[MDJ]

For the old skool crew:

-When HB cut the course

-MT Snow - Naked crits, manual comps down the paved hill, the parties, and of course the track

-When Chainsmoke was release on VHS (and it has nothing to do with my 0.437 second cameo riding the chairlift)

- Shaums March jump during the Pittsburgh DS finals.

- Cully racing DS or 4x

- The Kamikaze and 54 tooth chainrings

- when pros would light up before a race instead of sip Red Bull

- the yearly addition of 1" of travel to forks.

- dedicated DH bikes rather than using your XC race bike

 

[MDJ]

Having Todd Tanner and Jason McCroy turn up for one of our local 500ft of vert DH races in Florida might take it though just in terms of kookiness.

ha - I remember that. Although my FL days are a little hazy. Was that one of the Ocala races? I don't think any of the other "DH" races had anywhere near 500ft of vert.

 

[SuspectDevice]

ha - I remember that. Although my FL days are a little hazy. Was that one of the Ocala races? I don't think any of the other "DH" races had anywhere near 500ft of vert.

It was at the track in Gainesville(the one by the MX park). A round of the Caloi series in ~1994ish. I think the last year we had a DH series was '95. I even raced DH in Miami, IIRC. WTF? I was really tight with Eric Lemaire on the Caloi team then. Full-time pro xc racer from Florida. I'm not sure that happens any more.
The DS races that we had at Hardrock Park in Ocala were pretty awesome though. That venue had enough elevation on the MX track to make for some great DS racing. Hardrock has the best XC track ever, people up her in MA still talk about how rad it was after taking roadtrips down for winter races. So moto!

I'd still rather race XC in Florida than any other region of the country. So fast, so much flow.

 

[IH8Rice]

when race courses were still called "courses" and not "tracks"

 

[MDJ]

Yeah, that's right - Gainseville. My very frst XC race was there. Broke my chain 100 yards after the start.

Hardrock was awesome, although people who have never been there didn't believe it.

Come to think of it, I remember a small contingent of Spooky fans at those races. I'm sure we must have crossed paths in those years. I knew Eric just a little but knew most of the other pro/expert XC race guys, especially the south FL guys. And of course the DH crew.

I actually won the DH race series in '95. FL DH Champ. I still get sh:t for that from some buddies.

 

[NoUseForAName]

i can give you the saddest: Earthquake jake.

r.i.p.

 

[bizutch]

One of the more epic was Helen, GA 1995. Pros protesting the DH b/c it was basically flat and foot deep red clay mud.

Greatest moment of that entire weekend was when a guy came hauling down the only hill, across the road and within site of the finish bridge. He launches off the road a whopping 6 inches, wheel lodges in the thickest mud a DH has ever seen.

Fork SHEERS OFF and he goes buried knee deep and the bike stays put standing full upright!!!! Mickey probably witnessed this one too. So much patheticness that day.

 

[epic]

One of the more epic was Helen, GA 1995. Pros protesting the DH b/c it was basically flat and foot deep red clay mud.

I had red dust coming out of my bike two years later. The Jr Women's XC was just sad, those girls bikes weighed more than they did it was like a two hour long wrestle/drag for them with them crossing the line in tears.

 

[SuspectDevice]

Come to think of it, I remember a small contingent of Spooky fans at those races. I'm sure we must have crossed paths in those years. I knew Eric just a little but knew most of the other pro/expert XC race guys, especially the south FL guys. And of course the DH crew.
.

Spooky+Racing+Florida=Me. I did 35 races in Florida(and still raced the NCS) in 1997 and just about as many throughout the rest of the late-90's. That's a lot of gas money if you're driving from SC.
I'm not sure you can race that much anywhere else in the country. It was tons of fun and it sold some bikes, so that's the whole point.

True story: I bonked so hard in the XC race at Helen '95 that I fell asleep in a stream crossing. Mud: Bike did not roll downhill even with the (cantilever)brakes un-hooked. Free 90 duro Maxxis tires for everyone too!

 

[aaronjb]

I can give you the saddest: Earthquake Jake.

QFT. What a way to go out.

 

[MDJ]

Helen '95 XC race - my introduction to cyclocross. Never done it again. I ran more than I rode that day. Come to think of it, I think that was my last XC race. So sore for the DH the next day.

 

[Mo(n)arch]

I can give you the saddest: Earthquake Jake.

For the younger guys: What happened?

 

[worship_mud]

For the younger guys: What happened?

here's a summary.
here, here and here more info.

 

[Mo(n)arch]

r.i.p.