on their face after hitting a lap on it. With a bazillion tabletops the airtime is substantial and lets not forget the perfectly sculpted berms on every corner just begging for a tire to bite into them. A fun lap down usually means boosting as much air as you can or your comfortable with. To race the trail is another matter though. The jumps that you were seeing how high you could fly off of now have to be squished, berms hit as hard and as fast as possible. There is also the pedaling. It is amazing how many opportunities there are to be on the gas. By the time a race run is finished you are out of breath since the only time you are not just given'er is when you are in the air or railing a berm.

A course that most downhillers can complete makes this a popular event, it gets the most registrants out of all of the races at Crankworx as every hot local in town signs up to see how they will do along with all of the riders who fly, drive, hitchhike or hop a bus to be part of the festivities. The amateur, masters and junior divisions see some smoking times but the real show starts when the pros straddle their steeds and leave the start gate. Rider after rider blast past in a blur as they charge down and to be on the sidelines is amazing. Keeping it low and long they look like they are trying to dig the ends of their handlebars into the dirt as they hit the tabletops at ridiculous speeds. Sometimes with but inches separating them from the ground they still manage to miss the landings by distances that can be measured in feet and sometimes meters.

It was a stacked field of riders in the pro ranks. At 3:30pm the pro women started leaving the gate. One of the first few girls to go was Sarah Leishman. Sarah is a regular fixture in the park and anyone who is familiar with the Phat and Phast Wednesday series (downhill races that are held pretty much weekly over the summer in the Whistler Bike Park) know that she is fast. Right off the hammer she set a time that would stick for most of the race. Girl after girl came down and it took the speed and skills of the final two riders to knock her down a couple steps on the podium.

The second last pinner was Jill Kintner, someone who is familiar with downhill racing as well as having dominated the four cross scene for many years. Laying down a solid run she took over the hotseat and waited. It was a short though as the last rider on course, someone who is not just familiar with the top spot on a podium but also the winner of the 2010 Air DH came through with the fastest women's time of the day. Anne Caroline Chausson, a racer who may just have more gold medal finishes than any other woman added another one to the trophy case taking the 2011 Pro Women's Jeep Air Downhill. This makes it two years in a row for Anne will she be coming back for more next year? Could this be the start of new string of domination? Taking over from where Lopes left off.

The pro men's category was large. Lots of riders hungry to try and knock Lopes off. Out of towner's and locals alike made valiant efforts to unseat the king but only one person had it in him. It was entertaining to watch all of the racers speeding down A Line and the crowd just gets better and better every year including chainsaw boy and the group on top of the Rock Drop with a potato gun but most were waiting for those last few guys to hit the track.

As the numbers on the race plates grew smaller and smaller the excitement built, first it was Mick Hannah who came through and took the hottest. Then on a track that riders were saying was in the best shape it's ever been for the race Andrew Neethling did what many have been trying to do for the past five years. The South African downhill specialist set a time that could not be beat crossing the finish-line in 4:13.34. The king had been felled.

Lopes came down charging but just could not touch the smoking fast time of Andrew and with a smile on his face conceded the title. The final rider on course was Gee Atherton and in a scene that has been played out too many times this year the Brit had his run interrupted with a flat tire. Surely not the way he wanted to have his race run ended. So there we are, the 2011 Kokanee Crankworx Air DH is in the books and with the crowns resting firmly on the heads of Anne Caroline Chausson and Andrew Neething.+

+AirDh Results All