USA Cycling Announces 2011 Gravity National Championship
An excerpt from USA Cycling's latest press release:
In its first year as a separate event, the USA Cycling Gravity Mountain Bike National Championships will head to the Great Smoky Mountains. Scheduled for September 24-25 on North Carolina’s Beech Mountain, the event will feature downhill and four-cross racing for gravity enthusiasts of all ages.
Let's hear it Vital members, what do you think? Who's been there? What's the terrain like? Your thoughts on hosting it so late in the year?
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Morpheous
8/24/2011 10:23 AM
Just an Idea.! USAC chould probably consider an Eastern & Western championship, it would double the participation due to logistics and make for reasonable travel costs for all. (plus eastern and western US mountain terrain is totally different in nature.) Not sure why the date after the Worlds is an issue? School is a consideration, but surely you've all missed school for lesser reasons Im sure. ......
Uncle Mayhem
1/3/2011 1:07 PM
I got no problem with the location but are you kidding about September??? A month after school starts is just flat out lame. Not too mention the Worlds will be over. I can say there will be a small junior turnout which is so so sad.
PIRATE
12/28/2010 6:31 AM
Room Booked - Only a 7 hour ride- not too bad
jet
12/25/2010 7:04 AM
Why is everyone from the West crying? If you want a shot at being a champion, go to the race. If not shut up...Finally some home court advantage for us on the East coast. I think I'm gonna reserve my room now...
Peddler
12/23/2010 10:34 PM
OK Northstar was a little over 1 hour. This is a bit farther but a cool part of the world just the same. I am sure they can come up with a acceptable track. I never totally understood having the Championships mid season as it is a bit like having your desert before the main coarse. Herndon and Beytag know whats up for a proper track. If you have any money left over we can head to Dollywood.
BenMx26
12/23/2010 10:00 PM
My projected funds needed for 2011 Nationals:
Airfare - $300.00
Rental Car - $300
Hotel - $300
Race Fees - $90
Food - ??
Gas - ??
Bike Baggage Costs - ??
Estimated Total for ONE person - $1200.00
Last years Nationals cost me under $300.00. Majority of that was gas money. I was able to camp, and bring my own food and drinks. Looks like I better start saving!! ...and this year my wife wants to come.
chequamie
12/23/2010 7:29 PM
First of all, I would like to agree with Quinton, we need to use lemons to make lemonade, secondly, there are some concerns arising from this situation. Issue #1 the juniors and amateurs are getting screwed as the majority of them are in some sort of school, or work situation that makes it a bad time to take time off out of vacation time etc. not to mention a lot of racers are just plain out of money by the end of the season weather it is from broken equipment, broken bones or travel expenses lets face it this sport is not cheap It seem usac is giving this event a B- rating rather than the A+ rating it should have being a TRUE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! Issue #2 Im not sure how many of you are aware that there is a mountain bike promoters summit in colorado Springs in the fall where Usac addresses issues with race promoters and athlete trustees, in some discussions i have taken part in with people who participated these meetings, participation numbers are addressed, it appears that gravity is being surpassed by cyclocross according to usac data. JDD or darner could probably clarify (please keep in mind I am getting some of this info second hand but it sounds accurate considering my sources) . My fear is that with this event being scheduled as it is, the participation numbers will be lower than average and that these lower numbers will be used by usac as justification to pull more funding and physical resources from gravity and use them elsewhere.
Issue # 4 What happened to growing the sport? the real future of the sport is not the pros who are gonna miss crankworks but the 12 and 15 year old kids who spend every waking hour riding and honing their skills with the hope that one day they might be a pro!! time to reevaluate people!
One final note,(no disrespect to herndon, beytagh and their capable crew) I also would like to point out that the momentum crew has left some big ass shoes for all future race promoters to step into, whether you love their courses or hate them they progressed the sport huge in the last two years, the small amount of tv time that they did get for Gravity racing definitely got peoples attention, and got them interested in mountain biking again.
swbranney
12/23/2010 4:32 PM
It's not the location, we made the trek to vermont for the US nats before it went to Sol Vista. When the Nats were at Sol Vista they didn't have 3000 feet of vertical to work with either.
What pisses me off is USAC scheduling an event that is not only after the world championships for our discipline, but is even after the trade show that marks the start of the following year. Regardless of what the UCI would like, looking through the schedule it appears that most if not all other USAC disciplines have their national championships before the world championships.
Quinton's comments are valid, we have to make the most of what we have. Iif we just accept that it's OK for our governing body to drop a load of crap on us like they have with this decision, they'll continue to treat us like second class citizens within our own national governing body.
The venue is fine, the course builders could be great, and the timing of the event absolutely blows.
Kathy_Carney
12/23/2010 4:27 PM
Well National champs and College national champs both on the east coast a month apart during school. That will be interesting logistically. Delta Airlines will certainly be stoked. But who doesn't love a new venue? I bet it will be awesome....and nothin' beats southern hospitality. Looking forward!
jhart15
12/23/2010 4:13 PM
MotoMike-hence why I said it is best near the middle of the country....doesn't have to be colorado there are other resorts that could do it. Hopefully they do one on the west coast next time at least
motomike
12/23/2010 4:05 PM
Wherever it is located, some people have to drive/fly long distances to get to it. Having it on the west coast would be no different, just a different group of people who have to fly to it and bitch about it..
jhart15
12/23/2010 3:49 PM
Thom----im sure it would be cheap for you and also very cheap for people in the state doesn't make it cheap for anyone west especially during school time...I doubt many college kids would be able to fly money wise and missing classes for driving at least 4 days across the country would be out of the question...Im sure USA Cycling knows what they are doing but I believe they could of made a better decision to better suite everyone but that is just my humble opinion. Regardless im sure there will be more than enough competitors to make the race great, just disappointed that there is no possible way for me and many others like me to make it thats all
quintonspaulding
12/23/2010 11:52 AM
"If you fly into Knoxville or Charlotte, it's a straight shot up the interstate to Beech. I'm sure there will be pressure on Sugar to open the lifts for racers to play before and after on the course there. The bottom half of the mountain lends itself to a great 4x layout.
Herndon has plenty of experience building tracks and racing, with a National Championship to show for it. Geritt has a National Championship under his belt as well and we all know what we're doing when it comes to laying out good tracks. We'll make it fun as long as you're here to ride and race, not pout and pucker.
You can make most people happy some of the time, but you're not going to make everyone happy every time. Ride!!!!"
NICELY said! SEEEEEE!
bizutch
12/23/2010 11:27 AM
If you fly into Knoxville or Charlotte, it's a straight shot up the interstate to Beech. I'm sure there will be pressure on Sugar to open the lifts for racers to play before and after on the course there. The bottom half of the mountain lends itself to a great 4x layout.
Herndon has plenty of experience building tracks and racing, with a National Championship to show for it. Geritt has a National Championship under his belt as well and we all know what we're doing when it comes to laying out good tracks. We'll make it fun as long as you're here to ride and race, not pout and pucker.
You can make most people happy some of the time, but you're not going to make everyone happy every time. Ride!!!!
thom9719
12/23/2010 9:50 AM
@Jhart15, It's a lot cheaper for me to fly to North Carolina than to drive to Colorado from Seattle. Having it at the later date in a smaller location actually will save me money.
-KT
One Ghost
12/23/2010 9:22 AM
@Jhart15..and if we can get it televised!!! think of what TV does for football and NASCAR!
E.T.
12/23/2010 9:20 AM
If only Whistler's Crankworx could host the U.S. National Champs...
jhart15
12/23/2010 9:17 AM
@quitonspaulding--- I highly agree with you but it would make it a lot easier for us to embrace our sport with a national champs near the middle of the country for all to go to and at a time where the greatest number of competitors would be able to race
One Ghost
12/23/2010 8:37 AM
I am neither excited or jaded by this venue or date. to me it is just a matter of logistics on how One Ghost Industries and our team will get there. maybe a bake sale is in order!
quintonspaulding
12/23/2010 8:34 AM
WE need to embrace what we have and make it better... LETS focus on whats important - RACING!!! We are off the back if compared to the rest of the World's pace, and why...? because we are always bitching about venues, dates and locations instead of knuckling down and focusing and what WE can do to win our OWN National Championships and elevate American DH racing to the level of success we all want. The rest of the World should be watching us... not visa versa. Lets band together as DH racers and make our sport better in the U.S., lets help each other succeed and stop fighting ourselves. Less TALK more ACTION!