Cannonball MTB Festival 2025: A Week of Thrilling Racing in Thredbo
Posted on 16 Feb, 2025
Another year, another unforgettable Cannonball MTB Festival! Thredbo once again played host to Australia’s biggest and most exciting mountain biking event, drawing 750 competitors and thousands of spectators for a jam-packed week of racing, entertainment, and festival vibes.
Celebrating 11 Years of Cannonball
Thredbo MTB Business Manager, Tim Windshuttle, was thrilled to celebrate the 11th edition of the festival, reflecting on its continued success:
“Cannonball MTB Festival continues to stand out as a premier event in the Australian mountain biking calendar. Seeing our local riders and ambassadors take centre stage at an internationally recognised event is, and has always been, a defining moment of this festival.”
Despite some challenges with the weather, the team and community pulled together to deliver all six events, making this year’s Cannonball one for the history books.
The Racing Action: Day by Day
Day 1 | Monday February 10
The festival kicked off with riders hitting the park for practice runs ahead of the Osprey All-Mountain Enduro, Fox Flow Motion Cup, and Rockshox Australian Open Downhill. With the sun shining and excitement building, it was the perfect start to an action-packed week.
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Day 2 | Tuesday February 11
Official racing began with the Osprey All-Mountain Enduro. This year’s new three-stage layout tested competitors with rock rolls, pinch climbs, and steep switchbacks. The winners of the first podium spots were:
Pro Men: Luke Meier-Smith, Jack Moir, Bailey Christie
Pro Women: Sian A’Hern, Elleni Turkovic, Jess Hoskin
Day 3 | Wednesday February 12
Perfect conditions greeted racers for the first round of the Fox Flow Motion Cup. Over 500 competitors took on the refreshed Kosciuszko Flow Trail, featuring new berms and long traverses. The pro podiums were:
Pro Men: Luke Meier-Smith, Jack Moir, Thomas Locke
Pro Women: Sian A’Hern, Elleni Turkovic, Ellie Smith
Day 4 | Thursday February 13
Day four saw the final stage of the Fox Flow Motion Cup followed by the thrilling Maxxis Dual Slalom, where top qualifiers battled it out head-to-head. The results:
Pro Men: Luke Meier-Smith, Sam Butler, Thomas Locke
Pro Women: Caroline Buchanan, Leanna Curtis, Sacha Mills
Day 5 | Friday February 14
Heavy rain forced the postponement of the Oakley Pump Track Challenge, but that didn’t dampen the festival spirit! Riders and fans gathered for an afternoon of entertainment, including athlete signings, MTB trivia with Josh Carlson, a Rockshox suspension workshop, and a screening of Death Grip 2.
Day 6 | Saturday, 16 February
The final day delivered an epic lineup of events, including the rescheduled Oakley Pump Track Challenge, the Rockshox Australian Open Downhill, the Deity Whip Wars, and the massive Boost Mobile Cannonball Afterparty featuring Babe Rainbow.
Oakley Pump Track Challenge
After a delayed start, competitors were eager to claim victory:
Pro Men: Bailey Mears, Callum Crofts, Jackson Frew
Pro Women: Caroline Buchanan, Sacha Mills, Elleni Turkovic
Rockshox Australian Open Downhill
The festival’s marquee event saw 562 riders tackle the legendary Cannonball Downhill course. With the biggest cash prize in Australian downhill history up for grabs, the stakes were high:
Pro Men: Troy Brosnan, Jackson Frew, Connor Fearon
Pro Women: Sian A’Hern, Elleni Turkovic, Ellie Smith
Deity Whip Wars
A festival favourite, the Whip Wars drew massive crowds as the boldest riders threw down their best sideways action. The winners:
Men: Mack Maneitta
Women: Elleni Turkovic
Crowning the King & Queen of Cannonball
After accumulating points across multiple disciplines, Sian A’Hern and Luke Meier-Smith were crowned the 2025 King and Queen of Cannonball, proving themselves as dominant forces in the gravity MTB scene.
A Legendary Finish
With the presentations wrapped up, the energy was still at an all-time high as Babe Rainbow took to the stage, followed by a legendary afterparty at the Keller Bar. A fitting end to an incredible week!
Until next year, keep shredding, and we’ll see you back at Thredbo for Cannonball 2026!
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Thredbo sits on the traditional land of the Monero – Ngarigo people who have looked after this land, water and community for over 60,000 years. We thank them for all they have done and continue to do to look after their country, a special place which we all love and respect.
