That’s A Wrap On Cannonball MTB Festival For 2023! Thredbo Celebrates Record-Breaking Week Of Mountain Biking Events

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Thredbo Resort is celebrating record breaking numbers after hosting the 2023 Cannonball MTB Festival presented by Boost Mobile last week from 13 - 18 February.

This year’s festival was the biggest one yet with over 900 registered riders competing across five events and over 3000 spectators turning out to watch the action throughout the week. Thredbo Mountain Bike Park has seen a 380% increase in unique mountain bikers since 2019, and the growing size and popularity of the Cannonball MTB Festival is a reflection of these numbers.

This year, some of the world’s best riders could be seen in Thredbo, including Greg Minaar, Sam Hill, Camille Balanche, Jackson Goldstone, Nina Hoffman, Laurie Greenland, Sian A'Hern, Josh Arcus, Tim Eaton, Jackson Frew and Benoit Coulanges.

Thredbo MTB Business Manager, Tim Windshuttle said that he is absolutely thrilled with how the festival turned out this year.

“The 2023 Cannonball MTB Festival was a testament to the bright future of mountain biking in Australia. The event atmosphere was on another level and with higher numbers and more pros registering to race at Cannonball every year, it's clear that the sport is only continuing to grow stronger here,” said Mr Windshuttle.

The stakes were higher than ever at this year's Cannonball after Thredbo and AusCycling partnered together to combine the National MTB Championships into the Cannonball event schedule, with competitors racing for two titles in the one event.

2023 Cannonball MTB Festival: Daily Event Overview

Day 1 // Monday 13 February: On Monday, competitors hit the course to practice for their races throughout the week, enjoying great riding conditions across the park thanks to recent moisture and cooler temperatures.
Day 2 // Tuesday 14 February: Tuesday was the first official day of racing with competitors putting their stamina to the test in the Osprey All Mountain Assault. While the final times were tight, it was ultimately Tim Eaton and Harriet Harnden who took out the wins for the Pro Division.
Day 3 // Wednesday 15 February: Day 3 saw a host of the country’s best riders compete in the Fox Flow Motion Cup. Tim Eaton and Harriet Harnden took out the wins and claimed the National Championship titles in the Pro Divisions, making it a double win after both riders won All Mountain Assault on Tuesday as well,
Day 4 // Thursday 16 February: The energy was electric in Thredbo on Thursday night with record-breaking riders and spectators turning out to Thredbo’s Village Green to get involved with the action at the RockShox Pump Track Challenge. The Final Races in the Pro Divisions was an incredible show for spectators, resulting in Jayce Cunning and Anna Newkirk becoming the new King and Queen of the Pump Track for 2023.
Day 5 // Friday 17 February: The key event on Friday’s schedule was the Official Seeding race for the highly-anticipated Oakley Australian Open Downhill event on Saturday, resulting in Thredbo Ambassador Sian A'Hern taking number one seed in the Pro Women's Division and international rider Jackson Goldstone in the Men's Division.
Day 6 // Saturday 18 February: The sixth and final day of the 2023 Cannonball MTB Festival presented by Boost Mobile featured a massive line-up of mountain bike racing & action, live music and entertainment. In the Oakley Australian Open Downhill event, it was number one seeds Sian A'Hern who took out the win in the Pro Women's Downhill and Jackson Goldstone in the Men's Division. After the Downhill races, Thredbo hosted the invite-only Deity Whip Wars event, with Patrick Butler and Eleni Turkovic putting on the best show for thousands of spectators to win the gold. Once all the racing was finished, Thredbo hosted presentations with Timmy Eaton and Harriet Harnden being crowned the overall King & Queen of Cannonball 2023, before rolling into the Official Cannonball Closing Party with a live DJ set from North East Party House.