You've got to be kidding. with entry fees that high i would demand a bj from the podium girls even if i got last placeIt's $185 this year.
Definitely worth it though.
Beneke vs. Weir
- Thread starter NJMX835
- Start date
if you do both the XC and DH...yes
XC: http://www.downievilleclassic.com/pages/crosscountry.html
DH: http://www.downievilleclassic.com/pages/downhill.html
Ah ok, that clears it up. Much more reasonable. You also get a bag full 'o cool crap and lunch as usual I assume?
Bingo.
Do The math. 33 racers in his class, at $130 a pop = $4,290.00 Generated just from that class alone.
For comparison purposes, the fee for the US National Championships at Mt Snow this year, for Men's Pro DH, are $65.00 and that's $10 more than the other classes....
Factor in that typically event sponsors also can pony up prizes and cash for the event itself. There were 175 racers total according to the posted results from last year. That equals $22,750 in entry fees alone. Factor in, as posted right here, that much of the logistical labor costs incurred are based on volunteers, not paid employees, and the lack of payout looks even worse. The most I've personally ever paid was $75.00. And I'm guaranteed a t-shirt, even if I don't qualify.
This is almost twice that.
Do The math. 33 racers in his class, at $130 a pop = $4,290.00 Generated just from that class alone.
For comparison purposes, the fee for the US National Championships at Mt Snow this year, for Men's Pro DH, are $65.00 and that's $10 more than the other classes....
Factor in that typically event sponsors also can pony up prizes and cash for the event itself. There were 175 racers total according to the posted results from last year. That equals $22,750 in entry fees alone. Factor in, as posted right here, that much of the logistical labor costs incurred are based on volunteers, not paid employees, and the lack of payout looks even worse. The most I've personally ever paid was $75.00. And I'm guaranteed a t-shirt, even if I don't qualify.
This is almost twice that.
Have you ever seen the bag of crap at Downieville? Trust me, it DOES cost money. It isn't flyers and a powerbar. It's things like shirts, race pint glasses (that they fill with beer, for free, at lunch), socks etc.
The catered lunch I had was a massive pasta dinner with garlic bread, chicken breasts, salads etc.
$100 is more than acceptable when you actually get treated like a human being. It's also one hell of a fun "race course".
Edit: forgot to add, there is feed stations on course with fruits and powerbars and such if I remember right as well. Ambulance techs the length of the course (not volunteers) etc. You also don't need a $100 race license to race it.
The cost is justified. The guys up at Downieville aren't getting rich from this event.
From from downievilleclassic.com web site:
any of you probably noticed the increase in registration fees. Well, events like this just got a whole lot more expensive to produce on National Forest Land, especially the Tahoe National Forest, where we are charged a healthy percentage of the gross revenues, as well as charged mitigation fees for surveys and studies of habitat, biology and user conflict.
Keep in mind that none of the funds collected by the Forest Service are used for trail maintenance, restoration or upkeep- that responsibility lies solely in the hands of our local non-profit, the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship (SBTS).
So with that said, $15 of each race entry fee will go directly to the SBTS, to be used for trail maintenance and restoration work on the Downieville Trail System. In addition to the $15 entry fee, SBTS will receive all proceeds from the prize raffle, silent auction, food-feed, and beer sales at the New Belgium Brewing booth. In all, it should amount to somewhere around $15,000.00 or more, depending on racer turnout and the amount of beer that gets consumed. That's $15k going directly into the maintenance and restoration of the Downieville Trail System.
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Back to Weir vs. Beneke.
Weir all the way!!!!
it has turned into a marketing deal...but the initial deal was genuine, i saw first hand the argument between them last year....Mark stayed at our hotel and was in the room next to us it all went down right out side of our room.YES!!!! I think that guy was actually the fasted guy of all time, but it was so long ago and no one ever talks of him.
Mark may want to keep the race small and cheap for winners, but it's kind of hypcritical b/c he gets a salary, which I'm sure is partly due to the publicity of this event. Jurgen isn't a full paid pro, so I can see why he'd like a little somethin-somethin.I don't think any reasonable racer would disagree that a podium spot should at least get a free race fee.
so BC, this isn't just a marketing stunt in your opinion? weird- no pun intended
Wow so this petty crap is real?
I have respect for neither of them. I've never had respect for the BS acting career that weir has taken on but it sucks that Bene is sinking to his level.
I'd actually think it was cool if these guys called each other and planned it.
Hey, thanks for posting that. I didn't know the fees have been increased, but the support of Forest Service land is an one-side affair: we (I mean the SBTS) do all the maintenance, the USFS gets their cut of the cash.
I remember one trail daze, Ranger Barney shows up for the first time, starts criticizing our work and forces us to move existing trails a big 3 feet. We were all ready to shove that guy into the ground.
At the end of the day on the hike back to town, Ranger Barney decides to skip the switchbacks and cut straight down the elevation line!
That pretty sad. I don't race just for the money obviously..
Lets compare to Plattekill race series-
$45 for Expert last year
The most I brought home was $200.
The other times I won I brought home over $150.
Weir should come race solo at Highbridge on the 24th. Beneke is. Weir's been invited. No response.
Woo, they aren't acting.
i guess they both could have said no comment when asked questions for the mag.....
but unless they kissed and made up after i walked away from the discussion, (i know they didn't based on the ride to the airport with Bennie) then all of this is genuine...
they really have a major difference of opinions.....it has just been exploited by the media, so it seems like it's made up.
my question is who informed the media? this thing happened a while back and just now it appears in the mag?
i don't read a lot of mag's but is this the first time this topic has been discussed in the mag's?
hahaha....WWF style
i couldnt care less about either.
just 2 guys fighting like little kids, they arent different from me or anyone else on this board except for the fact that they might ride a bit faster,
the saddest thing is that a magazine thinks this is worth space that could be used for something nice.
if i wanted to read about catfights id buy a fukkin tabloid...
just 2 guys fighting like little kids, they arent different from me or anyone else on this board except for the fact that they might ride a bit faster,
the saddest thing is that a magazine thinks this is worth space that could be used for something nice.
if i wanted to read about catfights id buy a fukkin tabloid...
Like what? More "best XC hardtails under $1000" shootouts?
Downieville chamber of commerce.
I know you can do it Luc
It will be the upset of the century, plus you'll then have tires named after you.
I'm not actually bashing on the promoter. I understand that this is a money making proposition, that it's a race with a lot of history, and a lot of money gets spent to make it happen.
The promoter deserves to make some serious money if they can.
I'm just discussing/sharing my view on Jurgen's beef about no entry fee return for a podium finish. It would not add up to a ton of money to do this for the pros. At the pro level, it can be expected. We amateurs are happy to show up at these events just for the sake of being able to be part of them. We Pay to Play.
For the Pro class, even a part timer, this is work, and a refund of an entry fee is a nice gesture to recognize the achievement of a strong finish.
Food, EMS, Permitting and Fees, Insurance, Port a Johns, etc. are all hard costs which have to be factored in to the overhead for an event like this, or any other. I don't so much have an issue with a high race fee as with the lack of pay out at the pro levels.
Transcend, just a minor point about the schwag...
It sounds like they really do a good job with the food etc.
Do those race pints have a New Belgium Brewery logo on them as well as a D-Ville logo/emblem? I've actually run events that were sponsored, and have handed out everything from gloves, socks, t-shirts, jerseys, water bottles, sunglasses, helmets, you name it. It is all up to the event sponsors to fund that end of it. Hats off to the promoter if they are putting out any cash for the goody bag.
The promoter deserves to make some serious money if they can.
I'm just discussing/sharing my view on Jurgen's beef about no entry fee return for a podium finish. It would not add up to a ton of money to do this for the pros. At the pro level, it can be expected. We amateurs are happy to show up at these events just for the sake of being able to be part of them. We Pay to Play.
For the Pro class, even a part timer, this is work, and a refund of an entry fee is a nice gesture to recognize the achievement of a strong finish.
Food, EMS, Permitting and Fees, Insurance, Port a Johns, etc. are all hard costs which have to be factored in to the overhead for an event like this, or any other. I don't so much have an issue with a high race fee as with the lack of pay out at the pro levels.
Transcend, just a minor point about the schwag...
It sounds like they really do a good job with the food etc.
Do those race pints have a New Belgium Brewery logo on them as well as a D-Ville logo/emblem? I've actually run events that were sponsored, and have handed out everything from gloves, socks, t-shirts, jerseys, water bottles, sunglasses, helmets, you name it. It is all up to the event sponsors to fund that end of it. Hats off to the promoter if they are putting out any cash for the goody bag.
Weir ain't acting, that is how he is.
I like obnoxious people, so naturally I like Weir's schtick. It might be hit or miss, but at least he has personality.
there's a difference between talking smack and being a douche, with that line it leads me to believe that weir was doing the latter...
and i just realized that i bumped a semi-old thread....
Then he's a tool and I'll go out of my way to never buy another WTB product again.
Spoken like another MTB superfan that knows Weir (or insert other pro name here) well...or not.Then he's a tool and I'll go out of my way to never buy another WTB product again.
At any rate, I guess I am in the minority (what else is new) that thinks this stuff is great for business, creates a little fun, drama, chatter. Big fan of Weirs, Big fan of Benny, I hope this story keeps going and I hope the mags start printing more stories like this. I have not bought a MTB magazine in years till this came out.
Since I don't care for Beneke, I will never use another SRAM product again. Except for their chains, shifters, derailleurs, and forks.Then he's a tool and I'll go out of my way to never buy another WTB product again.
That was actually a little sarcasm to make a point. Weir is actually a pretty nice guy.......or at least he used to be. He went pretty far out of his way in the past to hook up some friends of mine when they were just starting to get competitive on the norba circuit a few years ago.
What I'm saying is that ACTING like a bigger dick than you really are turns people off. Because he is acting..........just like I said earlier in this thread. I really can't see him having genuine hatred for someone doing the exact same thing he is.......especially when he claims the d'ville race as the working man's event.
Like I also said before too; sure it's good for the event, sure it's good for interest, go ahead and go WAY overboard with it and end in a big slippery shaved man jello wrestling contest. Might get some more freakin women in the sport.
Other than a dhx or two I'm SOOO covered there.
I guess it is a matter of perception. I read his column in Decline and his blurbs at Santa Cruz news, and I greatly respect his attitude and his achievements.That was actually a little sarcasm to make a point. Weir is actually a pretty nice guy.......or at least he used to be. He went pretty far out of his way in the past to hook up some friends of mine when they were just starting to get competitive on the norba circuit a few years ago.
What I'm saying is that ACTING like a bigger dick than you really are turns people off. Because he is acting..........just like I said earlier in this thread. I really can't see him having genuine hatred for someone doing the exact same thing he is.......especially when he claims the d'ville race as the working man's event.
Like I also said before too; sure it's good for the event, sure it's good for interest, go ahead and go WAY overboard with it and end in a big slippery shaved man jello wrestling contest. Might get some more freakin women in the sport.
Ditto. I think his attitude and sh*t talk are half of what has made Weir so popular. The guy, in some ways, is in a category of his own. There may be other people out there that are on par w/ him as far as handling/descending skills as well as lung capacity (Lopes?) but no one showcases like Weir. He's also given a lot of credibility to the whole "all mountain" genre w/ what he's done on his Nomad (million feet of ascent in one year). Whether he's an ass or not, I can't say. But you gotta love the fact that he's making a living in the mtb world doing his own thing and making up the rules as he goes along.
Speaking of which, screw work, I'm going riding...
Considering how much they charge - I think they should at least have a time/place board (even writing in marker on a white board would be nice).
Also, Dville Outfitters was charging $12 a tube!!! Talk about taking advantage of a situation.
Also, Dville Outfitters was charging $12 a tube!!! Talk about taking advantage of a situation.
Weir may want to take up golf :biggrin:
http://www.nycmtb.com/highbridge/Hustle_and_Flow_08_results.pdf
http://www.nycmtb.com/highbridge/Hustle_and_Flow_08_results.pdf
1 Jurgen Beneke XC 5:01 Pump :42 DH 1:01 Road 2:40
Super D 2:31 Total: 11:55
I bet that 5 minutes of XC racing really tired him out, or was it the 42 seconds on the pump track?
What's the story w/ this event?
A 5 minute XC race doesn't seem to be much of a race. Cool format though w/ the combined event times in such different disciplines.
(Borrowed from http://nycmtb.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=8)
Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:37 pm Post subject: HIGHBRIDGE HUSTLE & FLOW TEAM RELAY RACE APRIL 26TH!
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Highbridge Hustle and Flow Team Relay Race
Date: Saturday, April 26th, 8 am
Location: Highbridge Park at the corner of Harlem River Drive and Dyckman
Presented by NYCMTB. Sponsored by Diablo Freeride Park (and more to come)
The Highbridge Hustle and Flow race is where lycra and body armor meet!
Imagine a team-relay race that pairs the baddest XC/'Cross/Road climbers with the quickest young pump trackers and the sickest DH pinners and Super-D trail bombers. Set them out, time-trial-style against the clock in an all-out sprint race through the woods of Upper Manhattan. The XC'er climbs through snaking singletrack, the youth hauls through the pump track, the DH'er blasts back down a berm- and drop-infested freeride trail, an XC/'Cross/Road rider sprints up an absurdly steep paved path at full bore, then the Super-D'er rips back down a technical XC trail that makes grown men cry. Tough? Yes. Fast? You bet. Fun? Of course. It's the first-ever Highbridge Hustle & Flow!
30 teams of 5 riders will test their mettle on the Highbridge Park trails for their chance to sit in the hot seat and claim victory in a race unlike any in the Northeast. For those of extraordinary skill and fitness who think they can hack it all, a limited number of solo entries are also available (please contact Jamie Bogner to arrange for solo entry). Great prizes from sponsors await, but this race isn't about medals or trinkets, it's about guts, glory... and survival.
Weir didn't make the robe if I am correct, it was a gift from the guys at Santa Cruz or Yuba or one of his buddies. I agree with stiks and Sanjuro, these guys have some personality and they just so happen to clash, as long as it's all in fun I think it's awesome, fun stuff. Woo, if I'm not mistaken you're the drama king now with your anti-WTB rant, goodness gracious.
JK
for downieville, no question it's weir over Beneke... mark has good fitness, and he know's that course like the back of his hand... he can envision every turn on that course in his sleep. If we were talking about a real DH, then I would have to say Beneke for sure... but we all know Downieville is really like a long super D.
Yeah I'm losing a lot of sleep over this.Woo, if I'm not mistaken you're the drama king now with your anti-WTB rant,
Watch your language.
in the words of BubbRubb-WOOWOO!