I'm starting a rumour that there will be a guillotine on the pro track.
MSC#3 Angel Fire
- Thread starter 5150dhbiker
- Start date
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That hip is cool.
I heard it was a trebuchet. It was throwing large rocks at the riders in the wide open areas.
I heard the pro course has squirrels that attack you on the quicksand and boulder sections.
I heard you get -1 second for every small vermin you kill in your race run.
Reports from Angel Fire please!! Need the info! 4x & DH. What are the tracks like? Weather - Raining? Snowing?
I got ditched or left behind or something... so I want to see updates!
You guys were right about the amount of practice time.It really sucked.The course was fantastic and very fun.BUT was so long and technical,and hard to remember, I can't figure out why they didn't alot for more practice time.They also didn't give preferential lift access to your alotted class,like they said they would.It was a free-for-all.And for $15 per day,lift fee.That aint right.
I got sickover the weekend and left before my qualifier ,but the lack of practice,the slowest drivers anywhere,and the remoteness of the venue is probably enough to keep me from going back.--Locals are all great ,course is awesome.But as much as I spent in all to be there,I know the economy and all-I need to ride more ,at the very minimum.I remember when you got a t shirt , green gatorade bottles and Gu in a handy tote bag for free.I don't expect that now.But 21 1/2 hrs to kill after practice?Dosen't seem like they tried very hard for the racers,maybe I'm missing something.
I got sickover the weekend and left before my qualifier ,but the lack of practice,the slowest drivers anywhere,and the remoteness of the venue is probably enough to keep me from going back.--Locals are all great ,course is awesome.But as much as I spent in all to be there,I know the economy and all-I need to ride more ,at the very minimum.I remember when you got a t shirt , green gatorade bottles and Gu in a handy tote bag for free.I don't expect that now.But 21 1/2 hrs to kill after practice?Dosen't seem like they tried very hard for the racers,maybe I'm missing something.
1- heath
2- boice
uhhh.. sorry. it's 2 am. i dont remember.
to everyone who complained about lack of practice time- how many course walks did you do?
2- boice
uhhh.. sorry. it's 2 am. i dont remember.
to everyone who complained about lack of practice time- how many course walks did you do?
Pro Men
1 Chris Heath 5.06.88
2 Chris Boice 5.10.22
3 Kain Leonard 5.12.94
4 Phil Wiering 5.14.66
5 Ryan Sutton 5.15.66
Pro Women
1 Rachel Bauer 6.26.66
2 Darian Harvey 6.42.35
3 Jacqueline Harmony 7.00.51
4 Jennifer Wolf 7.42.12
5 Addie Stewart 7.46.55
Pro GRT Series Standings
Men
1 Chris Heath
2 Chris Boice
3 Phil Wiering
Women
1 Darian Harvey
2 Rachel Bauer
3 Jennifer Wolf
http://pinnedmtb.blogspot.com/2009/05/angel-fire-pro-grt-dh-results.html
1 Chris Heath 5.06.88
2 Chris Boice 5.10.22
3 Kain Leonard 5.12.94
4 Phil Wiering 5.14.66
5 Ryan Sutton 5.15.66
Pro Women
1 Rachel Bauer 6.26.66
2 Darian Harvey 6.42.35
3 Jacqueline Harmony 7.00.51
4 Jennifer Wolf 7.42.12
5 Addie Stewart 7.46.55
Pro GRT Series Standings
Men
1 Chris Heath
2 Chris Boice
3 Phil Wiering
Women
1 Darian Harvey
2 Rachel Bauer
3 Jennifer Wolf
http://pinnedmtb.blogspot.com/2009/05/angel-fire-pro-grt-dh-results.html
Agreed! Spent most of the weekend discovering that I have a rare power to make it rain just by climbing onto the chairlift, up until race time when it was dry and fast!
Why are the amateur times so fast compared to the pros? Did the course conditions change?
There were two courses - one for pros, one for everyone else.
dh finals stuff is up
helmet cam of course (with weird clay porter/spectacle-esque scratching remix glitch) and 34 photos
http://www.littermag.com/2009/angel-fire-msc-day-4-downhill-finals/
helmet cam of course (with weird clay porter/spectacle-esque scratching remix glitch) and 34 photos
http://www.littermag.com/2009/angel-fire-msc-day-4-downhill-finals/
congrats to Chris!
what bike is he on this year??
what bike is he on this year??
Watching the helmet cam vid on Littermag. It looks like the pros pretty much got the course from last year.
Since the best stuff was on that course. What did Cat1-3 get to ride? And why has the PRO course suddenly become to "gnarly" for the AM's?
Or was the amateur course just as fun?
I missed AF this year(first time since 05). I'm hoping that future plans aren't to dumb down the course for the CAT's.
Since the best stuff was on that course. What did Cat1-3 get to ride? And why has the PRO course suddenly become to "gnarly" for the AM's?
Or was the amateur course just as fun?
I missed AF this year(first time since 05). I'm hoping that future plans aren't to dumb down the course for the CAT's.
IMO, both tracks (Alpha & World Cup) are equally as challenging but the World Cup course is a faster course. Both are TONS of fun. I didn't attend Chile Challenge this year, but I have ridden both courses in years past. The courses merge at the Deck to step down. AF is always FUN!!
I thought I saw Kreger with a video camera on his helmet. That's me he catches at the first step down and I roll the 2nd, then he passes me.
I hadn't hit that 2nd jump before and wasn't sure so I rolled it at the last second. Sorry I EF'd up your video dude!
I hadn't hit that 2nd jump before and wasn't sure so I rolled it at the last second. Sorry I EF'd up your video dude!
it seemed the consensus from most of the pros i heard jabbering was that the "pro" course was a lot less fun than the cat 1-3 track.
i don't know that i heard any pro say they wouldn't rather run the cat 1-3 track, and not because of the "gnar" factor. the pro track was just very straight and laboring. it's cool to have rocks and tech, but the pitch through all the "new" stuff just isn't steep enough and there were very few real turns in the upper portion. that recipe didn't seem to stoke most people out.
The pro course isn't as much fun because the rock garden is long and flat. Rocks are fun, but when you can't carry speed it sucks. The tech is more on the pro course, but when you're going 4 mph desperately trying to get a pedal stroke in, it ain't much fun.
Granted, I'm just some CAT 2 dude who ran the pro course last year as it was the only course. But I have to say, the WC course we ran last weekend was easier and regardless it was more FUN.
Granted, I'm just some CAT 2 dude who ran the pro course last year as it was the only course. But I have to say, the WC course we ran last weekend was easier and regardless it was more FUN.
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anyone find pics yet?
Angel Fire Photos has some AM photos from down at the finish line. But thats all I've been able to find so far.
Here are a few my wife took through the weekend. (She was the one with the arm in a green cast above her head most of the weekend)
http://picasaweb.google.com/SeanAmberMoab/AF_20090526
http://picasaweb.google.com/SeanAmberMoab/AF_20090525
BUMP why the heck is it always so hard to find event photos? lol
pretty sure the vast crew was there: www.vastaction.com - doesn't look like shots are up yet, but give 'em more than 2 days to process the thousands of images they probably took.
The Pro course was good. Same as the course last year.
Sadly, I didnt get to do my race run because of two reasons...I hit a tree going Mach 3 and fractured my hand in 4 places. Besides that, I got into an argument with some UCI officials and I could not go down on my qualifying run (LONG story).
But ya, I'll be back next year. For the record, I did enjoy the separate practice. Kinda nice not being slowed down by anybody.
Sadly, I didnt get to do my race run because of two reasons...I hit a tree going Mach 3 and fractured my hand in 4 places. Besides that, I got into an argument with some UCI officials and I could not go down on my qualifying run (LONG story).
But ya, I'll be back next year. For the record, I did enjoy the separate practice. Kinda nice not being slowed down by anybody.
except for me you mean? lol
yea lets not start with the limited and littered practice. that is the only complaint id have, is dealing with people laying their bikes on the course and walking lines, then not moving when another rider is coming down the course.
grrrrr. besides that, it was an awesome weekend and it was awesome riding some new terrain. nice job to everyone that survived!
grrrrr. besides that, it was an awesome weekend and it was awesome riding some new terrain. nice job to everyone that survived!
yea, so glad I didn't pull a mike! (jk mike) glad I made it through un-injuried even tho I crashed off the road gap jump at full speed lol. made some changes to my bike and clipped my left pedal as I was making the slight left off the "lip" (btw wtf is up with that lip? non-existent and getting smaller every year) and got pitched over the bars into the air
but saved it and landed on the far left towards the trees got squirrly as spit and flipped off to the right down the hillside back first...
grabbed the hillside and caught myself and started stepping down the hill.. my god what a close call that was lol
:biggrin:
but saved it and landed on the far left towards the trees got squirrly as spit and flipped off to the right down the hillside back first...
grabbed the hillside and caught myself and started stepping down the hill.. my god what a close call that was lol
:biggrin:You tried pedaling in the slight left didn't you? I can't tell you how many crashes I have seen over the past few years from people trying to get one last pedal stroke. There is a small rock or stump that catches peoples pedals every time they pedal there. You need to pump that section or take a serious risk of going over the gap sideways.
yea in my race I ended up just pedaling into it after the step down beforehand and nailing the turns and hopping just a bit, turned out pretty smooth. 
I did that last year in practice, breaking my bashguard and saddle.
Uhh, you could have ridden the rest of the mountain from 8-5PM.
yea, so glad I didn't pull a mike! (jk mike) glad I made it through un-injuried even tho I crashed off the road gap jump at full speed lol. made some changes to my bike and clipped my left pedal as I was making the slight left off the "lip" (btw wtf is up with that lip? non-existent and getting smaller every year) and got pitched over the bars into the air
but saved it and landed on the far left towards the trees got squirrly as spit and flipped off to the right down the hillside back first...
grabbed the hillside and caught myself and started stepping down the hill.. my god what a close call that was lol
Whatever dude, fractured hand...no biggie. That tree had it out for me...next time I'm putting a mattress around that stupid tree!
And ya, that's why I never take a pedal stroke towards the lip. I got all my pedals in right after the drop and then coasted as soon as I hit the trees, then just get in some sweet pre-load action, throw a whip, look down for some chicks, then spot my landing and ride off into the sunset
sorry i was watching for menWhatever dude, fractured hand...no biggie. That tree had it out for me...next time I'm putting a mattress around that stupid tree!
And ya, that's why I never take a pedal stroke towards the lip. I got all my pedals in right after the drop and then coasted as soon as I hit the trees, then just get in some sweet pre-load action, throw a whip, look down for some chicks, then spot my landing and ride off into the sunset
oster_oops: LOL oh ya and you can whip? can I have your autograph? oh one last thing, I wanted to ride off into the sunset SUPREME DH TRAIL OMFG IS EPIC after the race but we had to hry so we could drive 15 hours all night to get home blah... if only some people could have got tuesday off jeez..