Like fine wine, the Taniwha DH Track in the Whakarewarewa Forest has been left to mature over the past four and a half years since the Crankworx tires were last spun. What greeted the riders after this break was a revamped track, using all the best bits from what they’ve raced before, and a handful of freshly cut aluminum lines, made all the more interesting by a wet week leading up to the race. Racing within the Redwoods is an opportunity that all riders enjoy, with the forest here offering racing and a trail unlike any other. But as we’ve seen over the years, and more recently in Cairns, local knowledge reigns supreme and those who know the area make things much more difficult for the new kids in town. Dethroning the likes of Louis Hamilton and Jenna Hastings was never going to be easy given the amount of time they’ve put into this very thing, but with the series titles still open and everything to play for, the likes of Blenki and Bas in the men’s, and Vaea and Sian A’Hern in the women’s would not go easy. After three days of racing, and gradually better weather, the trail was constantly changing and with it the slope. By Sunday, things had dried up nicely. Champagne shower, with the shower full of noise. Results Men’s 1. Sam Blenkinsop – 2:44.112. Jackson Frew – 2:47.473. Brook MacDonald – 2:48.14 Women’s 1. Sian A’Hern – 3:11.372. Jenna Hastings – 3:16.753. Martha Gill – 3:23.99
