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Mt Snow Nationals

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
Anyone planning on racing in July? I'm really thinking about making the trip up there. Just trying to get a feel for who may be there.

Is Mt. Snow fun?
You should check out one of the Vermont state series races instead, I think you'll find it a lot more fun than the Nat's. 1st one is May 31/June 1, and it's part of the Gravity East Series - Jim.
 

jcook90

Turbo Monkey
Mar 3, 2006
1,211
1
Connecticut
The mount snow courses are fun, I don't have any first hand experience with them robbing your wallet though. I'll hopefully be there racing super-D, DH if I qualify for expert, and DS.
 

FlyinPolack

Monkey
Jul 16, 2007
371
0
Mt. Snow is the complete antithesis of fun.

They couldn't find a way to charge money for fun so they pretty much phased it out after about 2001
I agree completely, Every other place in New England is better, seriously... Mt. Blow even charges racers to Park..
 

wiscodh

Monkey
Jun 21, 2007
833
121
303
I agree completely, Every other place in New England is better, seriously... Mt. Blow even charges racers to Park..
WINNaR!

Why would you charge racers and media 30$ to park for the weekend? Its already 70 or so to register, and 60 for your license. HOORAY. Oh if you ride sport/begin, there MIGHT be 5 people in your class. Sounds like amazing racing to me.
 

John P.

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,170
0
Golden, CO
WINNaR!

Why would you charge racers and media 30$ to park for the weekend? Its already 70 or so to register, and 60 for your license. HOORAY.
If you knew how much they charged factory teams for pit space, your frigging head would explode. I can't recall exact numbers, but I remember thinking it wasn't too far off from the insane prices we paid for Interbike booth space.

I wish I had more hands, cuz I'd give Mt Snow 4 thumbs down!
 

woof

Monkey
May 17, 2005
426
0
WINNaR!

Why would you charge racers and media 30$ to park for the weekend? Its already 70 or so to register, and 60 for your license. HOORAY. Oh if you ride sport/begin, there MIGHT be 5 people in your class. Sounds like amazing racing to me.

They made us park in the far off dirt lot because our truck had shop lettering on it. Said if we parked closer they would tow or charge us the pit fee. They even made some people cover the lettering on their vans.. Asshats they is.

Even thou Mt. Snow has it's issues, I've always had a good time there. I'll be back this year...
 

SeaPig

Monkey
Sep 20, 2005
624
0
Seattle
So, I just registered, then looked up this thread. LOL! I'm wondering though, will there be a solid turnout, or is this a race that is going to be over looked?
 

SPINTECK

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2005
1,370
0
abc
I've had the best races and worst races of my life there. The courses are fast IMO and will use your suspension. A national jersey in your age group would be a cool achievement you can only get one this year at snow. i'll be there.

good luck.
 

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
Both pro/expert and beginner/sport courses look fun this year. We raced the majority of the pro/exp course at Mt. Snow #1, and they were going to use the entire sport/beginner course for #2 until it got rained and thunderstormed out.

If I didn't have my kids 1 year b'day on my race day, I'd be there with y'all! - Jim
 

Inclag

Turbo Monkey
Sep 9, 2001
2,750
439
MA
The SOBE series at Mt Snow is soooo much fun, and I think anyone who attends those races would agree..

....however I went to the National Championship race last year, and will not be be doing any more NCS races. Not worth my time, money, or time off from work to participate in it IMHO.
 

sayndesyn

Turbo Monkey
Nationals are dead. Race locally unless you are fast enough for world cups.. It's kind of sad that there is a few (literally) people still following the series. With the price of gas being what it is I can't see how anyone can justify paying so much to go to a race that is generally run poorly and gets your sponsors little to no exposure if they are footing the bill.
 

woof

Monkey
May 17, 2005
426
0
Both pro/expert and beginner/sport courses look fun this year. We raced the majority of the pro/exp course at Mt. Snow #1, and they were going to use the entire sport/beginner course for #2 until it got rained and thunderstormed out.

If I didn't have my kids 1 year b'day on my race day, I'd be there with y'all! - Jim

Can't say I'm overly excited about the pro/expert course. How many times are you going to run races on the same course? IH last year, Sobe this year, super D and now the Championship course will be the same? If the forest service won't let you cut/build new trails, maybe it's time to look for a new mountain for the National Championships.
 

Eastern States Cup

Turbo Monkey
Feb 29, 2008
2,465
2
East Coast
Nationals are dead. Race locally unless you are fast enough for world cups.. It's kind of sad that there is a few (literally) people still following the series. With the price of gas being what it is I can't see how anyone can justify paying so much to go to a race that is generally run poorly and gets your sponsors little to no exposure if they are footing the bill.
this is not a NMBS race but the one day National Championships, which give decent UCI points to the pro's. All/most UCI sanctioned countries hold their National Championships on the same day. Yes the series is dead thanks to the promoter who squeezed every last penny out of the name while offering less and less every year. This is the LAST year of the NMBS.



If the forest service won't let you cut/build new trails, maybe it's time to look for a new mountain for the National Championships.
The contract with Mt Snow and the National Championships is up this year and there will be no more NMBS so it will be the local series only for a while. I've heard rumors that Mt, Snow may move their biking operation to the Carinthia area, where they are building a huge snow park and the are no forest service worries.

See ya this weekend, Ken ??
 

SPINTECK

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2005
1,370
0
abc
Both pro/expert and beginner/sport courses look fun this year. We raced the majority of the pro/exp course at Mt. Snow #1, and they were going to use the entire sport/beginner course for #2 until it got rained and thunderstormed out.

If I didn't have my kids 1 year b'day on my race day, I'd be there with y'all! - Jim
I hopped on the begginner/sport course on accident two years ago and I must say it was much funner than the expert/pro course. Just more fun drops, logs and berms as opposed to high speed stuff and chutes.
 

DH Rules

Chimp
Jul 13, 2006
90
0
On the trails of WNC - Mostly
Whether you like it or not the Nationals have more status than any other race in the US. If you get a podium here it goes on your resume and sponsors are more impressed with a National top-five finish than any other race.

If you are looking for an event that is the de facto roll-call of who's who in gravity this is it. Thank you for having this on the East coast again.:thumb:
 
Apr 4, 2008
53
0
Santa Cruz, CA
I'll be there. My bike is on its trip to NY already and I am getting on a plane tommorow morning. A few days with family and then its off to Windham, Plattekill, Diablo and then up to Mt Snow. I haven't riden on the east coast yet so am looking forward to it. Look for me there.
 

davetrump

Turbo Monkey
Jul 29, 2003
1,270
0
Whether you like it or not the Nationals have more status than any other race in the US. If you get a podium here it goes on your resume and sponsors are more impressed with a National top-five finish than any other race.

If you are looking for an event that is the de facto roll-call of who's who in gravity this is it. Thank you for having this on the East coast again.:thumb:
that would explain why some of the "who's who" skipped it last year to hang out in Canada instead :plthumbsdown:
 

sayndesyn

Turbo Monkey
I was at the national last year. I remember remarking on how few people where there. I thought the track was rather empty for pro practice....

Whether you like it or not the Nationals have more status than any other race in the US. If you get a podium here it goes on your resume and sponsors are more impressed with a National top-five finish than any other race.

If you are looking for an event that is the de facto roll-call of who's who in gravity this is it. Thank you for having this on the East coast again.:thumb:
 

DH Rules

Chimp
Jul 13, 2006
90
0
On the trails of WNC - Mostly
Having lived in several different counties I see how important a National Champs is to bringing the country's biking community together. The bigger the country the greater the need. In a small country like the UK a National Points series works as it is not too difficult to get to all the NPS events. In countries like South Africa, Australia and the US the points series have lost momentum...it's just too damn expensive and difficult to get to. And the top riders riders may have other priorities such as chasing the World Cups.

So the National Champs becomes like the "Mini Olympics"; a showcase for National Talent. I'm not saying it's currently being done right; copious prize money should be thrown at this event; it should be marketed as the premier event that it is; the course and organization should be impeccable and it should have top points ranking with UCI. Its not there yet, but if we support it, it will.

Top riders that don't make their National Champs - Shame on You!
 
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Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
Duh!..Its the National Champs. Even if its run by 2 men with a stop watch and piece of tape, you should be there. It's not going to be fixed by boycotting it.
US National Championships are a joke. No, you shouldn't be there when all they do is take your money and give you nothing in return. Give me a break.

Yes, you will help fix it by not going. When the promoter/resort make no money, the promoter and or venue will change. Why is this so hard to understand?
 

DH Rules

Chimp
Jul 13, 2006
90
0
On the trails of WNC - Mostly
Fraser....you of all people should realize that certain events "Transcend" the petty issues of bad management, rip-offs and abuse of franchise. If anyone has a right to complain its us, as year after year we are one of the one who spends stupid money on pit space. Sure things need to be fixed, but as a sponsor and vendor we consider this event to be the National Showcase and we'll be there watching every rider and talking to the promoters to try to make thing better for next year.

If you don't want to be there..fine, but don't poison it for the guys who have worked their butts off to get there.
 

Staplerzzzz

Chimp
May 21, 2007
46
0
Earth
WINNaR!

Why would you charge racers and media 30$ to park for the weekend? Its already 70 or so to register, and 60 for your license. HOORAY. Oh if you ride sport/begin, there MIGHT be 5 people in your class. Sounds like amazing racing to me.
Is it Mt snow that charges 30 dollars for parking or is it NORBA? It really ticked me off last year.
 

MikeMac

Monkey
May 18, 2006
156
0
We bid for it for 2009 and 2010...for everything. DH, MX, DS, SD, XC, STXC. IF we're awarded the event by USAC we'll probably offer an unofficial stars and stripes jersey to the winner of both the beer crit and the pump track TT.

Unfortunately, no matter how badly you mangle it, the event itself is never 'taken' from you. It's awarded for two years. It's been on the west coast for awhile and now it's living on the east coast. It's our sincere hope that it'll live in the Colorado Rockies for a few years, then head to the Pacific Northwest where Lars and crew can keep the gravity torch lit.
 

MikeMac

Monkey
May 18, 2006
156
0
USAC Marathon NATS was held here in Breckenridge last weekend. There were athletes up on the podium that literally teared up when their jerseys were presented. I agree that the concept is special, it just seems as if it hasn't lived up to its potential over the past half decade.

7 or 8 years ago I was meticulously making the rounds on the phone. I was pleading the case for one day amateur nationals to anyone that I could reach. USAC execs, NORBA Board of Trustees - you name 'em, I tracked down their number and rang 'em up. The results were pretty surprising - Tom Spiegel was sincere, geniune and enthusiastically in favor of them. Other USAC folks thought that they'd diminish the value of the pro champions' accomplishments. A pro on the board at the time complained that before we did anything to improve the lot of the amateur that we needed to take better care of the pros...a concept not completely without merit, but the delivery made it sound pretty self-serving and short-sighted at the time. I think that the biggest driver of the idea at the time was Jose Gonzales, then at Answer. Gary Fisher? Did not return multiple messages. Bummer about that because he was influential at the time.

It was bittersweet to see the idea finally come to fruition only to head to California. The issues that were dealt with there are well documented (and it should be pointed out, not entirely the fault of the promoter.) Then when it headed east for 2 years it was a pill a bit less bitter to swallow.

I hope that we do get the bid because I think the event has the potential to be the very best of the season...they give away stars and stripes jerseys fer crissakes! If we do get it we'll take the obligation seriously. We'll try to give every athlete who gets to step up to the top step of the podium by virtue of their skill, power, fitness and dedication a memory to last a lifetime. 'Cuz that'll be the day they were handed an official national champion's jersey, an object that should be treasured for the rest of their lives.

There will also be free parking.

Transcend - it's easy to see why you think it's lame. It's because you don't like what it's become. USAC-willing, Uncle Sam wants you in Colorado next July. We gotta un-brainwash you.

MM
 

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
There will also be free parking.

Transcend - it's easy to see why you think it's lame. It's because you don't like what it's become. USAC-willing, Uncle Sam wants you in Colorado next July. We gotta un-brainwash you.

MM
You are absolutely correct. I was around in the heyday. I saw pros get paid, saw a fleet of 18 wheelers and massive volvo tech support trucks roll in. I saw great courses (Durango anyone? Crystal Mountain?), UCI points bestowed, organizers who cared and venues that were not complete dumps, or completely unsuitable for a sport like MTBing. Seriously, I am going to a MTB race. I do not want to be stuck in the middle of an asphalt race track, or a graffitti infested suburban hole in the wall.

Now I see completely crummy venues, a promoter who only wants to milk every dollar he can, crappy courses with little or no forethought and a completely pointless "title" as the best athletes feel the same way a bitter journalist like me does and do not attend.

The NCS series used to be as prestigious as the world cup, as you know. Not everything was perfect, but the people in charge cared and did their best. That, and your race reg included your friggin' chair access for practice.

Now Mt Snow barely cuts the grass, sends you straight down the mountain (someone must have forgot the page of the design with the turns) and then absolutely bends you over for parking fees, on top of a race fee, on top of chairlift fees for practice.

I'm sad at what it has become and absolutely refuse to support the mess that MTB racing has become down that way, which is too bad because there are some places and people i really miss. If you guys can turn things around, more power to you. If you can un-brainwash me, I owe you a beer.