The carrier pigeons have returned to IDF HQ from across the South China Sea and Pacific and Atlantic oceans with some rock-solid dates to kick off what will be a blockbuster IDF World Tour in 2016.
The International Downhill Federation is very excited to announce the first half of the 2016 World Tour, incorporating the Asian and North American legs.
The Mt Keira Downhill Challenge WC in Sydney, Australia kicks off a blockbuster IDF World Tour in 2016. ASRA will be laying it down once again on a freshly minted Mt Keira surface in front of another huge Australian crowd to see the worlds best battle it out against the best of Asia, and establish themselves as early contenders for the IDF Downhill Crown. Riders will have to transition from the stunning surf beaches just below the mountain to the hard tarmac of World Cup competition.
Exactly 1 week later the IDF roadshow sails across the ditch to duke it out with the Kiwis in the land of the long white cloud at the explosive volcanic mountain that is Ruapehu Gravity Festival WQS. Set on the northern slopes of the volcano, Mt Ruapehu is in the heart of the stunning World Heritage Tongariro National Park in the North Island of New Zealand. This will be a test to lock in those early World Cup points against an army of Kiwis defending their turf on this super fast grip and rip track.
After a brief break from competition to nurse the wounds of battle the Asian leg of the tour sails its pirate ship into the tropical islands of the Philippines for Veggie Hill WQS. This is the third leg of the Visayan Longboard Trilogy, a rambling 2-week journey through the islands of Cebu and Siquijor with a crew of locals to show you all the spots. It will be ukuleles at 10 paces on one of the nastiest, driftiest, short tracks on the planet, high up in the Filipino hills. A big crowd will be on hand to cheer on the locals in a fierce battle against the Tour ranked riders on a track that favours the Filo style of racing; tight, fast, and cheeky.
Continuing across the Pacific ring of fire the IDF World Tour lands in Sichuan Province, China and across the mighty Yangtze river for the Yuping Cup WQS and a battle for supremacy in the world's most populous nation. After battling with the river monsters of the Yangtze we move up to the plateau of Sichuan and in true Chinese style the welcome mat will be thrown down on a picturesque mountain and a fantastic facility with a supreme racetrack. The Chinese will throw everything into this final event of the Asian leg to determine who is the King of Asia and who will lead the race for the World Tour Crown.
In June the IDF World Tour moves to the United States for four races in four weekends. Kicking it off is the Mahackamack 400 WQS (formerly known as ACME Downhill) in New York where the North American riders will be looking to grab a psychological edge and some early bragging rights.
Just a few days later is the return of the Killington Throwdown WC in Vermont. On a track with speeds over 100 km/h, this event is ready to hit the big time.
Then it's time to switch coasts. The Maryhill Ratz have been riding this the Loops road for well over a decade and hosting years of successful Freerides. This June the Maryhill Ratz will host the 1st Showdown at the Loops WQS one of the most popular event locations on the World Tour.
The 1st year will have special significance seeing riders from all over the world battle for the top spots on the famous loops road in Washington State. The 1st Showdown at the Loops promises to be another tight battle to the finish line with up to five action packed days of racing.
![Maryhill by The Skate District from Skate[Slate]](https://internationaldownhillfederation.org/media/2015/11/maryhill-ratz-feature.jpg)
Back into the dry summer on July 1st (Canada Day Holiday) after a wet Sept 2015 event the IDF tour bus will be packed with riders heading across the northern border and into the lush mountains of Whistler, BC Canada for the Whistler Longboard Festival WC. In a 11 corner tight battle on Blackcomb mountain, the heart of the Vancouver longboard scene and the rest of the Canadian flatlanders will be keen to show the world why Canada is such a hotbed of World Class riders.
Avoiding animals like black bears on the famous Olympic Sliding Center track while navigating the many twists and turns at Blackcomb will be the supreme test of rider and equipment. With a bounty of World Cup points and cash on the line this will be a critical event on the tour and determine who tops the list when the show crosses into Europe.
With this much action packed racing we couldn't possibly feed it all into one news story so get yourself some popcorn and stay tuned in the coming weeks for round 2; the announcement of the events and dates for the European and South American legs of the 2016 IDF World Cup downhill battle.
2016 Asian Tour
Feb 12-14: Mt Keira Downhill Challenge WC
Feb 18-20: Ruapehu Gravity Festival WQS
Apr 15-17: Veggie Hill WQS
Apr 23-25: Yuping Cup WQS
2016 North American Tour
Jun 11-12: Mahackamack 400 WQS
Jun 16-18: Killington Throwdown WC
Jun 21-25: Showdown at the Loops WQS
July 1-3: Whistler Longboard Festival WC
