May 17/11 18:44 pm - Whistler Mountain Bike Park Opens Friday

Posted by Editoress on 05/17/11
 

Great Lineup of Eight Signature Trails, Ready to Ride

Mountain Bike fanatics the world over have been eagerly anticipating the opening of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park this Friday, May 20.

Despite challenges caused by a never ending winter, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park will open with eight signature trails: A-Line, Crank It Up, B-Line, Heart of Darkness, Ho Chi Min, Crack Addict, Devils Club, Hornet and the Joyride Jump Park. The current early-season conditions are for intermediate and above skill level. More trails, including beginner terrain, will open as conditions allow with the most recent “What’s Open” list on Whistlerbike.com

Riders can also practice indoors in the Air Dome starting May 20. The Air Dome, an 8,400 square foot indoor bike training facility with foam pit and wooden ramps, is open Friday to Sunday until June 12; then daily until September 4.  Full details can be found online at www.whistlerbike.com/information.

“Coming off the second snowiest season on record we knew it was going to be a challenging spring,” says Brian Finestone, Whistler Mountain Bike Park Manager. “The trails we have ready are wet but in good shape and more trails will be added to the “open” list every day.”

The Bike Park is open daily from 10am to 5pm until June 17 and then from 10am to 8pm starting June 18 through to Labour Day. Access is available via the Fitzsimmons Express with the Whistler Village Gondola opening May 28.

Early Bird Bike Park Season Passes and Triple Play Cards are available now for $485 CDN and $134.95 CDN (plus HST) respectively. Riders who purchase their Season Passes and Cards before May 31 will save $40 off the regular Seasons Pass rate while Triple Play Card purchasers will receive an additional free day for use before June 24. Guests can purchase passes online at whistlerbike.com, in person at Village Guest Relations, or by calling 1-800-766-0449.

Full suspension bikes, helmets and body armour are available at Garbanzo Rentals in the Whistler Gondola building. Meanwhile, Garbanzo Bike and Bean (GBB) in Carleton Lodge is now open from 10am to 6pm daily. GBB offers rental and repair services and features a retail section filled with top-end mountain bikes, clothing, equipment and a coffee bar.

This season marks the grand opening of the new Whistler Mountain Bike Park Demo Centre on May 20, allowing guests to demo a selection of 41 high performance downhill bike models from eight different brands. As part of the grand opening, guests who rent a bike from the Demo Centre May 20 to 22 will receive a free Whistler Mountain Bike Park day ticket. The Demo Centre will remain open throughout the summer from 9:30am – 5:30pm daily.

In celebration of the start of bike season Whistler Mountain Bike Park is hosting Bike Bash on May 21 & 22.  This event features the grand opening of the Bike Park Demo Centre, demos and displays from brands like Kona, ODI and GoPro, and a rental bike blowout at Garbanzo Bike & Bean. In addition, the Red Bull Wings Team will be around all weekend and the first ever Bike Park Amateur Video contest takes place at the Garibaldi Lift Company on May 21.  For full details visit www.whistlerbike.com/events

The festivities continue with the return of the legendary Crud 2 Mud Downhill on May 29. This classic “transition season” event mixes the end of the ski and snowboard season with the start of the bike season. Spots are still available through Guest Relations by calling 1-800-766-0449.

Take advantage of great spring rates; lift and lodging packages are available from as little as $61 CDN per person per night. For more information about last minute deals and packages visit www.whistlerbike.com/deals.

Press release