Open your eyes to a new form of spectator sport with Heckle Fest…

Halfway down the Canadian Open DH course at Crankworx you’ll discover a huge mass of slightly inebriated mountain bike enthusiasts gathered atop a rock with their shirts off (it’s the rule – regardless of gender).

In the words of PinkBike “No one is safe from the Hecklers on Heckle Rock. While harassing the racers is their ultimate goal, they are easily distracted like monkeys who have forgotten their Ritalin, zeroing in on shiny things that need to be yelled at. Riders passing overhead on the lift were subjected to chants politely requesting public displays of affection and photographers scaling the lift towers for better shots found themselves dodging empty beer cans. With the inebriation of the crowd the only time you were safe from getting knocked in the head with a tin missile was if they were aiming for you. Rather than being offensive, being heckled is a badge of honor, much like a group roast, it comes from a place of love.”

Here is a small selection of censored photos, to try and portray the atmosphere at the event…

Hecklers Rock from the bottom as the crowd starts to gather…

Riders take on the course and the hecklers…

Heckling those on the chairlift

Escaping rowdy hecklers by dropping the rock…

Essential heckling equipment = chainsaw

Check out a PinkBike article for more along with this video – both of which should give you more of a feel for it…