Whistler Crankworx fail. Heckler's rock cancelled?

I don't like motobutane's avatar or signature….it assaults my senses.
vote him off the shore.

that is all.

Dude, when's been the last time you looked at yours?

Hahahaha

I find your outrage amusing.
And, I bet you're the one complaint that has now alerted the higher-ups to be on the lookout for foot traffic.

Shoulda just left well enough alone and either rode your bike , hiked up from the bottom or casually snuck off the gondi at mid. But, no, you had to go in and share your displeasure with the Guest Relations about a rule that has been in place since the bike park opened.

As to your other posts with their stats, I can make stats up as well.
In all the years I've attended the Canadian Open at Hecklers I'd say 80% were on bikes and that there'll be more spectators this year regardless of the no hikers policy in the park.

As an aside, I worked on the Crankworx crew for 3 years and as Chief of Course for the Canadian Open the first year that Hecklers Rock happened. I haven't been working on the crew in the last several years but having been kept in the loop as the years have gone by, Hecklers and the Whip Offs have been a serious crowd control safety issue for the higher ups in the company and, specifically, the WB Safety Department.
I even heard a rumour last year that the Whip Offs wouldn't be held because of the massive crowd control safety issues. Someone must have been told or shown the right thing for the event to continue.

I've probably said too much and will be asked to delete this post because WB is everywhere! But there you have it.

I find your condescending tone annoying.

Do you really think that I was the only person who talked to guest services? (there were three others in with me at the same moment)

Do you really think that WBP doesn't know that people were hiking up against so called regulations, and that my sole complaint was bringing it to their attention?

Do you really think that I didn't consider heading up either way? (I was told specifically by the liftie at the bottom that I'd be turned back, and spoke directly to others who HAD been turned back at mid station, though it seems others weren't. I also had my kid with me that probably wouldn't make the journey up in time).

Instead of turning people away, a few other solutions may have been to:
a) post on the site that spectator were limited to bike park riders
b) provide a path that hikers could use to safely make their way down or up to the event.
c) turn a blind eye like they have every other time for the last decade.

Option b seems to work for slopestyle and tens of thousands of people, I figure it'd probably be OK for the few hundred going to the whip off.

Instead of towing the party line, why not think critically for yourself and assess a situation before you kneejerk into opposition.

As for your assessment of Heckler's rock, I think you're out to lunch on your numbers, but you're obviously in touch with rumours and heresay more than me. I did count the bikes and the people last year just out of curiosity, but it was by no means scientific, and you stay in touch with people so….

This isn't an issue of whether spectators should be limited at either event or not. That's not a decision for me or anyone here to make (except maybe RideEverything), but the best course of action is probably to make it known that you're shutting it down before the event, before plans are made, before people are at the bottom of the lift. Websites, twitter feeds, and event programs are wonderful tools if used correctly.

I find your condescending tone annoying.

Do you really think that I was the only person who talked to guest services? (there were three others in with me at the same moment)

Do you really think that WBP doesn't know that people were hiking up against so called regulations, and that my sole complaint was bringing it to their attention?

Do you really think that I didn't consider heading up either way? (I was told specifically by the liftie at the bottom that I'd be turned back, and spoke directly to others who HAD been turned back at mid station, though it seems others weren't. I also had my kid with me that probably wouldn't make the journey up in time).

Instead of turning people away, a few other solutions may have been to:
a) post on the site that spectator were limited to bike park riders
b) provide a path that hikers could use to safely make their way down or up to the event.
c) turn a blind eye like they have every other time for the last decade.

Option b seems to work for slopestyle and tens of thousands of people, I figure it'd probably be OK for the few hundred going to the whip off.

Instead of towing the party line, why not think critically for yourself and assess a situation before you kneejerk into opposition.

As for your assessment of Heckler's rock, I think you're out to lunch on your numbers, but you're obviously in touch with rumours and heresay more than me. I did count the bikes and the people last year just out of curiosity, but it was by no means scientific, and you stay in touch with people so….

This isn't an issue of whether spectators should be limited at either event or not. That's not a decision for me or anyone here to make (except maybe RideEverything), but the best course of action is probably to make it known that you're shutting it down before the event, before plans are made, before people are at the bottom of the lift. Websites, twitter feeds, and event programs are wonderful tools if used correctly.

I was going to ask if you made it up to Hecklers but guessing from the time on your post I would say not. Unless you spent a large amount of time formulating and typing in your post on your phone at Hecklers thus missing a lot of the action!

I still find your outrage amusing and I find it even more amusing that you find my response annoying. I wasn't really thinking about my tone when typing but condescending does fit. Although, you did post to a public forum. What did you expect? For everyone to agree and have no dissent?

As to my "out to lunch numbers" I did say that I was making stats up. Or did you not read that part?

I'm not sure what party line I'm towing or that my comment is kneejerk, but each to their own. And, I also believe I did think critically about my response because having spent several years enjoying reading (lurking) on these boards I know that any newcomer that offers a critical view on a regular poster's comment is in for a rough ride. I just highlighted that rules haven't changed and as the popularity of these events have increased issues are being brought to attention. Which in turn has the front line staff, GR, being told to tell the public certain things. Those certain things being the actual rules.
From what I know the crowds are viewed as a plus. However, it is the minority of spectators that are doing stupid things that are jeopardizing these events/viewing areas. Such as climbing the lift towers at Hecklers. That's a huge issue.

I guess the bike park is going to have to now highlight that any of the on hill viewing, aside from the slopestyle event, is going to only be accessible to bike riding public. I guess the bike park has just made too much of an assumption that anyone going to the on hill viewing areas is actually on a bike.
You are aware of that word called liability, right?
It will only take that one biker/hiker collision to change all the rules and have everything strictly and seriously enforced.
The way you are wording your responses leads me to believe that you feel your right to viewing anything in the bike park is being taken away from you.
What kind of tickets did you try and purchase? Sightseeing? Because if that's the case do you know what sightseeing tickets actually gives you? A ride to the Roundhouse then a ride on the P2P/Solar/Wizard. If you're going to say you're using your bike park pass, well, what does that mean that you're supposed to be using. Yep, that's right, your bike.

You do have some good ideas about how to get walking viewers up the hill. However, as soon as any thought goes into that and making it happen I think WB will find a way to charge for it. But you can't forget that WB is a business looking to make a profit!

A lot of this is conjecture and is strictly my opinion and in no way represents anything that WB might or may be doing.

I really enjoy reading all of the threads in the Whistler forum because of the, sometimes hilarious, ideas that are floating out there about what WB is doing or what is thought to be happening in town.
Yeah, I'm an employee both winter and summer. A happy employee! (OMG, yes, there are actually people who enjoy working for WB!!) And, some of the topics discussed here I'm sometimes directly or indirectly involved with. But by no means am I mover and shaker within this company. Not even close.

lots of people both hiking up from the bottom and down from mid-station sans bikes today

Surprised Danny Hart wasn't in the Canadian Open today. Even more surprised Stevie crashed and still won. Gotta feel for Mick Hannah losing by just 0.09 seconds.

Knuckled the last jump too. Couldn't believe how close it was

http://www.pinkbike.com/news/Heckle-Fest-Crankworx-Canadian-Open-DH.html

Safety was not here:ohthedrama:

I'd say the guy who fell off heckle rock was the FALE of the day.

Surprised Danny Hart wasn't in the Canadian Open today. Even more surprised Stevie crashed and still won. Gotta feel for Mick Hannah losing by just 0.09 seconds.

I don't think he was on the start list, which means he never registered. He seemed to have put a lot of effort into GarbanzoDH. The commentators said he did 5 garbo runs each day of the 2 race days - that's 10X7km/3400 ft DH descents in 2 days - not to mention the Whip Off and the Air DH - less than 24 hours after competing in the UCI WC.

rode most of the day with Jason Marsh (syndicate mechanic), most of the top guys just aren't willing to go full out with Worlds in two weeks….

In the Off Track podcast Sven Martin talked about how some racers can't go full out for non WC races. Think he specifically mentioned Gwinn and Minnar, they just can't get into the same head space to go full out. Stevie apparently can, thus he wins stuff like the Canadian Open and the Underworld Cup.

Stevie is riding a wave of momentum right now, he's in the zone. It would not surprise me at all if he destroyed everyone at Worlds. :agree:

Nice to see the Athertons at Crankworx this year…oh wait :grinno: Gee is probably puckered up at the thought of the Stevie train!

LOL about the whole can't hike up drama.

Hopefully WB will be enforcing the same mentality with the next WC DH on Murr's. Ski patrol with cattle prods and attack dogs?

I think WB had a heads up that Safety was heading their way and the park employees were alerted. While legally they could not prevent him from boarding the gondola, it was easy to enforce the no hikers policy……sorry Safety, it would seem in this case its not a WB park fail….its a Safety fail. Next year try a hat and some shades and try to appear as though you're out to have fun.