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We shouldn't be looking for ways to still give some participation trophies to riders who disobey the rules and go off course. We should be looking to punish them just enough that they're going to make a huge effort to stay on course. Is that an immediate disqualification with zero points? I don't think so. I'd like to reward qualifying for the finals. That's 30th place points. At the end of the day, a person who goes VERY slow in a section in an effort to stay on course - even going so far as to come to a stop...

I don’t think we would be talking about this if his run wasn’t broadcast, initially accepted as legitimate, and then DSQ’d from the hot seat live. How many DSQs have happened to other well liked riders in non-broadcast portions of the race weekend (Q1/Q2) or were otherwise anonymous runs (Dak DQ’d from worlds) that have just gone largely uncontested? I think people only care because of how visible this was, and how obviously heart breaking this was for Lachie, but reinvent the wheel on course limits? I don’t think that’s a measured reaction at all. I can’t think of another...

What if you go outside a pole in qualies?

The safest best and easiest thing to do is stay on the marked course

Well that’s gonna end well. UCI- we’ve given rider x a 6.7 sec penalty Rider- no way was that 6.7sec, it was only 0.5 Another rider who gets bumped up- more like 15 My point being how do you allocate a time to each individual case. Maybe if you make the final you’re guaranteed 30th or 15th spot points, and if you or more than one get the current DQ then they just finish joint 30/15. Or, you know, just stay in the poles

Inside the poles=good, outside the poles=bad It’s dead easy for everyone to understand, there’s no interpretation or nuance required and it’s the way it’s always been. If you can’t stay in the course, slow down till you can

I like Lachie. I want him to have his 2nd place result. Part of racing is being in control enough to stay inside the course. Lachie's left knee barely grazes the pole as he goes around it on the right side. The left side is "in" and the right side is "out." We're not talking a couple inches. We're talking a foot outside the course.

Strong disagree. The rule is actually the same as it always was when there was tape: the tape was not the marker, it only mattered if you went around a pole. - caveat: I understand that having the tape makes it easier to know when you might have missed a pole Most sports have defined boundaries with hard rules. Ski racing is exactly the same as this: you miss a gate, you either hike back up the hill, or you take the DQ. American football: if you so much as touch the line, even if nobody is near you, you...

If you are only going to get a 10 second penalty for leaving the track than what is to stop a rider at the Whistler track from straightlining down the grass and skipping the last wooded section? And comparing to F1 or SMX is not apples to apples. Those are lapped events were it can be sorted out easily by giving a place back not a race against the clock

Yes, them's the rules. Everyone knows it when they line up at the starting hut. No protected riders No mercy on leaving the track Welcome to DH.

UCI calls it a DSQ. I’m getting ratio'd already… damn am I out of touch? Do people like this automatic disqualification for missing a pole by an inch?

dirt fix video (they captured jackson's finish drop crash in practice

Probably the first of your posts I’ve disagreed with: I cannot wait to see how the Asa/Jordan battle plays out.

Another vote from me for never ever bringing back protected riders. This way is so much more interesting. As a hardcore Canadian DH head, I was bummed Finn and Jackson didn't get in, but that's racing. The fastest guys on the weekend qualified. Having all the other Canadian dark horses get in made it extremely exciting. As far as the track marking goes, you go outside the marking, its a DQ. Simple as that. The thought of having a UCI official making a judgement call about whether or not someone "gained an advantage" by leaving the course sounds like a...

another +1 for never ever bringing back protected status. everyone has the same poles to ride in between. stay on course, go fast, make a result. keep human judgement out of it. (still absolutely gutted for lachie)

didn't help attendance or vibe?! Place was rammed and the vibe was AWESOME regardless! Did we all want Finn and Jackson in, sure, but we still came out and screamed ourselves hoarse.

I hope they don’t bring protected riders back in. Make every rider work for every race qualifying and finals. It was disappointing to not see Finn and Jackson race yesterday, but having the three Canadians get in q2 and the other riders that did put it together is great for the sport. Big props to Body Burke making it through q2 after that q1 crash.

Completely disagree. I was absolutely gutted that Finn and Jackson didn't make it through, but it's just a testament that the level of riding and competition is absolutely crazy these days (particularly on the men's side). Like, on any given weekend, anyone in the top 20 could be on the podium. This has been one of the most exciting seasons in memory, BECAUSE there aren't any guarantees or sure bets.

Almost looks like it was put there because they couldn't move it further out due to the rock, but the course markings likely didn't change the whole weekend and everyone has to ride the same track. It's a fair rule even if it seems harsh.

If a person was going up to watch Jackson alone and left or decided not to attend because he didn’t qualify, I’m not sure that’s a person we want in the community anyway. The bike industry is in the predicament it’s in because it continually tries to appeal to fairest weather participants and fans at the detriment to the truly dedicated. A person could be disappointed Jacko wasn’t racing but if they can’t appreciate the other 30 riders who did qualify and chose not to come watch, good riddance.