Whistler (BC), Canada – Mountain bike fanatics have been eagerly anticipating the opening of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park this Friday.

Despite challenges thanks to a deep snowpack this winter, the Whistler Mountain Bike Park will open Friday with eight trails available: A-Line, Crank It Up, B-Line, Heart of Darkness, Ho Chi Min, Crack Addict, Devils Club, Hornet and the Joyride Jump Park. The current early-season conditions are for intermediate and above skill level. More trails, including beginner terrain, will open as conditions allow.

“Coming off the second snowiest season on record we knew it was going to be a challenging spring,” says Brian Finestone, Whistler Mountain Bike Park Manager. “The trails we have ready are wet but in good shape and more trails will be added to the ‘open’ list every day.”

In celebration of the start of bike season Whistler Mountain Bike Park is hosting Bike Bash on May 21 & 22.  This event features the grand opening of the Bike Park Demo Centre, demos and displays from brands like Kona, ODI and GoPro, and a rental bike blowout at Garbanzo Bike & Bean. In addition, the Red Bull Wings Team will be around all weekend and the first ever Bike Park Amateur Video contest takes place at the Garibaldi Lift Company on Saturday.

Riders can also practice indoors in the Air Dome starting Friday. The Air Dome, an 8,400 square foot indoor bike training facility with foam pit and wooden ramps, is open Friday to Sunday until June 12; then daily until September 4.

Whistler’s Bike Park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until June 17 and then from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting June 18 through to Labor Day. Uphill access is available via the Fitzsimmons Express with the Whistler Village Gondola opening May 28.

Full suspension bikes, helmets and body armour are available at Garbanzo Rentals in the Whistler Gondola building. Meanwhile, Garbanzo Bike and Bean (GBB) in Carleton Lodge is now open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily oddering rental and repair services and features a retail section filled with bikes, clothing, equipment and a coffee bar.

This season marks the grand opening of the new Whistler Mountain Bike Park Demo Centre on Friday, allowing guests to demo a selection of 41 high performance downhill bike models from eight different brands. As part of the grand opening, guests who rent a bike from the Demo Centre this weekend will receive a free Whistler Mountain Bike Park day ticket. The Demo Centre will remain open throughout the summer from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily.

The festivities continue with the return of the legendary Crud 2 Mud Downhill on May 29. This classic “transition season” event mixes the end of the ski and snowboard season with the start of the bike season. Spots are still available through Guest Relations by calling (800) 766-0449.