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National Champs at SolVista Bike Park

spoke80

Turbo Monkey
Nov 12, 2001
1,494
0
Braaap,
I don't agree with the majority of the content found on this forum but I agree with your last post. I am tired, so tired of the constant complaining and whining that I can understand why some of you participate in cycling to begin with. I find it truly pathetic and you give the sport of mountain biking a bad name.
 

Ithnu

Monkey
Jul 16, 2007
961
0
Denver
The only thing worse than whining on internet message boards is whining about the whining on internet message boards :panic:
:clapping:

But what's worse is being pysched for the race, sitting at work and looking at all the photos of people riding knowing full well you have to wait until Saturday to even get on the course.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
:clapping:

But what's worse is being pysched for the race, sitting at work and looking at all the photos of people riding knowing full well you have to wait until Saturday to even get on the course.
It kills me that I'm not even there, even tho I qualified (not for pro!). I guess I'll have to settle for riding at Plattekill. Maybe a little bmx tonight.
 

William42

fork ways
Jul 31, 2007
3,908
634
that trail looks absolutely off the hook. Those jumps are giant. Absolutely fycking massive.
 

slowitdown

Monkey
Mar 30, 2009
553
0
safety is a priority, but so is pushing our sport for the people who want to excel and push it to the next level.
can you answer a few Qs for me Spomer?

1) what is "the next level"?

2) why must it be pushed there?

3) why isn't simply going faster enough? why must jumps be made bigger, bigger, bigger until more Johnny Waddells happen?

DH MTB racing is going to have to learn, like DH ski racing did, that chest-thumping cro-magnon posturing about hugeness of features and the "balls" to hit them at full tilt is not what racing is about.

if racers need massive jumps at pinned speed to feel alive, I suggest they follow Josh Bender -- or Shane McConkey. oh wait. McConkey's dead. OOPS.
 

FarkinRyan

Monkey
Dec 15, 2003
611
192
Pemberton, BC
can you answer a few Qs for me Spomer?

1) what is "the next level"?

2) why must it be pushed there?

3) why isn't simply going faster enough? why must jumps be made bigger, bigger, bigger until more Johnny Waddells happen?

DH MTB racing is going to have to learn, like DH ski racing did, that chest-thumping cro-magnon posturing about hugeness of features and the "balls" to hit them at full tilt is not what racing is about.

if racers need massive jumps at pinned speed to feel alive, I suggest they follow Josh Bender -- or Shane McConkey. oh wait. McConkey's dead. OOPS.
Not to pre-empt his spomerness but...

1) At least part of the next level involves hitting large, well constructed jumps at high speed.

2) That's the nature of the sport we participate in.

3) Shooter knew exactly what he was doing and would clear a jump that size 99 times out of 100 with no problems, a jump that was large but also well thought out, well constructed and designed to be hit at speed. If you want to make an example you could at least have chosen Haruko Fujinaka who was, I'm sure you know, killed 7 years ago on a small, poorly constructed jump at Big Bear that wasn't well thought out or designed to be hit at speed.

I mean, come on mate. Look at that footage, look at those jumps. They're mint. Built exactly where they should be, exactly how they should be and with go-arounds if you choose not to hit them. I'm not there but God knows if I was I'd be parking my folding chair there all day long, sinking beers and getting rowdy while excellent riders smashed excellent jumps.
 

mattmatt86

Turbo Monkey
Feb 9, 2005
5,347
10
Bleedmore, Murderland
can you answer a few Qs for me Spomer?

1) what is "the next level"?

2) why must it be pushed there?

3) why isn't simply going faster enough? why must jumps be made bigger, bigger, bigger until more Johnny Waddells happen?

DH MTB racing is going to have to learn, like DH ski racing did, that chest-thumping cro-magnon posturing about hugeness of features and the "balls" to hit them at full tilt is not what racing is about.

if racers need massive jumps at pinned speed to feel alive, I suggest they follow Josh Bender -- or Shane McConkey. oh wait. McConkey's dead. OOPS.
The Jumps are on the "Pro" course, this implies the individuals are the highest level racers. They have all had experience doing big jumps, steep trails and nasty rock sections. Likewise, they know the possible implications of this activity, that's why they sign a waiver. No one ever wants to crash or get hurt but sh!t happens. Crashes happen regardless of how big, steep or fast a course is. Just because the jumps are big doesn't mean the crashes will be any worse than going over the bars in a slow speed rock section. Each racer chooses to compete, no one is forcing them to hit the jumps.

Its a dangerous sport, but then again driving a car is far more dangerous.
 

JohnnyC

Monkey
Feb 10, 2006
399
1
Rotorua, New Zealand
oh wait. McConkey's dead. OOPS.
Daym I hadn't heard about that :( I only really knew him as Saucer Boy but he seemed pretty cool. I did just find this cool video of him doing a sppof of the opening scene to "the spy who loved me", it was pretty well done!


And as people have said, the jumps are on the PRO course, anyone racing pro is a good jumper and the only way something could go wrong is when the wind picks up, but if that happens they'll close it. Things can go just as bad on a 30 foot jump.
 
Those jumps are built with super smooth long landings - very well thought out. There is a jump on the expert course that is a little sketchballs with a smaller landing. I think it's 40 some feet and takes just the right speed. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hitting that pro set, but it's so much fun watching guys pin it over big sh!t. They are right under the lift too so it's super spectator friendly. My hats off to the Sol Vista crew. I really don't understand all the whiners on here - I mean it's another mountain offering lift accessed DH. How can that ever be a bad thing. Sure it's not Whistler, but it is great to have variety.
 

Alloy

Monkey
Aug 13, 2004
288
0
thousand oaks, ca
I love the course! Part of racing should be to ride a course you can't normally ride. And these jumps are fvcking sweet!

I will say for next time it would cut down on injuries quite a bit if the go around wasn't a giant donkey punch .... make one that only takes off about 5 seconds, right now it's a little ridiculous and it's forcing guys who can't jump to take risk they should not be taking.

For those who can do the jumps, Best downhill course ever!
 

OB1

Monkey
I'm a little confused. Why are these jumps too big? Motocross tracks have had much bigger jumps for decades. Our protective gear is even equivilant now. It's LESS dangerous to crash without a 220lb bike attacking you. I've crashed 90'+ jumps in MX, 30'+ in bmx, and 35'+ in FR. NONE of which felt NEARLY as dangerous as attacking a nasty rock garden at speed. 50-75' jumps are well within reach on these burly dh bikes with tons of talented riders. But then again....I've been jumping my whole life. Rock gardens started last year for me.:D
 

soul-skier

Monkey
May 18, 2009
322
0
Mother Nature
if racers need massive jumps at pinned speed to feel alive, I suggest they follow Shane McConkey. oh wait. McConkey's dead. OOPS.[/QUOTE]

WTF? So people who want to push the envelope and overcome their fears should die in the process? Have YOU ever succeeded doing something that someone else thought impossible. I doubt it. If so then you would understand the feeling of personal accomplishment and sheer bliss when thrill-seekers attain their goals. Shane died doing a stunt that he had done hundreds of times before. It was a freak accident that took him from us. Just because you don't have the balls to ski/paracute off a mountain or hit a 50 foot plus jump on a bike don't **** on the people who can or the people who are willing to try. Success and accomplishment can never be attained without risk. Kudos to SolVista. I only wish I could have made the trip. Competing for the Nat Champs Cat 1 is a dream that will have to wait....couldn't afford it this year.
 

ojaiDH

Chimp
Jun 20, 2009
46
0
dream land
when did mountian bike racing become downhill track racing? just add a twister and you'd have a moto track. give me the gnar rocks, super steeps, two wheel slides (NOT SKIDS) and drops anyday. MTB racing is becoming a joke. sure go ahead and rip me a new one now as you do some stupid "BMX trick" on your stupid huge jump but just remember that I was hitting 10' drops on my full rigid bike when most of you were in diapers. and I can still rip it up more than many people on RM (not all or most but many, and I'm happy with that at my age). come for a ride I'll even ride my 1990 rigid pink mongoose and show you that "going big" isn't the only way to have fun on a MTB, not good enough? well I'll take you to some 20' drops with my demo and see what you think of that. This is my brother in law, I jump this.
 

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spocomptonrider

sportin' the CROCS
Nov 30, 2007
1,412
118
spokanistan
come for a ride I'll even ride my 1990 rigid pink mongoose and show you that "going big" isn't the only way to have fun on a MTB, not good enough? well I'll take you to some 20' drops with my demo and see what you think of that. This is my brother in law, I jump this.
Wow, you are obviously teh kewlest. Let us all bask in your awesomeness please.

This thread is turning into the suck. The builders at Sol Vista did an awesome job of showing what a national level race track should look like.
 

ojaiDH

Chimp
Jun 20, 2009
46
0
dream land
Wow, you are obviously teh kewlest. Let us all bask in your awesomeness please.

This thread is turning into the suck. The builders at Sol Vista did an awesome job of showing what a national level race track should look like.
come on show us your 360 or back flip! your so rad man. I'm not as cool as your suck fest but DH racing is turning into some lame sh!t, and people that think unrealistic moto jumps is progression just need to get a moto.
alright whos next to rip on me? why don't you tell me how huge man made jumps has something to do with mountian biking.
 
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bikerpunk98199

Turbo Monkey
Apr 24, 2005
1,313
0
the hood
why don't you tell me how huge man made jumps has something to do with mountian biking.
Well considering most of the mtb trails out there are made by humans, I think that man made jumps kinda have something to do with a MAN MADE track. So what if they are huge like moto jumps, is there a problem with having big jumps? or should be have a dh race up an xc hill to suit your liking?
 

Damo

Short One Marshmallow
Sep 7, 2006
4,603
27
French Alps
Track looks mint. Could do with a few more corners, but mint nonetheless.

...and who the fµck let ojaiDH on here? You sound like a kid who knows fµck all.
Posting a pic and saying you "jump this"? Are you related to Evil Knievel? Damn! That is so, so sick.
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
I showed the video to my wife and told her the report I got from Geritt that he was going 80ft on the 3rd and she said that after seeing "that guy" get hurt a couple years ago at Mammoth and get all the staples in his back she thought it had gotten too big.

I had a good snicker and then told her that "that guy" was the one who built these jumps!

Go Steve and Sol Vista. Can't say I could muster the balls or skill to clear all of them but its awesome that a few are. Good to hear them may call it based on wind conditions, but I'm glad its getting pushed.
 

MFrider

Monkey
Jul 10, 2009
138
0
The East
why don't you tell me how huge man made jumps has something to do with mountian biking.
you tell me how wooden stunts have anything to do with mountain biking?? Each has it's part, and to each is own. I cannot jump very well, but anyone can drop, and all of the drops I have ever hit that are big had some type of groomed landing to make sure it was reasonable, not much unlike a man made jump.

This is fun to watch, not sure if it progresses the sport or not, but fun to watch these guy pin it.
 

jonKranked

Detective Dookie
Nov 10, 2005
85,558
24,181
media blackout
Jesus H Christ when did you all put your skirts on? Where's Lazlo when you need him, someone needs to tell these f@gs to shut up and ride!
 

ianjenn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 12, 2006
2,998
702
SLO
Ok since about 2001-2002 many of the national events have been tamed down jump wise. Big Bear in 2001 had the 2 back to back 40 footers that many Pro men were shaded out to jump do to blind run in. These appear to have a good somewhat straight run to gather speed. They are on a wide part of the course that is not steep.

They appear safe, and considering that most of these riders on their home trails are riding stuff much harder than what the course makers can offer (at least around here) it only makes sense that they can and should be able to jump these.
 

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
Ok since about 2001-2002 many of the national events have been tamed down jump wise. Big Bear in 2001 had the 2 back to back 40 footers that many Pro men were shaded out to jump do to blind run in. These appear to have a good somewhat straight run to gather speed. They are on a wide part of the course that is not steep.

They appear safe, and considering that most of these riders on their home trails are riding stuff much harder than what the course makers can offer (at least around here) it only makes sense that they can and should be able to jump these.
The major difference is that these jumps seem safe, and well built. The big bear coffin jumps were not even close to safe OR well built.