The 2012 Queenstown Bike Festival (March 30-April 9) is opening next week with more than 20 events in its line up, with a programme offering competition and social events involving all things about the bike, rolled into an exciting package for adults, children, recreational and elite riders, and the general public.
The ten day festival starts with Auckland comedian Joseph Harper rendering his acclaimed show "Bikes I've Owned Versus Girls I've Fallen In Love With" combined with the "Made in New Zealand with Love" bike awards at the Crowne Plaza on Friday March 30.
The Speight Summit Super D Enduro, a mountain bike endurance event for teams and individuals, will follow on Saturday March 31.
This event takes full advantage of what the Skyline Gondola and Queenstown Bike Park have to offer and has attracted more than 80% of its field from outside the region, with Cantabrians and Wellingtonians featuring in high numbers.
Sunday April 1 is the children's day with the Kids Mini Cross mountain bike competition in Butlers Green and surrounds in Arrowtown. This is a community based event, encouraging kids between the ages of 5 to 14 years old of all sporting abilities to take part.
With a bike to win, a bouncy castle, sausage sizzle and more, the event provide opportunities for youngsters to learn all there is to know about the bike, with Olympian biker Kashi Leuchs on hand giving tips and advice for budding elite bikers.
For the adults, entertainment will be plentiful in the evening with the Word Bar 16inch World Championship, where riders will get to navigate a tricky course amongst table, chairs, pillars and other obstacles on a 16inch bike.
The week following offers social rides, night rides, movie nights and even a mountain bike film competition, "Through the Lens", presented by Down2Ride and whose proceeds will go to the Queenstown Mountain Bike Club to assist in trail building, advocacy and maintenance.
On April 5, the Teva Slopestyle will be held for the first time and is one of the most exciting bike festival event for the public to watch and enjoy in downtown Queenstown.
Located in the Ballarat Street car park, freeriders lured by the impressive $10,000 prize money purse will use the massive jumps and drops to wow the twilight crowd with tricks such as flatspins, can-cans, flips and Supermans, while literally challenging the laws of gravity.
On Saturday April 7, the fourth New World Tour de Wakatipu will provide once again the only opportunity of the year for people to have access through Coneburn Station along the Kawarau River.
The event which caters for elite, sport and recreational mountain bikers starts at Millbrook Resort and follows tracks across public and private land to finish at Chard Farm.
Lastly but not least, the Dirtmasters Downhill on Sunday April 8 will provide spectacular action in the Queenstown Bike Park and downtown Queenstown.
Competitors ride the Skyline Gondola to the top of the 3kms course which utilises a combination of established tracks, and finish into the heart of town, in the final pitch down the Breacon Street stairs.
Information on the Queenstown Bike Festival, its full programme and events online entries are available on the web site www.queenstownbikefestival.com
FOR PICTURES
High re images are available for download at
http://www.queenstownbikefestival.co.nz/gallery/
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
Pascale Lorre, managing Director
03 441 8215
Geoff Hunt, Race Director
0274 967 530
