The legendary Kokanee Crankworx kicks off this weekend, taking the worlds best freeride and downhill mountain bike talent and providing them with the biggest, most exhilarating courses in the world on which to compete for the Crankworx crown. Over 20,000 fans will pack themselves into the worlds number one mountain bike resort in Whistler on Saturday, ready to witness the ultimate slopestyle challenge on the infamous Boneyard stunt park.

The Boneyard has been modified for 2009, providing riders with some truly monolithic jumps and drops on which to showcase their evolving catalogues of tricks and tweaks. Last years champion, Andreu Lecondeguy of Spain will be returning to reset the boundaries of what can be one with big-air and bicycles.

Lecondeguy will come up against a list of riders that reads like a whos who of the top talent in world mountain biking, including legendary freerider Darren Berrecloth and slopestyle superstars Cam McCaul, Ben Boyko and Paul Basagoita. Other European luminaries present include Nissan Qashqai Champ Sam Pilgrim of Colchester, England, Germany's Benny Korthaus and Swedish sensation Martin Soderstrom.

With a long break until the final round of the Downhill World Cup, the Crankworx Dual Slalom race will welcome some of the fastest gravity riders on the planet, going head to head, tearing up berms and skinning jumps in their race for the considerable prize purse.