[mtbman4]

Mark and I just got done riding and I am sad to say that the shuttle road will be closed till OCTOBER 5th!! They seen serious this time- they fenced off all of the trial crossings (trail 14, some other four wheeler trials, and they almost roped off the second road crossing, after the 1st rock garden, but we told them we were still riding). They are aparently bringing up big pieces of the windmills and I will quote one of the workers refering to the big trucks, "Man, when them things are comin' down, we ain't think we can stop um." :mumble: :mumble: :mumble:

But on the positive side, Joey did some awesome improvements. He rebuilt the drop off of the last road crossing before the "wonderland" section. its sturdy! he also changed the first doubles a little (after the bulkhead). The jump after the first double is about a foot higher, and it feels as if you get flung 10 feet up. The plan is to bring the first double toward the bulkhead and raise it up 2 ft, making the gap 25 feet. The berms are going to be bigger, and its going to be faster, flowy-er. yay

 

[spoke80]

Well come on down to Bigfoot and ride MNTX.

 

[Jeremy R]

Well come on down to Bigfoot and ride MNTX.

Hey Ben, any word on if the race is going to be pushed back yet?

 

[spoke80]

The race scheduled for September is still a go, I repeat all systems go.

 

[zappa]

So it's open for the weekend of the race but otherwise it's closed?

 

[mfzbike]

well...maybe we can still get sundays....i'm sure joey and whoever at harpers are gonna try some arm twisting to still have that race be in september...

but they're being serious about it this time....big orange fencing blocking all trail entrances.....it sucks...

i guess i gotta switch my 888 with my fox 125 and i'll be ready to mtnx

 

[bigkonarider]

Joey is going off ...Sounds like some cool stuff he's up to !!
----------------------------------------------------------
I'm happy with 4-5 runs at Bigfoot with the localz..
Maybe i'll convert my 50# Freeride bike to 4x-- & buy a DH frame ..
oh man 3- bikes{DH-4x-xc) --i've lost it !!!!!! :evil:

 

[DHracer1067]

ok. so raceday is saturday. are the lifts and everything open on friday for practice. cause we are going up on friday to practice before the race.

 

[Jeremy R]

Sugar's a sweet course and a fun place to ride.
If you are racing though, it is better to get up there on Friday to practice.
They run the lifts all day on Friday.
If you can't come up on Friday, just get there early on Saturday and drive to the top. The lift is slower than Forrest Gump on valium, and you will not get in much practice Saturday morning on it.
Sugar's race normally run really smooth as well.

 

[DHracer1067]

cool. good to know its a sweet course. any fun drops or jumps on it like at windrock. i loved that course.

 

[profro]

Jeremy is always looking at the best of things , but Sugar is no Windrock. I will race at Sugar, but you'll never catch me driving to Banner Elk to ride.

Soap Box:

After riding Windrock so much I am throughly spoiled. I know that ever other race course I go to in the Southeast will be a major let down. The great thing is that this problem can be fixed. I really hope that course builders start to step up and make the courses more challeneging. Yes, yes I know there are limitations, but surely there is some way to improve the status of Southeast courses.

 

[spoke80]

After finishing second to last at ETSU and dead last at Fontana it seems to me that riding at WR really handicaps you at all the other venues.

 

[Jeremy R]

Yeah Ben, but ETSU and Fontana are not DH courses at all.
Any course that you do not need your DH bike to compete on is not really a Dh course. ETSU is just on a small hill, and there is nothing you can do about that, but I don't know why they put those climbs in Fontana every year. That was pure thigh-burning pain.
I am a weirdo and I like competing on any DH course. Big or small.
But of course, I enjoy some more than others.
And if I am driving 3 hours to ride somewhere, I am heading to Windrock.
That said, at least Sugar is a real race course.
Its a fun course to try to ride all that slick rocky root stuff at speed.

And Doug, as far as course builders stepping it up,
There are no course builders.
Or actually anybody who cares in general. (besides the racers)

 

[spoke80]

Yeah Ben, but ETSU and Fontana are not DH courses at all.
Any course that you do not need your DH bike to compete on is not really a Dh course. ETSU is just on a small hill, and there is nothing you can do about that, but I don't know why they put those climbs in Fontana every year. That was pure thigh-burning pain.
I am a weirdo and I like competing on any DH course. Big or small.
But of course, I enjoy some more than others.
And if I am driving 3 hours to ride somewhere, I am heading to Windrock.
That said, at least Sugar is a real race course.
Its a fun course to try to ride all that slick rocky root stuff at speed.

And Doug, as far as course builders stepping it up,
There are no course builders.
Or actually anybody who cares in general. (besides the racers)

I feel that a race is a race. I should have been more focused on the event regardless of the course, conditions, turnout, tire selection, breakfast choice, last weeks work, or the crack in my pipe.

Besides, you have to ride good everywhere to ride good anywhere and that is the name of the game.

Also, Jeremy you are on point this year! I can tell you have put in the big work on the offseason to be so consistent and focused. Awesome racing so far!

 

[profro]

But what is up with Sugar having the same course for so many years. With lift assistance why isn't there more than one DH trail?

Look at it this way, we have one maybe two ski areas that give a crap about DHing around here. Sugar and Wolf. It seems that Wolf will allow multiple DH trails (if more than two or three people would get involved) and the lift is realitively fast. The lift at Sugar moves at grass growing rate and the one course doesn't change enough. Who is in charge of trails at Sugar? It seems to me like if the Asheville guys could raly under Butch and get organized as a sungle unit, then we could have a trail system that is close enough to Asheville, the Tri-cities, and Knoxville. That should draw enough interest.

Look at what Joey has done. He said to h3ll with the lame a$$ courses and built his own that would prepare him for the nationals. Now I would be willing to say that Windrock sees more non-race weekend traffic than any other DH place in the South. Why? It can't be the lift. I think its the quality of trails. Trails that challenge people. Dhers are people that seek out challenege, those that are turned away because the trails are too hard aren't DHers as I see it.

 

[Jeremy R]

But what is up with Sugar having the same course for so many years. With lift assistance why isn't there more than one DH trail?

Look at it this way, we have one maybe two ski areas that give a crap about DHing around here. Sugar and Wolf. It seems that Wolf will allow multiple DH trails (if more than two or three people would get involved) and the lift is realitively fast. The lift at Sugar moves at grass growing rate and the one course doesn't change enough. Who is in charge of trails at Sugar? It seems to me like if the Asheville guys could raly under Butch and get organized as a sungle unit, then we could have a trail system that is close enough to Asheville, the Tri-cities, and Knoxville. That should draw enough interest.

Look at what Joey has done. He said to h3ll with the lame a$$ courses and built his own that would prepare him for the nationals. Now I would be willing to say that Windrock sees more non-race weekend traffic than any other DH place in the South. Why? It can't be the lift. I think its the quality of trails. Trails that challenge people. Dhers are people that seek out challenege, those that are turned away because the trails are too hard aren't DHers as I see it.

Yeah, I used to ask myself all those same questions.
I thought if you just gave DHers the opportunity to pitch in and make things better, that they would jump at the opportunity.
But they don't.
So, now I just show up and race.
I don't have a place close to me like Windrock that I can help out with.
For next year, hopefully we can get some things going at Wolf and have some sweet stuff there, but other than that, I am just gonna ride my bike.
If people do start to "rally" around, I will be the first there to help out, but my breath is not held.
I have turned blue too many time in the past.

 

[profro]

jeremy, I have the thing for you. I'll tell you about it the next time we talk on the phone.

 

[Jeremy R]

jeremy, I have the thing for you. I'll tell you about it the next time we talk on the phone.

Let me guess.
Move to Knoxville.
Ha, that would rule.
I'll talk to ya this week.
I already put something in my car for you as well.

And Ben, I got your CD in there as well.
That afoo cat is

 

[JeffD]

One problem for the two ski areas is that nobody that rides lives close enough to them to realistically go out and work on them on a weekly basis, unlike WR. Butch, Jeremy and crew did an incredible job with Wolf considering they built those courses in one weekend blitzkriegs. You (WR) guys have the luxury of having a mountain with a paved road to the top right next to an urban center. Not excusing the situation, just being realistic.

 

[Ronny Grady]

Those Windrock guys really aren't any closer to the hill than Boone guys are to Sugar. The Windrock guys have the unfair advantage of Joey, a man with tons of motivation and enough free time to put what I guess to be 10 hrs + a week into trail building.

Any idea if the road will be open Sundays? I have been keeping a personal a countdown to August 29 when I will be back in TN and have time to drive up to Knoxville. Maybe I will just have to wait until the race in Sept....

 

[JeffD]

Really? I thought Doug lives in Oak Ridge, not sure about anybody else.

Don't know who rides in Boone but I know Sugar is about 1:15 from Butch's place.

 

[Jeremy R]

Ha, yeah that is true. I think Joey lives like 45 minutes away from Windrock, and he is always there first thing in the morning working.
That is awesome.
Luckily, he has the time, skill and desire to make that place what it is,
and that just is not realistic in other areas.
Suger needs a couple of locals to get involved to improve things, because they have a ton of sick terrain up there with the only downside being the slow lift.
Wolf could be incredible simply because they have a fast lift, steep fun terrain, and they give us free reign to build the trails how we want.
What Wolf needs is all the Asheville locals to get involved. They are only 20 minutes away. If somebody could convince Wolf to go all out and basically have a freeride park that was open every weekend, things would surely be different.
I saw the potential for a resort to make a ton of money when I went to Mt. Creek this year. They have a gazillion riders on the lifts there every weekend. Granted they are pulling from NYC and they have awesome terrain, but it is still a great example of what can be done.

 

[T-Pirate]

Jeremy if you give me a ride I will work on wolf with you guys for sure some time. What it all comes down to is building any riding area takes a ton of work and motivation, especially without manpower. We have 3 riding areas we built and the maintenance and building new stuff can really be a TON of work, thats why anyone who does not help out with any place cannot bitch. I think its awesome what I hear you guys are doing with windrock I can't wait to go.

 

[Jeremy R]

Jeremy if you give me a ride I will work on wolf with you guys for sure some time. What it all comes down to is building any riding area takes a ton of work and motivation, especially without manpower. We have 3 riding areas we built and the maintenance and building new stuff can really be a TON of work, thats why anyone who does not help out with any place cannot bitch. I think its awesome what I hear you guys are doing with windrock I can't wait to go.

Yeah, I give you a call for sure when we do anything.
I have not talked to you guys in a while. Heard you had
a sweet trip.

 

[profro]

It just takes organization and dedication to get things going. Joey is our leader, we accept his leadership and follow his vision. As things move alone he sees our visions and we work together. Something like that needs to happen at Wolf. One guy needs to step up and take full responsibility to lead, communicate and organize. You can't have two or three groups fighting back and forth on artistic vision and undermining each other with the Wolf representatives. I think Wolf, even with its lack of rocks, needs to be the next DH place in the south.

 

[bizutch]

COnsistency is the difficulty at Wolf. But this year it boiled down to the fact that I started a family and Wolf deals with me, because frankly they don't trust anybody else. I do what I say when I tell them what will happen and they respect that. They go by "Dixie" rules. Orville, te owner, is the world's most large scale "piddler"...meaning he loves getting his hands into tons of side projects. He owns the resort, he owns a large scale contruction outfit, contracting company and has real estate all over the place too.
He is hands on on all of it except the ski resort. Just wait for the May race there. It WILL be off the hook.
It will be in both the Cane Creek Series and the Maxxis series. I'll be working closely with both organizations this fall.

As for the trail system, I haven't found the Asheville version of Joey yet, but when I do I will unleash him on the place, that I promise.

 

[bizutch]

Sidebar: Any Ashevegas readers know a stunt builder/dirt digger who's bored on the weekends? I can set you up to start the projects immediately

 

[JeffD]

I sound like Nick Negativity here but the final issue the ski places present is overhead, which WR has none of. Even if somebody built the best trail in the world at Wolf, we'd still be hard pressed to get enough riders to go there for the resort to justify running the lifts. the WR DH scene is the beneficiary of the total sum of income all the other users pay to use that mountain.

 

[profro]

I sound like Nick Negativity here but the final issue the ski places present is overhead, which WR has none of. Even if somebody built the best trail in the world at Wolf, we'd still be hard pressed to get enough riders to go there for the resort to justify running the lifts. the WR DH scene is the beneficiary of the total sum of income all the other users pay to use that mountain.

Good point, but if Wolf could committ to hold two or three bike event weekends like two races and a fesitval/ride only weekend and IF the quality of trails was there then I think enough people might show up to warrant the lifts being turned on. My discontent with southeast DHing is the lack of quality trails which leads to the lack or quality racing. If the trails where out there, then I'd travel and pay to ride.

 

[spoke80]

The local racers committed to the series travel here and there to ride lesser courses already and one factor that is always present is the lack of riders at local events. So I take the same stance as Profro in that if we build it they will come and I'm not talking about one or two trails but enough to warrant spending the time and money to travel. Why do you think so many people travel to Whistler every year? I would have to say the quality of the trails for one is a big motivator.

Windrock is no exception! If it weren't for the locals here putting in the work than the local sereis would consist of ETSU, Charlotte, and ........well that is it.

My Platform: If you want more than get to work or settle for what you have and continue complaining. neaky:

 

[bigkonarider]

But what is up with Sugar having the same course for so many years. With lift assistance why isn't there more than one DH trail?

Look at it this way, we have one maybe two ski areas that give a crap about DHing around here. Sugar and Wolf. It seems that Wolf will allow multiple DH trails (if more than two or three people would get involved) and the lift is realitively fast. The lift at Sugar moves at grass growing rate and the one course doesn't change enough. Who is in charge of trails at Sugar? It seems to me like if the Asheville guys could raly under Butch and get organized as a sungle unit, then we could have a trail system that is close enough to Asheville, the Tri-cities, and Knoxville. That should draw enough interest.

Look at what Joey has done. He said to h3ll with the lame a$$ courses and built his own that would prepare him for the nationals. Now I would be willing to say that Windrock sees more non-race weekend traffic than any other DH place in the South. Why? It can't be the lift. I think its the quality of trails. Trails that challenge people. Dhers are people that seek out challenege, those that are turned away because the trails are too hard aren't DHers as I see it.

Exactly well wrote D !
Butch is planning on going to SUGAR this Sunday August 15 to make some DH trails with a local crew---i saw in another post !
.. :dancing:

 

[genpowell71]

Just getting into freeriding and DH, I dont know alot about it. But I do know that if the money for the use isnt there, then the owners dont like the idea of it. Also, not to be all negative, but in this day of land owners and governments saying that we cant use the land because a few people (no one is singled out here) cant abide by the rules, be thankful you have something to ride at all. We lost a trail in Atlanta last year because the old people decided that the MTBikers were a disruptive influence on the land. I mean, horses can still use it and tear it up. Just something to think about

 

[mtbman4]

We lost a trail in Atlanta last year because the old people decided that the MTBikers were a disruptive influence on the land. I mean, horses can still use it and tear it up. Just something to think about

Yeah. Unfortunatley, if you own horses, you own money. And if you own money, you have the ability to sway the political views of those individuals in charge. While the bikers get the shaft.....

 

[bigkonarider]

G BUSH{out President} was on a mtn bike a while back--but crashed & cut himself up...dam--hope he didn't lose interest......
Stay off the horses Georgey