June 11, 2006 – A Canada-wide search for Kokanee Crankworx’s event photographer has been unleashed with “Capture” – the Kokanee Crankworx Photographer Challenge.” Submissions are now being taken for the challenge and the winner will be awarded a $2,000 Kokanee Crankworx photography contract plus a week’s stay at the new Adara Hotel, a designer boutique hotel, during the festival.

“Capture’ is a great opportunity for photographers to land a major contract and grow their portfolio,” says Kelly Clarke, events manager at the Whistler Arts Council. “We were asked by Kokanee Crankworx to partner on this event and took that opportunity to bring the artist’s perspective to the festival and facilitate an opportunity for action sport photographers to showcase their work.”

Interested photographers are asked to submit ten digital action, biking shots which will be judged on composition, technical skill and artistic merit. The photographer with the highest total score will be named Kokanee Crankworx’s official event photographer and will be granted premier access to all affiliated events and parties. The top ten photographers in “Capture” will have their images shown on the outdoor screen throughout Kokanee Crankworx, giving them invaluable exposure to a core mountain bike audience including major bike media outlets as well as the general public and mainstream media. Only photographers living in Canada are eligible to compete in “Capture.”

The deadline is Thursday June 22, 2006 and the submission guidelines and entry form can be found at <http://www.whistlerartscouncil.com>www.whistlerartscouncil.com. Questions about the event can be directed to the Whistler Arts Council at 604-938-9221 or emailed to events@whistlerartscouncil.com.

The third annual Kokanee Crankworx Mountain Bike Festival is set to go off July 22 to 30 in Whistler, BC. Expanding to nine days of serious excitement both on and off the hill, the festival showcases Whistler as the ultimate biking playground by combining impressive stunt sessions and mind-blowing speed events with the world’s best mountain bikers competing for cash and prizing totaling over $30,000. The event line-up, which takes place in Whistler Blackcomb’s famed mountain bike park and throughout Whistler Village, also includes an outdoor expo, pro riding demonstrations, free music and entertainment.

Kokanee Crankworx is presented by Events Whistler – a partnership of Tourism Whistler, Whistler Blackcomb and the Resort Municipality of Whistler. At centre stage of Kokanee Crankworx is the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. With over 200 km and 3,855 feet of lift-serviced gravity-fed, adrenaline-fueled descending trails, the Bike Park is the unequivocal leader of lift-accessed mountain bike parks in the world.

For more information about Kokanee Crankworx – Whistler’s premier freeride mountain bike festival – please visit <http://www.crankworx.com>www.crankworx.com.