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AM National Champs DH Course (Video)

FCLinder

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
We got to race on what will be the AN National Champs Race Course this weekend. Raw Video of my race run using the Drift Innovation Helmet Cam. I wish I would have put the Spikes on for my race run, but still had a lot of fun!!! Great job Beech Mt and Crew!!

http://youtu.be/dHUA3Q6dEgw

Can't wait to race on the Pro Course in less than a months time!!!! It' looks sick!!!!

Cecil:thumb:
 
jnooth

jnooth

Monkey
Sep 19, 2008
384
1
Vermont Country
looks awesome! how steep is it? its hard to tell from the helmet cam. looks on the flatter side but I know thats probably not the case.
 
drkenan

drkenan

anti-dentite
Oct 1, 2006
3,441
1
west asheville
jnooth said:
looks awesome! how steep is it? its hard to tell from the helmet cam. looks on the flatter side but I know thats probably not the case.
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It's not that steep overall but there are some steep sections for sure. I had more fun at that race yesterday than potentially any other one I've ever done.
 
Jeremy R

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
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jnooth said:
looks awesome! how steep is it? its hard to tell from the helmet cam. looks on the flatter side but I know thats probably not the case.
Click to expand...
Well, that is the amatuer track. Everyone raced the am track yesterday and it was a damn blast. Line choices everywhere, most of which were about equal in speed so it made things interesting. I would not call this track steep or flat, just a good even grade all the way down and fun as hell to ride. Ha, it does look kinda slow in the video because the mud made it slow rolling and those damn 40 mph wind gusts sucked. This am track in the dry is gonna be baller. It is just a great DH race track.
Now the pro track on the other hand is pure sketchballs. We walked it again yesterday and it is obvious that the pro track is built for pros by pros. Nasty steeps, wide off camber sketchiness, no real catches for punters who cannot hold the high lines. But honestly, the rock garden is what is gonna make this course legendary. Its pretty much pure insanity. 40 feet wide with no easy lines and a bunch of twisted rock gaps for the crazies. I have been racing 16 years and it the most boss rock garden I have come across. Its like yard sale at Mt. Snow except way longer and wider, but not as steep. Its gonna be a killer course for the pros, and a butt pee maker of a course for the cat 1guys who have to race it. ;)
Nationals are gonna rock.
 
jnooth

jnooth

Monkey
Sep 19, 2008
384
1
Vermont Country
Jeremy R said:
Well, that is the amatuer track. Everyone raced the am track yesterday and it was a damn blast. Line choices everywhere, most of which were about equal in speed so it made things interesting. I would not call this track steep or flat, just a good even grade all the way down and fun as hell to ride. Ha, it does look kinda slow in the video because the mud made it slow rolling and those damn 40 mph wind gusts sucked. This am track in the dry is gonna be baller. It is just a great DH race track.
Now the pro track on the other hand is pure sketchballs. We walked it again yesterday and it is obvious that the pro track is built for pros by pros. Nasty steeps, wide off camber sketchiness, no real catches for punters who cannot hold the high lines. But honestly, the rock garden is what is gonna make this course legendary. Its pretty much pure insanity. 40 feet wide with no easy lines and a bunch of twisted rock gaps for the crazies. I have been racing 16 years and it the most boss rock garden I have come across. Its like yard sale at Mt. Snow except way longer and wider, but not as steep. Its gonna be a killer course for the pros, and a butt pee maker of a course for the cat 1guys who have to race it. ;)
Nationals are gonna rock.
Click to expand...
is it official that CAT 1 will race the pro course? last i heard it was undecided. I race 19-29 and am hoping to be on the pro course, but if not that AM track looked rad too
 
Jeremy R

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
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jnooth said:
is it official that CAT 1 will race the pro course? last i heard it was undecided. I race 19-29 and am hoping to be on the pro course, but if not that AM track looked rad too
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Yeah. 19-29, 30-39, 40-49 Cat 1 are all on the Pro course.

And don't get me wrong, the course is properly built and there are optional lines all the way down the track, but there a few lines that are going to make a normal human being go, "Awe hell naw." :D
 
Mulestar

Mulestar

Turbo Monkey
Sep 18, 2007
1,061
0
in the dirt
jnooth said:
is it official that CAT 1 will race the pro course? last i heard it was undecided. I race 19-29 and am hoping to be on the pro course, but if not that AM track looked rad too
Click to expand...

They're saying we'll be on the pro course but you won't be disappointed either way. I'm in your class and having ridden both tracks, I'd happily race either.


How fun was that race? I think I did 15 runs in about 3 hours. The track was awesome and a nice turnout.
 
dragontalesdh

dragontalesdh

Chimp
Apr 18, 2011
72
0
Crossville Tennessee
SOOOO SICK!!!!! i loved the weekend so much. im cat1 19-29 and this was the funnest weekend of my racing history. even slalom today was killer. its a proper champs style slalom. but the am track it wicked fun just to session. in the dry it would just be fast. i cant wait to put my rubber all over the pro track. its nuckin futz!!!
 
Jeremy R

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
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profro said:
Wow, Southern Rocks' ears are burning.
Click to expand...
I think it is only because the rock garden at Beech has some lines with mandatory senders on it. Stuff where you have to gap out over a huge downed tree or gap over a rock the size of a Kia.
That said, I have not ridden the trail yet, only walked it twice, so it may ride easier than it looks.
 
jackalope

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,614
5,936
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Jeremy R said:
I think it is only because the rock garden at Beech has some lines with mandatory senders on it. Stuff where you have to gap out over a huge downed tree or gap over a rock the size of a Kia.
That said, I have not ridden the trail yet, only walked it twice, so it may ride easier than it looks.
Click to expand...
<gulp> I wonder if the 40+ guys can get a group discount with AFLAC?

 
jackalope

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,614
5,936
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Fair enough, but I'm wanting to get broke off with honor and get carted off the mountain (not hurt too bad, but just enough for a Gator ride down and a light, respectful golf clap by the spectators), rather than crawl down in slo-mo like I did at the quali's.
 
P

ph4se_1

Chimp
Jun 17, 2008
71
0
Dublin, Ireland
always find it hilarious how your races have a 'pro' and 'amateur' track even though a lot of the people racing 'pro' class aren't even professional mountain bikers, a lot of whom have never qualified for a world cup.. Surely some of the riders from the amateur class would be more than able for this 'insane' course reserved for these so called 'pro' riders?
 
Jeremy R

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
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ph4se_1 said:
always find it hilarious how your races have a 'pro' and 'amateur' track even though a lot of the people racing 'pro' class aren't even professional mountain bikers, a lot of whom have never qualified for a world cup.. Surely some of the riders from the amateur class would be more than able for this 'insane' course reserved for these so called 'pro' riders?
Click to expand...
Actually, the lead course builder is someone who has raced world cups and world championships, and he built the course with guys like Gwinn in mind.
Also, the entire cat 1 class age 49 and under gets to race the pro course.
That said, I would not find anything too hilarious there Leprechaun.
Check out the overall world cup standings. :thumb:
 
P

ph4se_1

Chimp
Jun 17, 2008
71
0
Dublin, Ireland
Its cool that the Cat1 get to race this legendary course but why cant everyone? Should be the same course for everyone as far as I'm concerned, might as well run the race on different weekends if different courses are being used for different classes and so on.. seems like the whole organisation of the race is based around giving the better riders a better course to ride and looking down on the others, why not the same course for everyone?
 
bdamschen

bdamschen

Turbo Monkey
Nov 28, 2005
3,377
156
Spreckels, CA
ph4se_1 said:
seems like the whole organisation of the race is based around giving the better riders a better course to ride and looking down on the others, why not the same course for everyone?
Click to expand...
I can't comment on this specific track, but on others I have raced with pro and cat 1 on one course and cat 2 and cat 1 on the other- it's usually because the Pro/cat 1 course has areas where there is no go-around a gnarly line (ie significant gaps or drops.) that lesser skilled riders would have a hard time even walking their bike around.

ie- If I were a cat 2 or 3 rider and had to get off my bike to climb down and back up a ravine that pro and cat 1 are gaping during my race run, I'd be pretty bummed.
 
jackalope

jackalope

Mental acuity - 1%
Jan 9, 2004
7,614
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EDIT - sniped

I would guess that a lot of ladies, most Cat 3 guys, and even some Cat 2 guys would struggle mightily with the Pro course. Having ridden that Amateur course, it is in no way an inferior option in my mind. I think everyone who races the Amateur track will in no way feel they were "short changed" and didn't get to ride the Pro course. Hell, I may be over my head on the Pro course and wish I was on the Amateur course, but I also want to see the real pinners killing it on Pro course.
 
P

ph4se_1

Chimp
Jun 17, 2008
71
0
Dublin, Ireland
Run the race on one track, build chicken runs on every feature... Only way to progress your racing really is to learn to race harder tracks. In fairness though we did have a problem with an Irish round last year (one race on one track) where the track was nice and steep and it LASHED rain,complete washout with people unable to get down without falling or sliding on their arses and demanding money back for entries etc which is a bit of a mess.
 
motomike

motomike

Turbo Monkey
Jan 19, 2005
4,584
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North Carolina
Jeremy R

Jeremy R

<b>x</b>
Nov 15, 2001
9,698
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behind you with a snap pop
I take back everything that I said about the pro track in my above post.
It looked a lot sketchier walking it than riding it. I did a gazillion runs on it today and it is a super fun course to ride, and everyone on the mountain was having a blast.
 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
I decided to go into work today rather than head back up in the rain for 2 hrs. It'll dry out some tomorrow and Sunday AM. I am WHOOPED from doing so many runs.

WIll just go up tomorrow and stay the night.
 
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