Fun For All - Queenstown Bike Festival Countdown

News Release / 14.03.2013

The Queenstown Mountain Bike Festival (March 22 - April 1) events' line up is stacking up to be the perfect way to showcase not only some of New Zealand's and the world's top riders but also a community spirited festival with a medley of social and family orientated events.

The festival's headline events are the Outside Sports Juice Lubes Super D, a six hours non-stop tag team or individual mountain bike race; the two day Vertigo Bikes Dirtmasters Downhill held on a challenging three kilometre course in the Ben Lomond Forest; the Teva Slopestyle, a heart stopping display of bike acrobatics in the Ballarat Car Park; the Rockn'Roll Enduro mountain bike race based on Coronet Peak; the New World Tour de Wakatipu, 36km or 45km ride from Arrowtown to Chard Farm, and the R&R Mega Avalanche, a marathon style event that mixes gravity-assisted excitement with high levels of fitness.

"We have an incredible line up of internationally recognised hardcore downhillers and top gun riders that take riding bikes very seriously. But the Festival is not just that, there are events for everybody: kids, families, bike fanatics, even non cyclists." says Festival Co-Director Geoff Hunt.

"We have received support from Konica Minolta, Central Lakes Trust, the Community Trust of Southland and the New Zealand Community Trust that have made it possible for us to also stage community and family orientated events."

The Kids MiniX (March 24) is a fun Arrowtown based event, encouraging Kiwi Kids between the ages of 4 to 14 years old and of all sporting abilities to take part. The event is all about participation, having a go and achieving a personal best, while having the opportunity to win lots of prizes, including a brand new bike donated by Arrow Bikes.

New this year is the Konica Minolta Bikes in the Park (March 29) which starts at noon and is free to attend. This is a day of fun bike activities set in the Earnslaw Park, downtown Queenstown. There's a bevy of activities, with a live bike ice carving, a best-dressed bike kids competition, the infamous bikes for fun from Arrowtown and live music. There is also a mini freeride bike jump park where kids will test their skills over seesaws and mini jumps.

Ladies can get their fun too, with the girls only coffee ride on March 26, or for the more adventurous there is the non competitive race with the League of Ladies (March 29 - 7-Mile), a fun downhill race reserved for women riders only,

Other social rides include an introduction to night riding with the Night Time Mountain Bike ride taking locals and visitors on a moonlight adventure, the Queenstown Bike tours Coffee to Grape experience, promising luscious food and wine testing, and those more inclined to cross country can join the Pedallers's escorted Hilton Queenstown bike ride on March 28.

Other events to watch include the Bike Polo Half Day tournament, taking place at the Remarkables Park on March 23, where teams of three battle it out for the honours, and of course the highly unique and spectacular Teva Slopestyle on March 28.

Finishing the week off is the festival's Mega Party at the AJ Hackett Centre on March 31, which will be a celebration of all things bike with highlights videos of the week, the crowning of the festival's King and Queen, DJ and night bungee jumps.

For more information on these event and more, visit the festival web site at www.queenstownbikefestival.com

The Queenstown Bike Festival, "It's all about the bikes and more", is a ten day festival combining more than 25 events featuring all type of bikes, be it mountain bikes, downhill, cross-country, or road bikes through a diversity of events that you can participate in, support, or just watch.