Posts
5062
Joined
6/26/2009
Location
Boise, ID
US
Edited Date/Time
8/9/2021 6:00am
so a letter from the Mountain Bike Photographers Association came through today, and it looks like the snowshoe world cup will be *interesting* with attendance of both athletes and media if any of what's noted below holds true.
without a team to petition someone as essential, getting to snowshoe without a 14-day quarantine means racing is cut short or won't happen at all depending on the tail end of the european rounds/world champs. racers on trade teams should be fine, but privateers may be hosed? media aren't listed as essential (team photogs, video etc). ahh, more crazy times. US privateers, get over there for your best result ever???
-----------letter from MBPA passed on today--------------
Hi Everyone,
First, if you have not done so, registration is open for the world championships, as well as the Lenzerheide World Cup - which requires everyone to get a ticket (even those with Rainbow Passes).
Now, onto a more difficult situation - the Snowshoe World Cup. As you are likely aware, the U.S. border is closed to most visitors, and to everyone who has been in the Schengen region within 14 days prior of their visit. This means that anyone attending the Worlds would not be able to attend the first DH round at Snowshoe, and if you attended Lenzerheide you would not be able to attend either round at Snowshoe.
The organizer has begun working with teams to arrange NIEs (National Interest Exemption). Teams will submit a form that the organizer will then submit to the U.S. State Department with the assistance of the USOPC (Olympic Committee). The link to the form is:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=T7JDuzkR2UuCHGzruZo…
This needs to be filled out by the team and submitted.
However, nowhere does this include members of the media (since we cannot be considered as athletes or support staff). MBPA member Armin Küstenbrück has been attempting to get answers from the organizers and UCI, but has not received any information that will help members of the press apply for NIE - which appear to be the only way to avoid the Schengen region ban. The UCI says that this is 'specific to the organiser', so they can't help.
One potential option is to see if you can be included as part of a team organization - maybe as a media officer or public relations /communications officer. However, you need to find a team that is willing to submit the form on your behalf.
We will try to look for potential solutions to this issue, but you should be aware of it and make arrangements accordingly. If anyone does have a solution, please pass it on.
------------end of letter-----------------
without a team to petition someone as essential, getting to snowshoe without a 14-day quarantine means racing is cut short or won't happen at all depending on the tail end of the european rounds/world champs. racers on trade teams should be fine, but privateers may be hosed? media aren't listed as essential (team photogs, video etc). ahh, more crazy times. US privateers, get over there for your best result ever???
-----------letter from MBPA passed on today--------------
Hi Everyone,
First, if you have not done so, registration is open for the world championships, as well as the Lenzerheide World Cup - which requires everyone to get a ticket (even those with Rainbow Passes).
Now, onto a more difficult situation - the Snowshoe World Cup. As you are likely aware, the U.S. border is closed to most visitors, and to everyone who has been in the Schengen region within 14 days prior of their visit. This means that anyone attending the Worlds would not be able to attend the first DH round at Snowshoe, and if you attended Lenzerheide you would not be able to attend either round at Snowshoe.
The organizer has begun working with teams to arrange NIEs (National Interest Exemption). Teams will submit a form that the organizer will then submit to the U.S. State Department with the assistance of the USOPC (Olympic Committee). The link to the form is:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=T7JDuzkR2UuCHGzruZo…
This needs to be filled out by the team and submitted.
However, nowhere does this include members of the media (since we cannot be considered as athletes or support staff). MBPA member Armin Küstenbrück has been attempting to get answers from the organizers and UCI, but has not received any information that will help members of the press apply for NIE - which appear to be the only way to avoid the Schengen region ban. The UCI says that this is 'specific to the organiser', so they can't help.
One potential option is to see if you can be included as part of a team organization - maybe as a media officer or public relations /communications officer. However, you need to find a team that is willing to submit the form on your behalf.
We will try to look for potential solutions to this issue, but you should be aware of it and make arrangements accordingly. If anyone does have a solution, please pass it on.
------------end of letter-----------------
Or it'll be Sven running the show.
Australia and NZ have a travel bubble meaning that you don't require quaratine between both countries, but that only depends on the covid stituation between (Aust) states. for example, a state with classified hot spots of covid in the communtiy are lockout out of the bubble till there is 0 cases for a number of weeks.
Only added pressure to the rising air travel cost of getting there and the cost of quaratine (paid by you).
So far Australia has lost the F1GP, motoGP and Tennis Open tour, all due to the rules applied.
Hopefully This have changed by the this time next year.
I can imagine a scenario though where all the pro's do quarantine in NZ for two weeks, ride all summer there and do the EWS in Tas quarantine free. Two weeks quarantine, dodging the European winter and riding NZ for a few months sounds pretty sweet to me if I was in a spot to do it...
If that's doesn't work, if it's as easy to hop the border as Shiska noted, then bunny hop the wall and shred on to West by God.
Regardless. Looking forward to being there in Sept! Hopefully this doesn't hold up the athletes as hard as it sounds for media.
Our series in NSW/QLD got canned the other day too.
Oh, there you go, got to bring facts into this situation.
Post a reply to: Snowshoe World Cup + Covid Chaos