Crankworx Whistler opened its week-long festivities with a race down the brand-new 1199 downhill track. The course for the Canadian Open Downhill, created to honour the legacy of Stevie Smith, is years in the making and served up racing as wild as the man himself was.
Canadians went 1-2 in the pro men’s field with Jakob Jewett and Mark Wallace. Miranda Miller, long-time friend of Smiths, earned bronze in the women’s race. Dane Jewett, the younger brother of the elite men’s winner, led a Canadian sweep of the junior men’s race.
Canadians dominate on Stevie Smith track
Anticipation was high and crowds in Whistler were huge for the Canadian Open Downhill after three Canucks put down the fastest seeding times on Saturday for Sunday’s finals. There was an audible response from the crowd when it was announced that Finn Iles, fastest in seeding the day before, would not be starting finals after an injury in practice on Sunday morning.
That lull in the excitement was short-lived, though. Mark Wallace and Jakob Jewett stepped up to give the hometown fans plenty to cheer for.
Wallace (Norco Factory Team) was the second-last rider on track and, racing his prototype Norco, edged out Tuhoto-Ariki Pene (Mondraker) to take over the lead by just 0.036 seconds. With that time, and only Jakob Jewett remaining at the top of the mountain, that guaranteed the first race down the full 1199 track would be won by a Canadian. For Wallace, it meant a little more than other races.
“I’m really happy to put down a run I can be proud of, on a track in his memory. And on a track that I think he would have been really excited to race. He preferred the more difficult tracks, more technically challenging that you really had to send it,” said Wallace.
For Wallace, Smith’s influence was very direct. The two started what has become a wave of fast downhill racers coming from Vancouver Island.
“I credit me being here, even still, largely to him. When I was 16, wanting to race, he kind of showed me the way. I’ve tried to remember the things that he taught me, because it obviously worked out well for him. He would be so excited to go send it down this track, I just gave it my best and tried to do something similar.”
Smith’s legacy didn’t end with Wallace, of course. Many riders adding to Canada’s momentum on the international scene credit Chainsaw…
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