Vital Raw / Slideshows from the EWS - no longer a thing?

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UCI Enduro World Cup (EDR)
rich.gardiner
Unless I'm missing something has this now stopped for the EWS? I haven't seen anything from Rd1/Rd2 yet

Hopefully it's still a thing as it's not the same when the other sites do their "raw" edits!
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Eoin
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Eoin 6/29/2021 2:11am
6/29/2021 2:11am
You can hear Sven swearing in every raw from the other sites, so he is up to something!
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sspomer
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sspomer 6/29/2021 8:27am
6/29/2021 8:27am Edited Date/Time 6/29/2021 8:28am
Vital RAW from ews was never a consistent thing, and the slideshows from the events, while always epic, just didn't really have much traction the last year or two. every athlete and team is reporting via Instagram, gmbn has the official rights to video stuff, so there isn't a huge incentive to add to the pile, even though sven and boris' reporting and photos are the best there is. sven did a really rad insta live stream on the Vital MTB account from king of the pits. his phone died before he could save it and make it permanent, LOL! those kind things will continue. it's rad to see sven and the crew doing stuff w/ misspent. seems like a good fit for sure.

if sven can figure out his gopro mount (LOL), we'll continue w/ the super fun squid vid POVs, too.

what's funny is during the first race mid-week, i had a handful of industry people tell me they didn't even know an EWS was happening. it's a crazy, diluted world of content out there these days!
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jeff.brines
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jeff.brines 6/29/2021 12:11pm
6/29/2021 12:11pm
sspomer wrote:
Vital RAW from ews was never a consistent thing, and the slideshows from the events, while always epic, just didn't really have much traction the last...
Vital RAW from ews was never a consistent thing, and the slideshows from the events, while always epic, just didn't really have much traction the last year or two. every athlete and team is reporting via Instagram, gmbn has the official rights to video stuff, so there isn't a huge incentive to add to the pile, even though sven and boris' reporting and photos are the best there is. sven did a really rad insta live stream on the Vital MTB account from king of the pits. his phone died before he could save it and make it permanent, LOL! those kind things will continue. it's rad to see sven and the crew doing stuff w/ misspent. seems like a good fit for sure.

if sven can figure out his gopro mount (LOL), we'll continue w/ the super fun squid vid POVs, too.

what's funny is during the first race mid-week, i had a handful of industry people tell me they didn't even know an EWS was happening. it's a crazy, diluted world of content out there these days!
Crazy is right. I had no idea, and stare at screens more than I care to admit.

I was thinking about the "value" of an EWS a bit the last few days. I saw Cody Kelly skipped the last round and raced domestically. I was just as interested in his result & story as I was what was going on in Europe. Racing here is relatable. Racing an EWS in Europe, especially the way it is covered, is not.

I'll always follow the DH stuff. But I haven't even watched one EWS video this side of a Wyn TV and Richie blowing his tire off on command. Its super hard to tell a compelling story and in a way, a lot of the content reminds me of a guy telling his tinder date how sweet his shuttle laps were that day. Eye glazing isn't a strong enough phrase.

I don't know how you make EWS enjoyable to watch and follow this side of making everyone in the top 10 live stream their results and gopro footage. That'd make for something you could follow along in real time and maybe (???) enjoy.

No idea.
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anotherbikerguy 6/29/2021 12:31pm
6/29/2021 12:31pm
sspomer wrote:
Vital RAW from ews was never a consistent thing, and the slideshows from the events, while always epic, just didn't really have much traction the last...
Vital RAW from ews was never a consistent thing, and the slideshows from the events, while always epic, just didn't really have much traction the last year or two. every athlete and team is reporting via Instagram, gmbn has the official rights to video stuff, so there isn't a huge incentive to add to the pile, even though sven and boris' reporting and photos are the best there is. sven did a really rad insta live stream on the Vital MTB account from king of the pits. his phone died before he could save it and make it permanent, LOL! those kind things will continue. it's rad to see sven and the crew doing stuff w/ misspent. seems like a good fit for sure.

if sven can figure out his gopro mount (LOL), we'll continue w/ the super fun squid vid POVs, too.

what's funny is during the first race mid-week, i had a handful of industry people tell me they didn't even know an EWS was happening. it's a crazy, diluted world of content out there these days!
jeff.brines wrote:
Crazy is right. I had no idea, and stare at screens more than I care to admit. I was thinking about the "value" of an EWS...
Crazy is right. I had no idea, and stare at screens more than I care to admit.

I was thinking about the "value" of an EWS a bit the last few days. I saw Cody Kelly skipped the last round and raced domestically. I was just as interested in his result & story as I was what was going on in Europe. Racing here is relatable. Racing an EWS in Europe, especially the way it is covered, is not.

I'll always follow the DH stuff. But I haven't even watched one EWS video this side of a Wyn TV and Richie blowing his tire off on command. Its super hard to tell a compelling story and in a way, a lot of the content reminds me of a guy telling his tinder date how sweet his shuttle laps were that day. Eye glazing isn't a strong enough phrase.

I don't know how you make EWS enjoyable to watch and follow this side of making everyone in the top 10 live stream their results and gopro footage. That'd make for something you could follow along in real time and maybe (???) enjoy.

No idea.
The coverage of the 'pro stage' from round 2 was pretty disappointing. It was advertised as more camera coverage than the average EWS stage. I don't know if they put the cameras in the only place they could access, but the footage was uninspiring. Commentators hyping up a greasy, awkward turn off a bridge that the pros were struggling through... why focus on that? That was the section that reminded me, like you said, of somebody bragging about his shuttle laps. Or like watching a downhill race staged on a really boring course. (I'm sure the stage wasn't actually boring--again, probably just bad camera placement.)

On the other hand, I listened to Jesse Melamed's breathing for 8 minutes while watching his GoPro footage. So maybe that is the future of race coverage. But I don't have the time to watch multiple full runs from every stage...

Vital RAW has always been higher-quality than other sites' raw videos. (Maybe it's knowing where to stand...) The slideshows have typically given a much more complete view of the course and the race than other photo compilations. The interviews are awesome. Sucks to hear they weren't doing the numbers necessary to keep them going. Maybe there's another way somehow... (Vital Slideshow Club?)
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dd
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dd 6/29/2021 2:37pm
6/29/2021 2:37pm
sspomer wrote:
Vital RAW from ews was never a consistent thing, and the slideshows from the events, while always epic, just didn't really have much traction the last...
Vital RAW from ews was never a consistent thing, and the slideshows from the events, while always epic, just didn't really have much traction the last year or two. every athlete and team is reporting via Instagram, gmbn has the official rights to video stuff, so there isn't a huge incentive to add to the pile, even though sven and boris' reporting and photos are the best there is. sven did a really rad insta live stream on the Vital MTB account from king of the pits. his phone died before he could save it and make it permanent, LOL! those kind things will continue. it's rad to see sven and the crew doing stuff w/ misspent. seems like a good fit for sure.

if sven can figure out his gopro mount (LOL), we'll continue w/ the super fun squid vid POVs, too.

what's funny is during the first race mid-week, i had a handful of industry people tell me they didn't even know an EWS was happening. it's a crazy, diluted world of content out there these days!
I always felt the Vital slideshow for the EWS races was by far the best coverage of the event and one of the best features on Vitalmtb. I have been checking feverishly for the slideshow to come up and am saddened to learn it won't be...
Is "traction" a euphemism for "page views"?
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Eoin
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Eoin 6/29/2021 3:49pm
6/29/2021 3:49pm
That's a bummer as EWS seem to have given up on the live updates too. Best part of the slideshow is getting all the little stories from the event. I don't use Instagram, so I guess that's that. Thanks for making me feel old vital!
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sspomer
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sspomer 6/29/2021 4:21pm
6/29/2021 4:21pm
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either.

dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts - all indicating at stoke level and letting us understand that what we're doing is a reflection of what people want to see on vital.

dd, fwiw, i checked the vital comments you've made via your profile, and you made 1 comment on a slideshow back in 2019 (it was funny, too, "dumpster full of sunshine").

rich.gardiner, i checked your comments and you made a comment in 2013 on an ews slideshow.

i'm not blaming anyone, but i wish there was more interaction from everyone, so we all knew you were so stoked on what we did. it all adds up.
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progressjc 6/29/2021 11:10pm
6/29/2021 11:10pm
Too bad. I was wondering the same if a slideshow might appear, they were my favourite, for what it’s worth, but I certainly haven't interacted much.
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Oli_C
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Oli_C 6/30/2021 3:07am
6/30/2021 3:07am
Thanks Spomer for getting back to us all.

I don't comment often. I feel this has always been the beauty of this site over the colour related website. Which I do visit as much as this, but the comments always go off topic so quickly. The minimal commenting here is much better as they dont distract. I have enjoyed the team rumours, and new tech threads for the few comments I have posted.

I understand, that to keep this site alive there must be adverts, it sucks, but thats the modern world.

I really used to enjoy the EWS slideshows. Like I still do for the DH. It's a shame they have gone. Photo's are better, as you say in a media saturated world. How many new video's are there everyday? too many...

Glad all the photographers have been able to find another platform. Hope they are getting paid ok for it.

So, Spomer, you want peolpe to 'like' stuff more? I'd click 'like' sooner than leaving a comment.
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THFL
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THFL 6/30/2021 3:10am
6/30/2021 3:10am
I can only agree, I have found the slideshows to be the most enjoyable contribution during an EWS race. Next to the vital RAW content, of course. I eagerly awaited both at every race and missed them a lot this time.

It is good to hear that Vital needs feedback via interactions. Personally, I find it very pleasant at Vital, because compared to other sites, there is less, but (at least in my eyes), more constructive communication in the comments. Perhaps other loyal readers feel the same way?

Is it possible for Vital to evaluate the number of visitors to the homepage and individual contributions without requiring data such as names or similar.
Maybe I'm in a bubble, but I always thought all Vital users were into slideshows!

I didn't have an account until now, so I wasn't active, but I've been following Vital for years. Day by day.
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Ahab
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Ahab 6/30/2021 7:07am
6/30/2021 7:07am
Maybe comments are down because we've slidden into such a level of comfort, like sliding into that old pair of underwear with the holes and stretched-out waistband you feel so comfortable in, the ones your missus (or monsieur) can't stand seeing you in. Doesn't mean we don't want to "click through the slideshow," if you know what I mean.

We need to spice it up, people. Throw out those old boxxers [sic], get yourself a few pairs of Saxx or Knobbies to comment in, and bring the magic back to the Vital boudoir
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dd
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dd 6/30/2021 8:52am
6/30/2021 8:52am
sspomer wrote:
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either. dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts...
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either.

dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts - all indicating at stoke level and letting us understand that what we're doing is a reflection of what people want to see on vital.

dd, fwiw, i checked the vital comments you've made via your profile, and you made 1 comment on a slideshow back in 2019 (it was funny, too, "dumpster full of sunshine").

rich.gardiner, i checked your comments and you made a comment in 2013 on an ews slideshow.

i'm not blaming anyone, but i wish there was more interaction from everyone, so we all knew you were so stoked on what we did. it all adds up.
Thank you for the reply, Spomer, I know ya'll are busy and under no obligation to respond. I share the sentiment being articulated by many here: one of the best qualities of Vital is the level of discourse, and I guess that maintaining that level of discourse means many of us respectfully choose silence. It's unfortunate that modern commercial practices translate this respect into disinterest, but I get it. FWIW, the slideshow music will play forever in my dreams.

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EBlackwell 6/30/2021 9:14am
6/30/2021 9:14am
sspomer wrote:
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either. dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts...
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either.

dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts - all indicating at stoke level and letting us understand that what we're doing is a reflection of what people want to see on vital.

dd, fwiw, i checked the vital comments you've made via your profile, and you made 1 comment on a slideshow back in 2019 (it was funny, too, "dumpster full of sunshine").

rich.gardiner, i checked your comments and you made a comment in 2013 on an ews slideshow.

i'm not blaming anyone, but i wish there was more interaction from everyone, so we all knew you were so stoked on what we did. it all adds up.
Its great to hear your feedback. I watched the EWS and DH WC RAW and slideshows religiously, but I rarely commented. Recently I kind of came to the realization that there are actual humans behind the online media content we consume (I know right, who knew?) and have been trying to make an effort to comment more.

Vital has always seemed to have fewer comments. I think part of this might be a "social proof" issue - people follow others, so if there aren't many comments other people are less likely to reply/comment themselves. If regular users start commenting more, it might drive this up a bit.

The other might be IT related - my Pinkbike account never logs me out. My Vital account almost never stays logged in. There must be half a dozen times when I have typed a comment/forum post only to hit submit and realize I am not logged in, causing me to lose my writing. Not raising this as a criticism, just pointing it out as it may help drive a bit more commenting/traffic to the site!

PS - If the slideshows are gone for good (including WC DH) please post the audio file so us slideshow nerds can get nostalgic, haha!
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sspomer
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sspomer 6/30/2021 12:55pm
6/30/2021 12:55pm Edited Date/Time 6/30/2021 2:59pm
EBlackwell wrote:
Its great to hear your feedback. I watched the EWS and DH WC RAW and slideshows religiously, but I rarely commented. Recently I kind of came...
Its great to hear your feedback. I watched the EWS and DH WC RAW and slideshows religiously, but I rarely commented. Recently I kind of came to the realization that there are actual humans behind the online media content we consume (I know right, who knew?) and have been trying to make an effort to comment more.

Vital has always seemed to have fewer comments. I think part of this might be a "social proof" issue - people follow others, so if there aren't many comments other people are less likely to reply/comment themselves. If regular users start commenting more, it might drive this up a bit.

The other might be IT related - my Pinkbike account never logs me out. My Vital account almost never stays logged in. There must be half a dozen times when I have typed a comment/forum post only to hit submit and realize I am not logged in, causing me to lose my writing. Not raising this as a criticism, just pointing it out as it may help drive a bit more commenting/traffic to the site!

PS - If the slideshows are gone for good (including WC DH) please post the audio file so us slideshow nerds can get nostalgic, haha!
world cups still have final wrap-up slideshows - leogang had 100 pics and a bunch of audio - https://www.vitalmtb.com/photos/features/2021-Leogang-World-Cup-Downhil…

thanks everyone for the replies and responses. i know we have the best audience and fans here, regardless of comment or like numbers.

les gets pit bits/trackwalk vid just went up, we have #USDH Unfiltered podcast that just went live. there is a TON of stuff we're doing, especially with domestic DH racing and we had some domestic enduro coverage from the NAEC. we have brian cahal's Let's Go Racing video series (will eventually end up at EWS). it's just not slideshow format. what's crazy is this past weekend alone, we had NW Cup and iXS Cup coverage, without thinking about EWS. there's just so much to see in the summer/race season.

while unfortunate that EWS in particular took a hit w/ the slideshow format, we only have X amount of time/people/budget to get content put up, and Sven is there w/ the insta stuff.

looking at 2022 and having 11 ews races that crisscross the globe - holy crap, that's going to be a MASSIVE amount of time and money for everyone trying to participate, whether it's media outlets or brands/sponsors or riders.
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Trevor_Bonner 6/30/2021 3:17pm
6/30/2021 3:17pm
Thank you Spomer. The pit bits made my work day tolerable.
rich.gardiner 7/16/2021 12:11pm
7/16/2021 12:11pm
sspomer wrote:
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either. dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts...
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either.

dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts - all indicating at stoke level and letting us understand that what we're doing is a reflection of what people want to see on vital.

dd, fwiw, i checked the vital comments you've made via your profile, and you made 1 comment on a slideshow back in 2019 (it was funny, too, "dumpster full of sunshine").

rich.gardiner, i checked your comments and you made a comment in 2013 on an ews slideshow.

i'm not blaming anyone, but i wish there was more interaction from everyone, so we all knew you were so stoked on what we did. it all adds up.
Blimey, I didn't even think I had commented on any articles on vital before, but I must have! Laughing Still, no comments/engagements certainly doesn't reflect not enjoying it but I guess it's the only way to measure it for you guys

That being said - I think the news with PB being turned into a subscription based model presents vital with a big opportunity to become the #1 site for race coverage again, for DH and the EWS - perhaps a lot of people (myself included) don't realise how important the liking / commenting / sharing is for you guys - I'm sure we would all improve on this if we could bring it back Smile
91001
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91001 7/16/2021 1:22pm
7/16/2021 1:22pm Edited Date/Time 7/16/2021 1:30pm
sspomer wrote:
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either. dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts...
lol eoin being old. i don't use Instagram outside of work either.

dd - traction is a lot of things - views, shares, comments, emails, texts - all indicating at stoke level and letting us understand that what we're doing is a reflection of what people want to see on vital.

dd, fwiw, i checked the vital comments you've made via your profile, and you made 1 comment on a slideshow back in 2019 (it was funny, too, "dumpster full of sunshine").

rich.gardiner, i checked your comments and you made a comment in 2013 on an ews slideshow.

i'm not blaming anyone, but i wish there was more interaction from everyone, so we all knew you were so stoked on what we did. it all adds up.
Spomer! Now I feel bad that I never provided feedback. Vital does a lot of things really well, but your World Cup coverage - and ESPECIALLY the slideshows - is the best available anywhere. There's something about those slideshows and the accompanying audio that really sparks emotion and puts the reader in the middle of the action in a way that video never can. It's probably Sven and Boris' relationship with the riders and their willingness to open up on mic, but there's just something so personal and intimate about that presentation.

It's funny. With all of the seeming influx of new users here on Vital, I was thinking "shit, wait until they see a World Cup slideshow," but then I remembered that they sort of got pushed off to the side a bit. It's a super unique and successful way of presenting content and I hope it can make a resurgence.

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