The Fall of The Mountain States Cup

C-burn
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Golden, CO US
Edited Date/Time 8/11/2014 1:36pm
I just looked at the 2012 MSC schedule and there are only 5 races, with only 4 having DH races. Are there more races going to be added as the year goes on or is MSC on it's way to extinction?
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bturman
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Durango, CO US
1/26/2012 6:31pm
C-burn wrote:
I just looked at the 2012 MSC schedule and there are only 5 races, with only 4 having DH races. Are there more races going to...
I just looked at the 2012 MSC schedule and there are only 5 races, with only 4 having DH races. Are there more races going to be added as the year goes on or is MSC on it's way to extinction?
If they released the schedule, they likely won't add any. Seems like slim pickin's for 2012.
1/27/2012 9:55am
I think it's a pretty good move on MSC's part, to go into a sort of "preservation mode." I know our race team wasn't planning to do the full MSC schedule and they've had a few other key teams (notably Mojo) drop their attendance as well. At several of the races last year turn out was pretty poor and I'm pretty sure they scrape by as it is.

I know we're planning on doing as many of the races that Sol Vista puts on as possible. Their races have a fun, grassroots vibe and they offer sweet prizes. MSC offers little in terms of prizes (coffee mugs and water bottles) and provide little encouragement for potential national-level talent looking to move up.

Additionally, a lot of the riders that have been doing the circuit for years now have grown tired of many of the tracks (I realize this partially the resorts' fault). Although, it's awesome to see the addition of Steamboat for this year--great town.

Perhaps this is just a lull in the MSC. There are many ways life can be breathed back into the series with a little strategic planning and soul searching. I'd much rather see it go into preservation mode than disappear completely.
MTB R&D
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Pueblo West, CO US
1/27/2012 11:03am
Mountain States Cup is expanding in a way with the Enduro series. I agree that the one event that I went to last year was pretty small compared to years before. Steamboat will be cool.

That being said they are looking at creating a front range Slalom Series so get stoked! (If that happens...than get stoked, ha!)
k.shiz
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Los Angeles, CA US
1/27/2012 12:27pm
I'd rather see 4 better, well run events than see them trying to do too much with too little and ending up with 7 events, none of which are up to par. I think scaling back is probably the best thing for the series and I look forward to a time when it can be huge again!
chequamie
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Denver, CO US
2/9/2012 6:41pm Edited Date/Time 2/20/2012 5:29pm
just something to keep in mind...the msc race director is the new Pro GRT Race director, so i wouldn't count on the MSC getting the attention that it needs/ deserves, most likely it will just keep getting diluted until there is nothing left to cling to, it is sad really, i know that there were a series of uncontrollable events but there seemed to be plenty of opportunities to bolster series attendance and revitalize the scene that went unnoticed or weren't capitalized on. I hope that the bigfoot crew can deliver on the less is more philosophy and breath some much needed life into the series by cutting back on the number of events but by doing this they are also limiting themselves in the respect that a lot of riders need more than 1 event at a race weekend to justify significant travel and lodging expenses not to mention taking time off from work to race I know myself for one do not look forward to going to races with only 1 gravity discipline now that there is no longer gated racing, I also know there are a lot of dissapointed racers on our team who are not happy about gated racing going the way of the condor as well.... just my .02
DH'er
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Denver, CO US
2/10/2012 1:38pm
The MSC has been run so terribly that it's no wonder it's dying.....no organization, timing is always questionable, courses are rarely changed, courses are barely maintained, no prizes, no payouts for top racers.
Why spend your money on competing????
If they want to keep the series alive, they need to hire someone who is competent and cares.
2/19/2012 7:28pm
I have raced the msc circuit off an of for several years. For me, it comes down to time and finances. With a family now, the venues further out are harder to do. With lodging, cost of pulling a camper, food, tickets and race entry fee's, I'm not willing to make the trip for one race. One race ends up costing around $300, give or take depending how you roll and what your family wants to do.

I raced the winter park enduro, red bull 12 hour, and a few msc races. The winter park stuff had a huge fun factor, racing all weekend. Sol vista had some of these, absolutely awesome feedback. More racing for the dollar, more fun, and the prizes were off the hook. Thank you SRAM for giving out prizes and schwag.

I saw the msc schedule. I won't be able to make one of the races, so why even try (no drops). Although its kind of cool at the same time. Not my thing. The prizes got weak, and support from sponsors followed suit.

The xc part is a huge complaint from many I know. Why are we stuck to Sunday's only? The drive home after awards got bad, and having to deal with the traffic stunk too. What would be nice would be to race Saturday, so we can let loose and ride the whole mountain on Sunday. Many xc racers I know have defected and gone to other events like the winter park series and other venues.

I love the stage races. The G3 was a great format that was ahead of its time. Bring it back! Give us the ability to race 3 races in a weekend and I'll sign up.
shredlightly
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Grand Junction, CO US
2/21/2012 4:48pm
MTB R&D wrote:
Mountain States Cup is expanding in a way with the Enduro series. I agree that the one event that I went to last year was pretty...
Mountain States Cup is expanding in a way with the Enduro series. I agree that the one event that I went to last year was pretty small compared to years before. Steamboat will be cool.

That being said they are looking at creating a front range Slalom Series so get stoked! (If that happens...than get stoked, ha!)
Where did you hear about a MSC Enduro Series? I am very intrigued. I agree with the above statements and will add that I expect MSC to be replaced with a new Rocky Mountain race series focused on having fun and bang for your buck (Enduros, DH, slopestyle, chainless DH, pump track...) That's the series that I am waiting to spend my $300/weekend on
MTB R&D
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Pueblo West, CO US
3/1/2012 4:09pm
Where did you hear about a MSC Enduro Series? I am very intrigued. I agree with the above statements and will add that I expect MSC...
Where did you hear about a MSC Enduro Series? I am very intrigued. I agree with the above statements and will add that I expect MSC to be replaced with a new Rocky Mountain race series focused on having fun and bang for your buck (Enduros, DH, slopestyle, chainless DH, pump track...) That's the series that I am waiting to spend my $300/weekend on
I heard it from the source.

Big Mountain Enduro Series: http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/article/yeti-cycles-announce-big-mountain-enduro-series-33269

Hate linking to another site but...I still love Vital! Haha
chequamie
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Denver, CO US
3/25/2012 7:54pm
FYI steamboat is off the schedule, cancelled...
DH'er
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Denver, CO US
3/26/2012 5:24am
......so is the Tuesday night dual slalom series for the front range. It's off the schedule and cancelled.
C-burn
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Golden, CO US
3/28/2012 11:48pm
I agree with pretty much everything said , right now i just pay my entree fees and maintenance on my bike and my parents pay the rest (camping fees, food, gas). Next year when i'm in college there is no chance i'm racing the whole circuit is too expensive with little reward, they stopped giving out water bottles near the end and just gave out mugs for a podium finish and pros pay outs weren't enough to cover entrance fees. The way i see it is if yeti stays with Shimano the series will countinue to decay but if, some how, they switch over to Sram i really think the series would be revitalized. In my experiences SRAM hooks in up at races, whether it's the Triple dip or the Trestle Enduro series any one on the podium walked away happy with a new components. I know it extremely un-likely, but Sram did lose Santa Cruz Syndicate and may be looking for a new team to get in their camp next season.
GraysonRides
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Colorado Springs, CO US
3/29/2012 11:01am
C-burn wrote:
I just looked at the 2012 MSC schedule and there are only 5 races, with only 4 having DH races. Are there more races going to...
I just looked at the 2012 MSC schedule and there are only 5 races, with only 4 having DH races. Are there more races going to be added as the year goes on or is MSC on it's way to extinction?
I wonder if some resorts aren't sure yet via snow? I looked a few weeks ago and Solvista wasn't listed, which wouldn't make sense because that is the best resort in Colorado to mountain bike At! And after the success of the tripledhip, it wouldn't only male sense to continue the growth of the park... I don't know though I just hope it doesn't suck this year haha
chequamie
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Denver, CO US
4/12/2012 4:13pm Edited Date/Time 4/21/2016 10:21am
Here is a post that was forwarded to me from a friend that found this on MTBR Forums interesting to note this is a stark contrast from reality...



Yeti Cycles Principals Establish Bigfoot Productions, Purchase Mountain States Cup
Golden, CO – May 30, 2006

Bigfoot Productions (BFP), a newly formed event production and promotional company founded by industry veterans and Yeti Cycles principals Chris Conroy and Steve Hoogendoorn, today announces the acquisition of the assets of Cycle Cyndicate, owner and operator of the Mountain States Cup (MSC), one of the premier mountain bike (XC, STXC, DH, MX, DS, SD) race series in the United States. Mike McCormack, bicycle and ski industry veteran and co-founder of Breckenridge, Colorado-based Maverick Sports Promotions will serve as managing director of the new venture. Series originators Eric and Pamela Jean will oversee the transition from Cycle Cyndicate to Bigfoot Productions, continue to be active in the business through this season and assume advisory roles in successive years.

WHY:

To ensure the long-term viability of racing in the Rocky Mountain Region
To create an environment that produces top-flight athletes who are prepared to compete and win on the international stage.
To enhance the culture of Colorado cycling for the Rocky Mountain athlete.


Contrary to what many may think, it’s not all about promoting the Yeti brand, it’s more important for us that the rest of the industry, including competing brands come out, support racing, and help grow the sport.

HOW:
PART 1: Racing - Series improvements

The Mountain States Cup is one of the most successful race series in the country, but we realize that we need to continually and objectively assess our efforts to improve the series. We have identified several areas we feel would grow the series and mountain bike participation in the Rocky Mountains.

More money for pros – Bigger purses means better athletes at our events. The MSC has paid prize purses for the past 3 years but we would like to make them bigger. In return, our expectation is that pros give back and help to grow the sport.
Better venues via increased participation. The bigger the circus the greater the economic impact on the host community. Room nights and local economic impact are ultimately what will open doors for the sport in key resort areas and by raising our numbers we strengthen our bargaining position. As is evidenced by the difficulty in finding a replacement venue for National Championships, good venues are hard to pin down.
Promote growth in Junior and Women’s categories. These areas represent the greatest opportunity for growth and continued health of the industry. The good news is that there have been some local success stories already. Taking these local strategies and programs to the regional level will insure cycling’s long-term health by increasing participation in traditionally under-represented categories.


PART 2: Racing - Bike industry involvement

The bike industry has enthusiastically supported mountain bike racing for many years because they believe in racing as a legitimate promotional tool. This commitment has come despite having very little involvement in the final outcome of the event. We would like to change that. Since we own and manage a professional racing team we understand some of the issues that teams and athletes face at the races. We propose making the industry an active partner in our series. By placing event promotion under industry control we expect to give it more value as a promotional tool for the cycling industry. We want to earn the industry’s interest, input and commitment. The following initiatives are on the list and should be considered open topics for discussion:

Create the environment and provide the tools for industry to want to play an active role in shaping the series. Designate representatives from all segments and facilitate the discussion, moderate the feedback and implement the direction via Bigfoot Productions and the Mountain States Cup
Maintain consistent flow of PR dialogue with horizontal and vertical media – spearhead expansion into televised media
Push the agenda of creating race specific products for juniors. We know that this is a bit of ‘the-chicken-or-the-egg’ argument, but successful junior programs have already made their needs known and the onus is now upon us to devote increased energy to serving this customer. Yeti has already committed to making junior specific products.
Facilitate less expensive participation for the industry – eliminate obstacles to participation for dealers, trade teams and manufacturers. Make it easy for the industry to say ‘yes’ by providing great value and measurable results. The one-on-one interaction with a large customer base is invaluable for both the industry and the consumer.


PART 3: Racing - Athletic achievement

Create a culture designed to produce the best athletes in the world. Colorado has the ideal training environment – high altitude, mountains, great trail access, resort infrastructure (lift served access) and an active lifestyle. Gains in venues, prize money, and course design combined with more effective outreach programs and PR efforts should provide the necessary elements for not only increasing participation, but raising the bar of competition. Both of these accomplishments prepare our athletes for winning at the international level.

PART 4: Lifestyle and Culture

While placed last in line, this initiative should in no way be considered an afterthought. Too often ‘riders’ don’t get catered to by many of the bike industry’s promotional efforts. Strange considering that ‘riders’ outnumber ‘racers’ by at least 100 to 1. Filter that down to core enthusiasts (OK, take out recumbents, your great-great-uncle Earl and assorted posers) and it’s still 50-1.

Some of the most successful cycling events aren’t competitive in nature - RAGBRAI, The Triple Bypass or Ride the Rockies to name a few. At this point counterparts to those events don’t exist on the mountain bike side, but year-over-year increases in organized group ride participation suggests that the time is ripe to look for mountain bike equivalents of these events

The MSC infrastructure allows Bigfoot to invest in and create events, not just races. We see more “tribe” type events – large gatherings of like-minded MTB’ers for get-togethers that step outside the formal boundaries of competition. We plan on embracing and celebrating riders, not just racers. Tapping into this market will provide Bigfoot with the diversification necessary to serve more of mountain biking’s interests than those involving a number plate and a start line.
meat tray
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Location
Bosque Farms, NM US
4/16/2012 8:59pm Edited Date/Time 4/21/2016 10:21am
well I heard rumor today that there will be no triple dip.

I would like to see the results of the surveys they did,MSC.
gated racing made it worth while for sure and lots of fun Glad for Dual Slalom at Angel Fire this year.

I was think today that it seemed as though Dh racing in the states was on the way out and i wonder if the growth of bike parks is helping with that? before it seemed that if you wanted lift fed riding you had to race, not the case anymore more and more bike parks offer so much riding with out the hassle of racing.

I love the racing and want more I think MSC is fine and does a good job,yes they have a few flaws yes it seems like Yeti Cult love, but its racing and its all we got as far as racing dh goes and now they are going to get watered down with an Endro series.
which I feel will be there new love and the end of their gravity racing,,hope not.

It will be very sad if triple dip really doesn't happen and i wonder why the resorts don't do their own races have us cycling tally points and and stands of these races and kind of run it like a bmx nationals thing. or maybe that has been done and everyone hated that. so much hate and not a lot of apreciation for what we have maybe not great but what is....

i'll be sad if racing is gone and I don't want to race Endro.

if you just complain and don't support then we won't have it any more try to be part of the solution not the problem.
DH'er
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5/30/2010
Location
Denver, CO US
4/17/2012 6:59am Edited Date/Time 4/21/2016 10:21am
I believe we another series.....
Competition breeds excellence, with no other series to compete with the MSC, the MSC has become bland, poorly organized and poorly ran.

Like meat tray said, I'd like to see the results of the survey.....apparently most racers must have said, no more gates, less DH and more enduro. Maybe I'm just 1% of the racing population that would like to see a weekend of well run gravity racing.

I agree with the above comments about the G-3. It was organized, timing was not an issue, a lot of racing for your dollar, Krieger was on the mic, prizes were over the top and it had a great vibe. It was a professional event and could have grown to surpass a national event if given time and marketed correctly.

Chequamie that post was really an eye opener. I read that and thought "wow, these guys really get it", it's too bad they don't practice what they preach.

Keystone, Winter Park, Sol Vista....none of these resorts are on the MSC schedule. I'm hoping they have some racing this summer, anybody know? I still need to get racing fix somewhere.
DH'er
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6
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5/30/2010
Location
Denver, CO US
4/24/2012 5:44pm Edited Date/Time 4/21/2016 10:21am
Looks like Winter Park is stepping it up again this year -
2012 Trestle Downhill Series
Race in the 2012 Trestle Downhill Series at Winter Park Resort and get your chance at taking home some of the $10,000 in prize money to be awarded throughout the series. The 2012 Trestle Series will consist of seven races held on three weekends. Each race day will have one race held in the morning, leaving afternoons free to pre-ride the next day’s course. Awards will be held in the base village late afternoon on each race day, giving everyone plenty of time to get the most out of their passes all afternoon. Series and Team Awards will be handed out on the final race day, September 3rd (Labor Day).
2012 TRESTLE SERIES SCHEDULE
Races 1 and 2: July 7-8
These will be longer, enduro-style, courses that start at the top of the mountain, and end at the bottom. Expect 15-20 minutes per run.
Races 3 and 4: August 18-19
Saturday will be our traditional downhill on the Trestle Trail itself, followed up by an Air DH on Sunday.
Races 5, 6, and 7: September 1-3
Pack in three awesome races over Labor Day weekend! Look for a traditional style DH on Saturday, an Air DH on Sunday, and on Monday expect something so awesome, we haven’t even figured it out yet.
2012 TRESTLE SERIES ENTRY FEES
Individual race entry: $35
Series (all 7 races): $245 – save $35 if registering for the series on or before July 1!
*REGISTRATION CLOSES AT 4PM SHARP THE DAY BEFORE THE RACE
Each race will be limited to 150 racers, so check often and register early! Visit http://www.trestlebikepark.com/ soon for registration and additional information.

2012 Wednesday Wheel Wars
Kicking off on Wednesday, July 11th, come up to Trestle Bike Park and practice your riding all day, and then practice your racing in the evening. This is a continuation of the mid-week races we offered last year. With a $20 registration fee, these races serve as an opportunity to introduce new racers to the experience, and allow those who already love racing a low-stress, fun environment in which to hone the skills that one can only gain by racing. Dates are July 11, 18 and August 1, 8, 22, and 29. Each Wheel War will be followed by an awards party a Lime Cantina in the Base Village, with drink and food specials for racers.

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