Dartman said:
no comment.
EDIT: one comment - as long as you keep your speed over the left (smaller) side of the rock,lean back and keep the front wheel up, there is NOTHING hard about the drop at all. there is even a transition!
August 3-7 Snowshoe, lifts open, let's ride!
- Thread starter motomike
- Start date
no comment.
EDIT: one comment - as long as you keep your speed over the left (smaller) side of the rock,lean back and keep the front wheel up, there is NOTHING hard about the drop at all. there is even a transition!
Thats great if you have the skill to do it. Most beg/sport riders dont. That rock needs to come out of the course.AlmostHeaven said:no comment.
EDIT: one comment - as long as you keep your speed over the left (smaller) side of the rock,lean back and keep the front wheel up, there is NOTHING hard about the drop at all. there is even a transition!
AlmostHeaven said:no comment.
EDIT: one comment - as long as you keep your speed over the left (smaller) side of the rock,lean back and keep the front wheel up, there is NOTHING hard about the drop at all. there is even a transition!
tell that to the guy who broke his arm.
-MV
MikeT said:
UPDATE: Both arms.
Left wrist and right elbow.
Mike
I was with him when it happened.MikeT said:
Trying to keep the two things seperate. Rob just got a new DH bike and was looking for stuff to jump off of. He probably would have tried that drop regardless if it was in the course or not. He just came in to slow and didnt get the front end up. It was not pretty watching it happen 5 feet in front of you.
The other point is still that that drop should be taken out of the course. Before someone else is hurt trying a drop they have no right doing. There is only one drop on the pro course that is bigger than this drop. There is a huge penalty for riding around this rock. I can see alot of hurt people come Norba weekend if people feel they have to do this drop to be competitive.
I believe that if you can hit that particular rock smooth enough in a race run that you don't need to be racing beg/sport. My 2 cents..Dartman said:
Is this rock like the one at Blue Knob? Hoow big is it?
About 35 feetBigMike said:
It is about 3-4 feet with a pretty smooth transistion. If it is hit at race speed you can get a lot of air time
CHOP said:
well isnt that saying that it shouldnt be in the sport course then if one is good enough to do it?
im not flammin' anyone, i haven't seen the course, im just trying to understand
that statement???
Yeah, what I am saying is that if you can ride this drop with speed that you probably shouldn't be racing beg/sport. Step up to the expert class.ridetoofast said:
I was out on Saturday, and had the opportunity to ride both the Expert and the Sport/Beginner courses.denjen said:
As for the drop on the Sport course, it really isn't asking too much of a Sport/Beginner rider (I'm a 46 year old beginner). I will say that the rock drop on the Expert course sets up with a better flow than the drop on the Sport/Beginner course. I had the opportunity to ride both courses with an Expert showing me the lines, so I had a good idea of how much speed to have when I hit the edge. The Sport drop looks a little intimidating at first, but if you get the speed right (not pinning it) and roll it, it flows easily into the transition.
Being a beginner, I guess I'm not out to be showing how much air time I can get, but am just trying to complete the course with the best time I can log. Getting the basics down before trying to "just find stuff you can jump off of " may not be the flashiest way to do it, but at least you can say that you finished.
I'm not preaching, and I know that it couldn't have been pretty to watch that ACCIDENT, but take your time to learn from someone who has been at the same point in the past and find out how they were able to improve on their skills and stay upright ad safe. Believe me, I have the bruises to prove how overriding your abilities can cost you.
ok, to clear things up, I am ASSuming that this is the drop after a short 100-200ft. or so gravel road section? Tight left hander onto the boulder? Yeah, that drop is deceiving. You're like "hey, this isn't that big", then, for some unforseen reason, you're like "hot dam, that didn't feel so good!"
*I agree that it shouldn't be on the sport/beg course, but there is no such thing as moving it or rerouting the trail. The speed that would be carried off of the road would be overwhelming for them when they hit the trail. SOOOO, maybe install a 4' wide wooden roll-in off of the rock that would still allow peeps to drop, yet be rollable.
*I agree that it shouldn't be on the sport/beg course, but there is no such thing as moving it or rerouting the trail. The speed that would be carried off of the road would be overwhelming for them when they hit the trail. SOOOO, maybe install a 4' wide wooden roll-in off of the rock that would still allow peeps to drop, yet be rollable.
Thats not even the sport course. I think you are talking about the drop into upper quick draw
I agree !!!!denjen said:
The drop on the Sport/Beginner course was after a some flat twisty single track throgh the trees in what I believe was the 2nd or 3rd woods section.
You come into the drop as after a RIGHT turn with a very slight rise.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
awe, crap. I suck. I'm leaving now.
I disagree. I haven't seen this perticular drop, but........ I love drops, and do many drops that some people that race expert wouldn't do, but if I moved from sport to expert I would be waaaaaaaaaay out of my league. Just because you can hit a drop at speed doesn't neccissarily mean you are that fast or good of a DHer.CHOP said:
Reserve judgement until you see it.BigMike said:
The rock is angled up at the lip so you can't just roll off it without the rear of the bike kicking up if you dead sailor it or hit it with too little speed.
I'll agree it doesn't take much skill to ride off most drops. Heck, I do it all the time. I guess my point is that the ride around should be just as fast as going off it. If someone want's to hit it fine, if not the whiz on by. Like the "sport rock" which is further up on the course. My understanding of the way it's taped off is that you are strongly encouraged to ride off it. I just don't believe that kind of stuff belongs on a beginner level DH course. I enjoy this sport and want to see it grow. This isn't going to happen if beginners are intimidated or injured.
Mike
That rock drop needs a faster bail-out trail around it if it's going to be on the sport race course.
then i think one could conclude that the drop shouldn't be in the sport race which is what i think he was trying to sayCHOP said:
unless i am missing something here
Hey Adam I saw in that one thread where you wanted to try that 45' gap at Silverton Mountain, so the rock on the beg/sport course shouldn't be a problem for you... :evil:
ehhhh
its all physics...if the jump is right all ya gotta do is point, shoot, and hold on for dear FVCKING life
seriously though ive done one just a little shy of half that size so it cant be all that bad (edit -->) and by this i do NOT detract from those gravity defying freaks...
im just saying i think im stooopid enough to try it
its all physics...if the jump is right all ya gotta do is point, shoot, and hold on for dear FVCKING life
seriously though ive done one just a little shy of half that size so it cant be all that bad (edit -->) and by this i do NOT detract from those gravity defying freaks...
im just saying i think im stooopid enough to try it
In terms of the drop on the sport course i had done bigger drops by like 10 feet last year and had i raced sport i probably would have gotten beat. My first season of downhill on a 6 in trailbike i was doing drops bigger then this and i had no skills in terms of speed, cornering, or anything necessary to win a sport race. I know you guys will say well you are young you are stupid but there you go. The older people can go around and im sure most people in their category will feel the same and go around evening the field. And the one guy who does do it and wins by 2 seconds he deserves it. Just because one person has the balls to do something doesn't give you the right to call them a sandbagger because they win by them doing the more technical line. That is like saying HE GAPPED THAT ROCK GARDEN HES A SANDBAGGER, when if you had seen that line you could have gapped it to maybe.
Example: Bigmike (no offense meant) is not the fastest man alive but i have seen him do some big drops and he is definetly a sport rider and if he chooses to do the drop on sweet dreams he deserves to be a top rider in sport as he is still sport speed he just has the balls to drop off something.
I'm sorry for the guy who got hurt doing the drop but the drop is not technically hard and just requires u to lean back and go off it at more then 10mph. With that said you can still do the roundabout and be just as fast i have done it and u can keep speed instead of going off the drop slower and keeping control or just being an idiot and going off fast and hurting ur bike and body.
Also, i don't think any beginner riders will do the drop if they don't feel comfortable then they will do the go around, along with every other beginner rider who will probably do the go around.
PS: no offense was meant to anyone in my post so don't say you are not becoming of a good snowshoe employee, i am just voicing my opinion and what i think is fair.
Example: Bigmike (no offense meant) is not the fastest man alive but i have seen him do some big drops and he is definetly a sport rider and if he chooses to do the drop on sweet dreams he deserves to be a top rider in sport as he is still sport speed he just has the balls to drop off something.
I'm sorry for the guy who got hurt doing the drop but the drop is not technically hard and just requires u to lean back and go off it at more then 10mph. With that said you can still do the roundabout and be just as fast i have done it and u can keep speed instead of going off the drop slower and keeping control or just being an idiot and going off fast and hurting ur bike and body.
Also, i don't think any beginner riders will do the drop if they don't feel comfortable then they will do the go around, along with every other beginner rider who will probably do the go around.
PS: no offense was meant to anyone in my post so don't say you are not becoming of a good snowshoe employee, i am just voicing my opinion and what i think is fair.
Damnit! Why do all those Snowshoe employees always rag on people? Thats so unprofessional 
Nah, Just kidding. I will be the first one to admit that I am no where near being an expert. and I like how Andrew put it. I think that point was proved at Blue knob when even Lars went around it. If somone is unsure about the rock, they don't have to ride it. If everyone is riding the same course, I don't neccissarily see it as a problem.
Nah, Just kidding. I will be the first one to admit that I am no where near being an expert. and I like how Andrew put it. I think that point was proved at Blue knob when even Lars went around it. If somone is unsure about the rock, they don't have to ride it. If everyone is riding the same course, I don't neccissarily see it as a problem.
Ive been following this thread and was placing myself in the situation while racing beginner sport. 2 years back, I may have hit the drop. Now, with a lot of rust still to knock off, Id have to seriously consider a drop like that. Bottom line for me, I have a huge confidence problem that Im currently working through.
Where the danger lies I would imagine is in the race itself. If someone does a few pre-rides and does the ride around, all is well and good. However, in a race situation were the adrenaline is just pumping through your veins, is an altogether different situation. The crowed energy and cheering you on, especially at that drop, may entice, encourage or provoke a rider, who under normal circumstances, would never attempt to do it in the first place. Typically, this is a good thing as one should always attempt, within reasonable limits, something just beyond what one thinks their capabilities may. Therein lies the boost in confidence to ride better and gradually increase their skill level.
While this is typically how a situation like this should transpire, the realities of what would actually happens is this; sandbaggers will hit the drop no problem and not only ride in a category they have no right to be in, but increase their time exponentially, while killing the confidence level and any chance of accomplishment of the riders who, in all sincerity, can only handle the sport class. Wherein lies the challenge in that? This can only provoke an otherwise true sport class rider to ride far beyond their capabilities and increasing exponentially the possibility of injury.
On a standard weekend ride were everyone rides for fun, most people, and a lot of them I have met and come to know, will ALWAYS, not only encourage you to attempt certain stunts or drops, but will also deter you from these same attempts if they feel you are not quite ready for it. These are the same folks that willing to stop, to help show you how to approach any given situation.
Thats the beauty of the crowd at Snowshoe, the ones that I know anyway. Its their love for the sport that makes it fun. Its the less than honest riders that are completely selfish that truly only care about themselves and not the safety and well being of other riders. Have you ever noticed that these people are also not the regulars you can count on being there, or count on for advice?
Stunts or drops need to be built, that are structured just beyond the capabilities of the riders of that class, not far beyond or near impossible to accomplish.
Just my simple 2 cents.
SK6
Where the danger lies I would imagine is in the race itself. If someone does a few pre-rides and does the ride around, all is well and good. However, in a race situation were the adrenaline is just pumping through your veins, is an altogether different situation. The crowed energy and cheering you on, especially at that drop, may entice, encourage or provoke a rider, who under normal circumstances, would never attempt to do it in the first place. Typically, this is a good thing as one should always attempt, within reasonable limits, something just beyond what one thinks their capabilities may. Therein lies the boost in confidence to ride better and gradually increase their skill level.
While this is typically how a situation like this should transpire, the realities of what would actually happens is this; sandbaggers will hit the drop no problem and not only ride in a category they have no right to be in, but increase their time exponentially, while killing the confidence level and any chance of accomplishment of the riders who, in all sincerity, can only handle the sport class. Wherein lies the challenge in that? This can only provoke an otherwise true sport class rider to ride far beyond their capabilities and increasing exponentially the possibility of injury.
On a standard weekend ride were everyone rides for fun, most people, and a lot of them I have met and come to know, will ALWAYS, not only encourage you to attempt certain stunts or drops, but will also deter you from these same attempts if they feel you are not quite ready for it. These are the same folks that willing to stop, to help show you how to approach any given situation.
Thats the beauty of the crowd at Snowshoe, the ones that I know anyway. Its their love for the sport that makes it fun. Its the less than honest riders that are completely selfish that truly only care about themselves and not the safety and well being of other riders. Have you ever noticed that these people are also not the regulars you can count on being there, or count on for advice?
Stunts or drops need to be built, that are structured just beyond the capabilities of the riders of that class, not far beyond or near impossible to accomplish.
Just my simple 2 cents.
SK6
Hey Ralph does your boss know you spend so much time here? :devil:
I am not bitching about the drop for the race. I am a mid level sport rider at best. I know I am going to get beat drop or not. My concern is the people who normaly would not try this size of a drop feeling like they need to during the race and then getting hurt. Last sunday as I was trying to help my buddy off of the moutain another guy rode up to it and pushed back up 3 times before hitting it he nosed dived off of it and almost endoed just like my friend. A little bit slower and I would have had two hurt people to get down. We all know the risks when we get on the bike, and we all push the envelope as much as we can. I just dont want to see a bunch of people hurt trying something they normaly wouldnt in order to place at a beg/sport race.
Dennis
I am not bitching about the drop for the race. I am a mid level sport rider at best. I know I am going to get beat drop or not. My concern is the people who normaly would not try this size of a drop feeling like they need to during the race and then getting hurt. Last sunday as I was trying to help my buddy off of the moutain another guy rode up to it and pushed back up 3 times before hitting it he nosed dived off of it and almost endoed just like my friend. A little bit slower and I would have had two hurt people to get down. We all know the risks when we get on the bike, and we all push the envelope as much as we can. I just dont want to see a bunch of people hurt trying something they normaly wouldnt in order to place at a beg/sport race.
Dennis
I wish like hell I had work to do.......... :mumble:denjen said:
I'm bored outta my mind! :mumble:
AND......I'm between semesters, so it's not like have school work to do. :mumble:
But hey, I put the hours in......at least I'm here.
There are people dropping like flies around me, and yet I remain. I'm not complainin however,
as a paycheck is nice. 
And yeah Den, I fully agree with what youre saying, there is an inherent risk getting on the bike to ride, but your right on point. At almost 40, Im a senior beginner at best, and the races I have done, all 2 of them
I had done some of the drops I normally wouldnt have, and Thank God I didnt bust my ass.
there is nothing technically challenging about that rock drop at all. it is part of the Snowshoe riding experience.
sport riders, everything and anything is easier with a little speed. don't think about falling and think about how SWEET it's going to look when you land the drop...and you WILL land it. it's all about confidence.
why do you think everyone becomes a better rider after they go to Whistler? why can't it be the same for everywhere? you've gotta try it sometime;the only regret you'll have is NOT doing it!
keep the rubber side down!
sport riders, everything and anything is easier with a little speed. don't think about falling and think about how SWEET it's going to look when you land the drop...and you WILL land it. it's all about confidence.
why do you think everyone becomes a better rider after they go to Whistler? why can't it be the same for everywhere? you've gotta try it sometime;the only regret you'll have is NOT doing it!
keep the rubber side down!
if I'm thinking of the same spot, it's really not a bad drop it's just akward looking the first time.
All of the complaints towards the drop during the sport/beginner races could easily be remedied by a roller right beside the drop. (if I'm not mistaken this rock is fairly wide with a few options off of it with a clearn run out) It wouldn't take more than 30 min's at most to put one there (either dirt or wood), and if snowshoe pleased it could be removed after the race. If people wanted to drop the rock they could, if they chose to roll it or whatever they could.....
this could remedy some future complaints or complaints after injuries if snowshoe forsee's this as a issue.
All of the complaints towards the drop during the sport/beginner races could easily be remedied by a roller right beside the drop. (if I'm not mistaken this rock is fairly wide with a few options off of it with a clearn run out) It wouldn't take more than 30 min's at most to put one there (either dirt or wood), and if snowshoe pleased it could be removed after the race. If people wanted to drop the rock they could, if they chose to roll it or whatever they could.....
this could remedy some future complaints or complaints after injuries if snowshoe forsee's this as a issue.
Is a 3 foot drop in a Dh course really that big of a deal no matter how sketchy the landing...its only 3 feet? Anyone have any pics of this thing?
So what is the big deal? Why so many complaints? Isnt the sport about pushing yourself and progression? The faster line should always be the harder one no matter what. I just dont understand what the big deal is.. it is a DH course not a XC course. Am I wrong in thinking this?
These pictures don't tell you much at all. I figured I would post them since they are on my computer. One is looking off the larger rider right side. We excavated a stump out of the landing zone and then graded the landing. The other pic is of our boy Josh supervising the job sitting on the lower left "slightly lipped" side of the rock.drt_jumper said:
Hey Andrew, run out there and take a picture 
and in Response to SK6, I agree with most of what you said, but even at races, I talk to other people and they encourage me and tell me good lines, and what NOT to do. I personally would never do anything I hadn't tried in practice. And when it comes to adreniline and trying stuff because of the crowd, I can't even hear them. I am in my own zone, and just riding what I did in practice.
Do many people take lines they didn't do in practice? If so, whats the point of practice?
and in Response to SK6, I agree with most of what you said, but even at races, I talk to other people and they encourage me and tell me good lines, and what NOT to do. I personally would never do anything I hadn't tried in practice. And when it comes to adreniline and trying stuff because of the crowd, I can't even hear them. I am in my own zone, and just riding what I did in practice.
Do many people take lines they didn't do in practice? If so, whats the point of practice?
Castle said:
people are whining over that? I am going to be racing my 24" hardtail and am going to sky the hell out of that....what is the big deal...get over it and learn how to ride! Its tiny no matter what kind of angle it is on.
Good grief 4 pages of whinning. The drop is not bad. However that is the only section I crashed on the weekend of the 4th of July. I hit it fast and forgot to scrub speed before I hit the whoops in the exit. I got bucked and went down hard in the whoops. But Sweet Dreams is the best trail there.
Damn, I was expecting perhapes a "Raiders of the Lost Arc" kinda thing......Castle said:this is the one at question, right?
That being said, I'm the fool who will bust his a$$ on it!
