Crankworx SilverStar 2026 Delivers Historic Racing and Good Vibes, Smoke Cuts DH

Crankworx SilverStar 2026 closed out this weekend with three days of racing across Pump Track, Slopestyle, and Downhill – with finals cut short by wildfire smoke. The vibes were high all weekend, with parties at the iconic Red Antler, movie premiers, and a new jump line opening in the bike park.

Pump Track Challenge presented by RNDM

The weekend opened Friday night with the Pump Track Challenge presented by RNDM, and it’s a strong contender for one of the best event of its kind in Crankworx history. The course, built by Vernon local and former King of Crankworx Bas Van Steenbergen, produced tight head-to-head racing that came down to final-heat knock-outs across categories. A DJ, a beer garden, and a packed crowd turned the night into the kind of kick-off that set the tone for the rest of the festival. 

Jordy Scott took the win on the women’s side, backing up last year’s title and sending first-year Elite racer Isla O’Connor to silver, with Taylor Ostgaard claiming bronze in her first trip to SilverStar. On the men’s side, Ryan Gilchrist stayed unbeaten, holding off Tegan Cruz for gold while Alejandro Alcojor Ramos edged out course builder Van Steenbergen for bronze – his first-ever Crankworx medal. More about the Pump Track Challenge presented by RNDM here.

SilverStar Slopestyle presented by Signature

Saturday’s SilverStar Slopestyle presented by Signature carried the highest stakes the event has seen: a Slopestyle Super League Playoff stop, with the top 3 women and top 7 men punching their ticket to theinaugural SSL Finals at Crankworx Mont-Sainte-Anne on September 5. Naturally, all athletes in a field 17 men and 4 women deep, were vying for a spot above the cutoff to secure their advancement. In the SSL finals, results from earlier in the season won’t carry over, so every rider gets an equal shot at becoming the first-ever SSL Champion. 

Alma Wiggberg set the winning score in Run 1, setting a bar so high, no one was able to touch. On the men’s side, Ben Thompson was able to create a similar situation, scoring 86.25 points for his first Crankworx gold. Behind them, the storylines ran deep: Michelle Neuner jumped from 65.50 to 71.75 in Run 2 to steal bronze and her ticket to Mont-Sainte-Anne from Zoe Witwicki. Ayden Siebenaler landed the best result of his career, edging some of the big names in Diamond Level Slopestyle off the podium. And most notably, Axel Sparrman – riding his first-ever FMB Gold event – clinched the last SSL Finals spot by less than a point over Kaidan Ingersoll, who’d fought back from a Run 1 crash to make a real run at it.

Highlights of this event, including a recap of all runs, will be available soon on the Crankworx YouTube channel. Fans can find more details about the Slopestyle Super League and rider list for the coveted Finals event at Crankworx Mont-Sainte-Anne here.

Crankworx SilverStar DH

Group A seeding ran Saturday as planned, but wildfire smoke moving into the valley made air quality levels unsafe for racing on Sunday. After careful consideration between Crankworx, SilverStar Mountain Resort, and the UCI officials, the decision was made not to proceed. Group A’s Seeding results were promoted to final race results, crowning Mille Johnset and Luke Meier-Smith as the Crankworx SilverStar DH champions. In addition to the Elite winners, one rider stood out particularly: Tayte Proulx-Royds put down the fastest (2:59.53) time on the track in any women’s category, beating all Elite athletes. Group B Finals were cancelled after organisers held off as long as they could to see if conditions would improve.

Crankworx SilverStar DH – Top 3 Women: 

1. Mille JOHNSET (NOR) – 3:02.66 
2. Maylei LEANEAGH (USA) – 3:08.64 (+5.98) 
3. Sian A’HERN (AUS) – 3:10.30 (+7.64) 

Crankworx SilverStar DH – Top 3 Men: 

1. Luke MEIER-SMITH (AUS) – 2:31.52 
2. Tegan CRUZ (CAD) – 2:33.28 (+1.76) 
3. Seth SHERLOCK (CAD) – 2:36.08 (+4.56) 

Full results across categories and events can be found at crankworx.com/results. 

Crankworx Series Heading Into Final Stretch With An Early DH Champion

Luke Meier-Smith’s win at Crankworx SilverStar locks up the DH Series title, and he takes it with a comfortable 224 points buffer over second-placed Ryan Gilchrist. Below that, it’s still wide open – Tegan Cruz is right behind Gilchrist, with Dane Jewett fourth. On the women’s side, the picture is tighter. Jenna Hastings holds the top spot after victories in Christchurch and Rotorua, with Eliana Hulsebosch and last year’s DH Series champion Mille Johnset tied for second. First-year Elite racer Matilda Melton sits fourth, just 10 points back. 

Crankworx DH Series – Top 3 Women 

1. Jenna HASTINGS (NZL) – 200 pts 
2. Eliana HULSEBOSCH (NZL) – 140 pts 
   Mille JOHNSET (NOR) – 140 pts 

Crankworx DH Series – Top 3 Men 

1. Luke MEIER-SMITH (AUS) – 360 pts 
2. Ryan GILCHRIST (AUS) – 136 pts 
3. Tegan CRUZ (CAD) – 131 pts 

The King and Queen of Crankworx race is tightening too. Ryan Gilchrist still leads at 902 points, and Tegan Cruz technically still has a shot at catching him – though the gap won’t be easy to close. On the women’s side, reigning Queen of Crankworx Jordy Scott has closed to within 43 points of series leader Jenna Hastings, moving past Sabina Košárková in the process. 

Queen of Crankworx – Top 3 

1. Jenna Hastings (NZL) – 496 pts 
2. Jordy Scott (USA) – 453 pts 
3. Sabina Košárková (CZE) – 450 pts 

King of Crankworx – Top 3 

1. Ryan Gilchrist (AUS) – 902 pts 
2. Tegan Cruz (CAN) – 776 pts 
3. Tristan Lemire (CAN) – 328 pts 

Full series standings are available at crankworx.com/results/series.

Another Great Weekend At SilverStar

Even with the shortened Downhill program, the vibe across the resort held up – racers and spectators staying in and around SilverStar kept the Crankworx energy going all weekend. In addition to Amateur, Youth, and Elite racing, Kidsworx presented by Tourism Vernon ran its own Pump Track and Downhill races, giving the next generation of riders their own stage. After an official movie night on Friday, the new jump line “Walk TheLine”, built by Remy Morton, opened on-site Saturday, drawing both local riders and athletes. 

Conditions didn’t cooperate on the final day, but Crankworx SilverStar once again delivered – it remains one of the athletes’ favourite stops on the World Tour. 

Coming up next:

• Crankworx Summer Series Sugarloaf, August 27-30
• Crankworx Mont-Sainte-Anne, September 3-7