Whistler Bike Park, BC, Report: Fresh Rain and Perfect Dirt During Crankworx

Report from Tuesday, July 28, 2026

My family loves a vacation in the mountains.

For that reason, we decided to make our annual summer trip to Whistler this year.

Of course, that meant a day in the bike park.

The Whistler Bike Park is considered the #1 lift-served bike park in the world, with over 100 kilometers of meticulously crafted trails over four mountain zones. 

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On the day we arrived it had been raining.

Rain for mountain bikers is a lot like fresh snow for skiers — it makes the conditions better by binding the soil together, reduces dust, and creates a tackier surface with better traction.

I decided to hit the bike park the next day with my son Austin (unfortunately my other son broke his wrist last week and couldn’t join us).

The following morning it was still raining and raining hard.

Every weather forecast I looked at was different, but they all predicted the rain to stop at some point.

By 11 a.m. it stopped raining and we headed down to the lifts to start our day.

It never rained again for the rest of the day.

I picked up a rental bike from Summit Sport in the base area.

It was a Commencal Clash enduro bike and it was perfect for the day — plenty of soft travel suspension and still light and playful. 

It just so happened that Crankworx was going on in Whistler this week. Crankworx is one of the biggest mountain bike festivals in the world, that brings together top professional athletes for more than a week of racing, competition, and events. It features mountain biking competitions in downhill, slopestyle, dual slalom, enduro, and freeride disciplines, along with clinics, live entertainment, and activities for fans. It is widely regarded as a highlight of the global mountain biking calendar and a must attend event for anyone who loves the sport.

Whistler will also be hosting the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup Downhill on September 25–27, 2026, which will bring the world’s best downhill riders back to Whistler. Just like Crankworx, the action-packed weekend will feature elite competition and an opportunity to watch top athletes. The race will be held exclusively on the 1199 Track on the Creekside part of the bike park.

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I was worried that Crankworx might make for long lift lines, but that was not the case at all.

Given the recent rain, I figured it would be best to stick to the machine-built freeride trails with plenty of dirt as the rocks and roots of the technical trails were likely still slick.

We loaded the Fitzsimmons chair and got to the top at about noon.

It was still overcast and foggy at the top.

We headed to B-Line for a warm-up lap.

Fortunately, the trails at the bike park drain well, and while there were some puddles, the dirt was great.

Our next lap was on Crank It Up, which is an intermediate jump trail.

It was so much fun we did it again.

We then progressed to C-More, which has even bigger jumps.

As we rode the lift, we could see parts of the Crankworx competitions as riders rode the double-black diamond course that passed beneath us at times.

The sun was starting to peak out, and the trails were drying up.

We were ready for A-Line. 

A-Line is Whistler’s iconic black-rated freeride flow trail, packed with big jumps, smooth berms, rollers, and tabletops and is a must ride for mountain bikers looking to experience the park at its best.

The jumps were a little too big for us as I only managed to clear one of them and ended up casing all the rest.

At least I can say I rode A-Line.

We ate our packed lunchs on the lift as we headed up the Garbanzo lift to a new zone on the mountain.

Going higher in elevation meant colder temperatures and a return of the fog from the morning. 

We took Una Mas to Little Alder to Blueberry Bathtub down from the top.

These were more blue rated flow trails and were in excellent shape, especially the berms.

When we got to the bottom of Garbanzo we debated going up again or going for another lap on Crank It Up.

We opted for Crank It Up.

It was still wicked fun and was drying out even more now.

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We did hit some tech trails in the afternoon including Funshine Rolly Drops, Smoke & Mirrors, and Wednesday Night Delight.

The rocks and roots were still a little wet and sketchy, especially the steep parts, but they were still fun.

We finished the day with two more laps on Crank It Up — yes, we did five total laps on that trail, and it was maximum fun every time.

A big crowd was gathered at the base area watching the Crankworx competitors as I maneuvered my way back to return the rental bike. 

Overall, we had no rain while we were riding, good dirt, no lift lines, and a ton of fun.

Thanks, Whistler!

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