Get ready for Australia’s biggest mountain bike event… the 2022 Cannonball MTB Festival!
Posted on 12 Jan, 2022 in Festivals & Events
There’s under four weeks until hundreds of the best riders from around the world head to Thredbo to compete in Australia’s biggest and richest mountain bike event, Cannonball MTB Festival.
View this post on Instagram
Kicking off on Tuesday 8 February, Cannonball MTB Festival presented by Boost Mobile is set to be one of the biggest Thredbo has seen with a stack of new brand activations, a pumping music line up and a prize purse of over $100k! Five mammoth events will be held over five days appealing to not only aspiring young riders but the top names in the mountain bike world.
The line-up of crowd-pleasing events include the Fox Flow Motion Cup, Osprey All-Mountain Assault, RockShox Pump Track Challenge, Deity Whip Wars and Oakley Australian Open Downhill. Riders can register in 22 categories ranging from groms in under 13’s to the most experienced over 50’s.
What’s new in 2022?
$100k of cash and prizes!
The total cash prize pool for this year’s Cannonball MTB Festival will be over $50k – an increase of nearly $10k from the 2019 event. Thanks to this extra cash, 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the Fox Flow Motion Cup, Osprey All-Mountain Assault, RockShox Pump Track Challenge and Deity Whip Wars will all come out a little richer, with the winner taking home a total of $1500! Also new in 2022, the King and Queen of Cannonball in the pro categories will walk away with $1500 cash each.
A live DJ to send the festival off in style
Every good festival should end with a party, which is why the Australian dance duo, Parachute Youth, will close the festival in style, bringing their indie house vibes to the Alpine Bar on Saturday night. Guests will also be able to celebrate each huge day thanks to DJ Pat Stevenson spinning the decks at the Alpine Bar after every presentation.
The biggest brands in the business
Cannonball MTB Festival 2022 this year has attracted some of the biggest sponsors in the MTB world with each set to be offering demo’s, merch, bike repair, special chill zones and more!
Experience full Telstra coverage when riding the Thredbo MTB Park by heading to the Boost Mobile tent and grabbing a free sim card. Oakley, DEITY and Fox Racing will all be demoing their latest MTB range, and the teams at SRAM and RockShox, KRUSH and Maxxis Tyres will be there to help with all your bike tech and repair needs.
Osprey will be giving away a $1000 Osprey prize pack for those who enter the draw, while Red Bull will have a chill-out zone for everyone to enjoy right in the middle of Valley Terminal.
Course updates and the Merritts Gondola
As a first for Cannonball, the Merritts Gondola will run all week long for mountain bikers and scenic passengers. This will give riders easy access to the start of the new and revised Osprey All-Mountain Assault course starting at the top of the gondola. There will also be a new competitor-only whip jump for the Deity Whip Wars consisting of a perfectly sculpted lip built by some of the best riders in Australia.
Who’s who? Riders to watch in 2022
Cannonball MTB Festival is famous for attracting the best mountain bike riders in the world and this year the line-up of competition is huge! Thredbo locals, Sian A’Hern and brother Kye A’Hern have both been crowned King and Queen of Cannonball and will be looking to bag the honour once more.
Jackson Frew is fresh off an amazing Crankworx World Tour season, scoring 3rd overall and a number of podiums along the way. Tom and Andrew Crimmins, local boys from Bredbo, will be top contenders and are looking to cause upset across all events. Connor Fearon and Dean Lucas are also up there with the best as both are Top 10 World Cup Racers.
When it comes to the Deity Whip Wars and Rockshox Pump Track, multiple BMX and MTB World Champion, Caroline Buchanan is a hot contender – Buchanan is the first lady to land a front flip on a mountain bike.
Others to keep an eye and ear out for include racing powerhouse Tim Eaton, current Enduro World Series World Champion Jack Moir, local hero Tegan Molloy, rising brother duo Luke and Remy Meier Smith, speed demon Josh Arcus and underdog Luke Ellison.
With the biggest names in the mountain bike world, perfect trails, a stack of cash & prizes and entertainment for everyone, this Cannonball MTB Festival will be the highlight of the 2022 Australian Mountain Bike scene.
Whether you ski, snowboard, hike, mountain bike or are visiting for the first time, our app is your companion to Australia’s Premier Adventure Destination.
Sign up for news
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive deals, the latest weather, forecasts, news, events and more!
Thredbo sits on the traditional land of the Monero – Ngarigo people who have looked after this land, water and community for over 60,000 years. We thank them for all they have done and continue to do to look after their country, a special place which we all love and respect.
