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Where are the BIG drops?

eric1bss

Chimp
Apr 1, 2004
20
0
North VA
I'm a little dissapointed to say that my trails in Florida have bigger drops than any trails that I've ridden since my move to Northern VA. When I say big, I'm talking about 10+ foot drops. Can somebody please let me know if there are any big hucking trails in the north VA area. Snowshoe didn't even have any drops that my friends and I from florida would consider big.


Florida style...

http://www.freeridesouth.com/pics/pictures/2437.jpg

http://www.freeridesouth.com/pics/pictures/169.jpg

Trail gap
 

eric1bss

Chimp
Apr 1, 2004
20
0
North VA
Originally posted by BigMike
You are in the wrong place for big drops buddy ;)

How can that be? there are mountains and rocks and stuff. There must be some really hardcore freeriding, and I'm not talking about those boardwalks they put in at snowshoe.
 

Matt D

Monkey
Mar 19, 2002
996
0
charlottesville, va
Originally posted by eric1bss
How can that be? there are mountains and rocks and stuff. There must be some really hardcore freeriding, and I'm not talking about those boardwalks they put in at snowshoe.
Maybe you should go there first before you put the park down?:rolleyes:
 

eric1bss

Chimp
Apr 1, 2004
20
0
North VA
Originally posted by Matt D
Maybe you should go there first before you put the park down?:rolleyes:
I just rode there all day saturday and sunday, thanks for asking. The trails were totally awesome, but the stunts were not up to double black diamond par. The A-frame with the nice skinny on the left was the only one that came close.
 

Matt D

Monkey
Mar 19, 2002
996
0
charlottesville, va
Okay, it sounded like you judged SS by the first couple pics that were posted. A lot of people saw those and flamed SS for it. Glad to hear you got to ride there.

To be honest, I don't know of any 10+ drops anywhere in the area. Windrock maybe? I'm sure people know of at least a couple.
 

BigMike

BrokenbikeMike
Jul 29, 2003
8,931
0
Montgomery county MD
Yes, tehre are mountains around..... and there is a lot of stuff to ride.

There are not really any "huge" jumps that I know of, especially not ones that you and your Florida friends feel are up to "double black diamond par."

However, we do have some people around here that I'm sure would be willing to build some large drops, as there is plenty of potential.

So maybe instead of putting down the work that others have done, and being "all that," you could make an effort to meet people around here, and see if anyone would be interested in building with you.

I'm not trying to be a d!ck, its just that people around here dont really like people that come in and are condecending in their first posts. I'm just trying to help you out man.



Keep on riding :thumb:
 

mobius

Turbo Monkey
Jan 25, 2003
2,158
0
Around DC
I'd say the biggest thing in the area was the stuff at snowshoe. The launch ramp at the end of the trail. And uhhh id say dropping off the lift platform like mattoid,me and a few others were doing were as big as ive known in the area.
 

CHOP

Monkey
Aug 20, 2003
611
2
Rivermont, Va
Originally posted by eric1bss
I'm a little dissapointed to say that my trails in Florida have bigger drops than any trails that I've ridden since my move to Northern VA. When I say big, I'm talking about 10+ foot drops. Can somebody please let me know if there are any big hucking trails in the north VA area. Snowshoe didn't even have any drops that my friends and I from florida would consider big.


Florida style...



Bender, is that you?
 

Salami

Turbo Monkey
Jul 17, 2003
1,784
118
Waxhaw, NC
Originally posted by BigMike
There are not really any "huge" jumps that I know of, especially not ones that you and your Florida friends feel are up to "double black diamond par." .....

So maybe instead of putting down the work that others have done, and being "all that," you could make an effort to meet people around here, and see if anyone would be interested in building with you.

I don't think Eric is trying to put any body down. Us Florida boys catch a lot of flack for having the ****ty ass terrain we have (we do have some pretty ****ty terrain, we have like 4 cool places to ride in the whole state) and I think we kind of expect that the grass is greener on the other side (i.e. almost anywhere other than FL).

We do the best we can with the very limited terrain we have and I have always assumed that people in other parts of the country did the same thing but it was better and easier because most people have so much better terrain to start with. I can see being a bit disappointed moving from FL and finding things a bit different from here.

Anyways I am sure Eric is more than up to building new stuff :D
 

BigMike

BrokenbikeMike
Jul 29, 2003
8,931
0
Montgomery county MD
Originally posted by Salami
I don't think Eric is trying to put any body down. Us Florida boys catch a lot of flack for having the ****ty ass terrain we have (we do have some pretty ****ty terrain, we have like 4 cool places to ride in the whole state) and I think we kind of expect that the grass is greener on the other side (i.e. almost anywhere other than FL).

We do the best we can with the very limited terrain we have and I have always assumed that people in other parts of the country did the same thing but it was better and easier because most people have so much better terrain to start with. I can see being a bit disappointed moving from FL and finding things a bit different from here.

Anyways I am sure Eric is more than up to building new stuff :D
Understandable. It just came off that way to me. no biggie :)
 

eric1bss

Chimp
Apr 1, 2004
20
0
North VA
Originally posted by Salami
I don't think Eric is trying to put any body down. Us Florida boys catch a lot of flack for having the ****ty ass terrain we have (we do have some pretty ****ty terrain, we have like 4 cool places to ride in the whole state) and I think we kind of expect that the grass is greener on the other side (i.e. almost anywhere other than FL).

We do the best we can with the very limited terrain we have and I have always assumed that people in other parts of the country did the same thing but it was better and easier because most people have so much better terrain to start with. I can see being a bit disappointed moving from FL and finding things a bit different from here.

Anyways I am sure Eric is more than up to building new stuff :D

Thanks, Salami. You hit the nail on the head with the whole greener grass thing. And I'm sorry if I sounded like I was putting any body or their trails down. The trails here are great and I can already feel my high speed downhill skills getting better. In florida I was pretty much used to hitting one big drop and then going back to the top and hitting it again and I was thinking the trails here would have drops like that mixed in with the great downhill. I would be more than happy to help build some trails/drops/northshore stuff.

No hard feelings.
 

FatOld&Bald!

Chimp
Apr 20, 2004
12
0
South Florida
Eric, It's Andy from FRS. Bummer about the lack of aggressive drops and stints up there. You need to build some sh!t for the rest of us Orange Pickers to come sample!

One question: how was SnoeShow compared to Whistler? Demo bailed our BC trip and I need amo to get him back on board since 2 of our other riders are down with serious injuries (Jerry had his foot screwed back together and Gary broke 2 ribs and punctured a lung :mad: ) Demo thinks he'll get a good fix from SS but I think it will be more tease like. He is going up next month as you may know and he is trying to talk me into a trip back up late August. After reading your post I am back on the BC band wagon!


Home!
 

llkoolkeg

Ranger LL
Sep 5, 2001
4,335
15
in da shed, mon, in da shed
You could build some real big drops up here in the 'shed, and I have heard about one in the size range you're talking about that exists already. I haven't sought it out, though, because I know I'd never do it. I'll try and check it out this coming weekend and get back to you.
 

Hulkamaniac

Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
501
0
Germantown, MD
Originally posted by eric1bss
I'm a little dissapointed to say that my trails in Florida have bigger drops than any trails that I've ridden since my move to Northern VA. When I say big, I'm talking about 10+ foot drops. Can somebody please let me know if there are any big hucking trails in the north VA area. Snowshoe didn't even have any drops that my friends and I from florida would consider big.
Eric,
Sorry the drops and jumps weren't big enough by your standards. These things are planned, but it's not something we can just go out and build overnight. Liability, safety, danger, etc all come into play when you build bigger drops, jumps, and stunts. We just can't build something to cater to 1 or 2 riders at this time when the 98% of the riders out there cannot or are not willing to risk personal injury.

The word I am looking for here is progression. As the rider base that comes up here progresses in skill and confidence, so will the features and technical aspects of the trails we build. This kind of stuff (bigger drops, jumps, features) is already in the works, but it wasn't something we could open with due to risk management issues........last thing any rider needs is to end their season trying a big drop/jump on the opening weekend.

Finally, keep in mind, what you saw and rode was built by no more than 5 to 8 people on the weekends in our spare time. Most all of us have different jobs up here, only 1 or 2 are employed solely for the bike program. We have volunteered countless hours to design and build everything out there. Total work days add up to less than a months worth and many of those days were filled with torrential downpours and/or just about every other type of crazy weather we have here at Snowshoe............and we worked through all of it. Bigger stuff is coming with time, but we cannot shock, scare, or get people injuried in the first weekend of riding.
 

Salami

Turbo Monkey
Jul 17, 2003
1,784
118
Waxhaw, NC
Originally posted by Hulkamaniac
This kind of stuff (bigger drops, jumps, features) is already in the works, but it wasn't something we could open with due to risk management issues........last thing any rider needs is to end their season trying a big drop/jump on the opening weekend.......

Bigger stuff is coming with time, but we cannot shock, scare, or get people injuried in the first weekend of riding.
How about by next weekend or even the Fourth of July? :D :D


It is good to hear more stuff is in the works. Is more stuff going to be built over the summer or is Snowshoe going to wait until the season ends to see how it goes?
 

Hulkamaniac

Monkey
Oct 10, 2001
501
0
Germantown, MD
We are going to be continually building all summer long. I don't have a schedule of exactly what will be built when though. We've only been able to build since the snow cleared out (think very late April/early March) and got a whole lot done, so one would think only a lot more can be built now that the weather is a bit more friendly/predictable.
 

FatOld&Bald!

Chimp
Apr 20, 2004
12
0
South Florida
Cool!

It is a great thing you guys are doing! I know it is easy for us to say more bigger skinnyer and we don't mean any disrespect by it. We are just stuck in the muddy flatlands and count the seconds until we get to sample your back yard. Can't wait to see what's been built there, I have a pre-BC trip planned for SS too, so build more faster bigger :D
 

DamienC

Turbo Monkey
Jun 6, 2002
1,165
0
DC
Originally posted by Matt D
Nice! Is that at SS?

I'll be keeping a look out for it Sunday.
Yup, it's at the end of one of the trails in the freeride park. I can't remember which one though :confused: . As you're coming down the gravel road leading to the lift, look toward your left up the hill and you'll see it.
 

eric1bss

Chimp
Apr 1, 2004
20
0
North VA
Andy,

You want BC for sure! Nothing even compares to the riding there. Just remember the rose hill road gap. SS is a great place to ride, but if you are planning a big trip you might as well go to the SHore and Whistler.