[FCLinder]

Ok, I watch the Fuel channel all the time. It is a great place to watch most of all the action sports. I don’t know if this has ever been brought up, but why in the world would they not show or fell to acknowledge Downhill Racing or Free Riding? Our sport is just as extreme as any sport they show. All I ever see is MX, Surfing, Skating, and BMX Freestyle. I am for all of these sports, but its time we start seeing some MTB on TV in the US. Canada has a few channels that still show MTB shows, Racing, and Free Ride events. Europe has there shows and televise the World Cups sometimes. Does any one have a contact at Fox that we can send a petition to? This could help our sport grow!!!!

 

[Slugman]

If I still had cable...

 

[Transcend]

I'd love to see race footage on tv...but not on fuel or the xtreme network. I hate when the sport is portrayed as a bunch of mountain dew guzzling "EXTREME!!!!!" morons instead of professional, dedicated athletes.

That or they show bender launching himself off of a cliff with about a 1% chance of landing, and the interview that follows makes me want to crawl under the bed and curl up in a fetal position.

 

[AN6 Freerider]

i ahve written them many times about putting some mtn biking footage up. they use some clips but just dont seem to want to expose the sport more. i think it has to do with bmx really but i think they should have mtn biking on . that would be bitching

 

[_bp]

It has to do with the fact that you need like 50 cameras, which run into the 6-figures, to cover a downhill racer properly. And you are shooting in the woods, so the light sucks. Logistically it is a nightmare. And not only that but stuff never looks as big on camera as it does in person. So why put all the effort into a sport that only looks exciting to the people who do it when you can just cover a bunch of guys doing backflips over 100-foot gaps on their dirtbikes with one camera in the open air with all the light you need.

I would love to see racing on tv, but it really just isn't worth it for most stations.

There are ways to get mountain biking on tv though. Gated events like MTX or Dual have potential, more likely Dual or DS than MTX though, because most races are decided in the first 100 feet of MTX.
Freeride events like Monster Park or Crankworks mine as well be made for tv.

 

[FCLinder]

There are ways to get mountain biking on tv though. Gated events like MTX or Dual have potential, more likely Dual or DS than MTX though, because most races are decided in the first 100 feet of MTX.
Freeride events like Monster Park or Crankworks mine as well be made for tv.

This is mostly what I am talking about. I fully understand how hard it is to film a DH race. I have been around for a long time. I remember when they used to have 5 to 6 cameras in the rough sections to film for TV. Then only 3 and then none. What I am saying is there are a lot of guys filming professionally out there. Most all shows are sold to a network. Some of these guys need to set up and sell them self’s to a network. That is how all the old MTB shows where on The Out Door Life Channel a few years back.

 

[FCLinder]

I'd love to see race footage on tv...but not on fuel or the xtreme network. I hate when the sport is portrayed as a bunch of mountain dew guzzling "EXTREME!!!!!" morons instead of professional, dedicated athletes.

That or they show bender launching himself off of a cliff with about a 1% chance of landing, and the interview that follows makes me want to crawl under the bed and curl up in a fetal position.

Yes you are right I don't want to see anymore Bender dropping too. Only stuff that makes our sport look like the ture way it is and has become.

 

[tlproject7]

racing on tv is unrealistic, non bikers would rather see bmx. i think if people see a little crankworks or monster park we have a chance for fuel

 

[Mountain_Dewd]

i dont know why you would post this as a poll on a mtb site. lol.

 

[dw]

I can't imagine that anyone would vote no on that!

 

[dw]

racing on tv is unrealistic, non bikers would rather see bmx. i think if people see a little crankworks or monster park we have a chance for fuel

I don't know if you have seen the footage from Worlds 05. If you can do it like that, its a blast to watch. For me at least.

 

[FCLinder]

i dont know why you would post this as a poll on a mtb site. lol.

Think about it man!!!!! If we have some good results to show Fuel TV then maybe they seriously think about it and understand that they could have a whole other viewing group. If you don't want to see you sport on TV you are crazy and don't need to post in here.

Transcend or someone please make this Thread stick for a few days so we can get some real #'s here?

Thanks,

 

[FCLinder]

I can't imagine that anyone would vote no on that!

Yah, what the ““ are the two people thinking by voting NO? Let’s hurt the cause here and never see our sport get the respect it should. It’s funny how many of my friends called me when they saw the Jeep King of the Mountain on TV. They all told me that they liked watching it and asked me if that was the kind of racing I did. I told them yes and they told me it was cool and then asked me why they didn’t see more of our sport shown on TV. These were all my friends that don’t ride.

I don't know if you have seen the footage from Worlds 05. If you can do it like that, its a blast to watch. For me at least.

You are right here.

 

[psychobiker]

morning.. i've left messages for dave despain on speed channel. thinking they could show races during the off season nov thru feb, when nascar, f-1, superbikes aint runnin. ive got some old race footage i was gonna send him

transcontinental

 

[younger22]

It has to do with the fact that you need like 50 cameras, which run into the 6-figures, to cover a downhill racer properly. And you are shooting in the woods, so the light sucks. Logistically it is a nightmare. And not only that but stuff never looks as big on camera as it does in person. So why put all the effort into a sport that only looks exciting to the people who do it when you can just cover a bunch of guys doing backflips over 100-foot gaps on their dirtbikes with one camera in the open air with all the light you need.

I would love to see racing on tv, but it really just isn't worth it for most stations.

There are ways to get mountain biking on tv though. Gated events like MTX or Dual have potential, more likely Dual or DS than MTX though, because most races are decided in the first 100 feet of MTX.
Freeride events like Monster Park or Crankworks mine as well be made for tv.

I believe this is why DH isn't in the Olympics...I've alwyas wondered why, and I have even emailed the USOC a few times about it...

 

[Zutroy]

I believe this is why DH isn't in the Olympics...I've alwyas wondered why, and I have even emailed the USOC a few times about it...

DH isen't in the olympics cause you need a big hill to have it. The summer games tend to be in large cities most of which don't have a suitable hill anywhere close, they wouldn't want to put that constrant on the games location. Has nothing to do with TV coverage.

 

[younger22]

ahhh very good point, that's pretty obvious. I am a dip****.

 

[bizutch]

Actually, I'm sure Fuel TV wouldn't mind airing segments from the films out. You guys are a little off base on thinking DH would make it to Fuel TV though. They don't show any "timed" racing. They show freeride sessions, comps, journey videos, stuntwork, etc.

Best example is Nitro Circus. They actually stretched it into a series for the channel, using the videos to fill in. You take the latest NWD or Kranked video and I'm sure Fuel would air those video series's because they are more lifestyle oriented than Earthed.

BUT...they're only going to air stuff if they can sell ad time. We don't sell ads and our industry isn't rushing to fill in the ad time on Fuel TV to get the ball rolling either. Without sponsors wanting to put ads in a MTB show, there won't be a show.

 

[bizutch]

Now, if Fuel TV had a marketing guy who's nuts about MTB and went out and sold it to sponsors, we might get lucky.

Somehow I think the guys behind that channel all have quarterpipes in their backyards, not stunts.

 

[ATOMICFIREBALL]

Bought the DVD "Super8" just to watch some World Cup DH action & 4x.. Music sucks,but anyways...............
I remember "The Ride Guide" show on OLN & other shows every Wednesday night back in the day. WTF happend..There is zip-nothing now.
It pisses me off that these guys are doing 360 back-flips & front flips,etc at Crankworks & the prize money is real low for such a HIGH-RISK sport ..
Golf is an amazingly wealthy sport i guess. & friggin boring to watch.

****
"DOWNHILL COURSES NEED TO BE FASTER,"MUCH FASTER".
When someone crashes that person should be ragdolling for 100' or so.{Kinda joking there) Hey, there are lot's of complaints about these slow steep technical courses when most DH peeps want SPEED from what i gather & read..!1 person in particular John Tomac agrees with this & more..............
I do.. I'm sick of below 25 mph dh riding over friggin boulders..

.02

 

[Mountain_Dewd]

Think about it man!!!!! If we have some good results to show Fuel TV then maybe they seriously think about it and understand that they could have a whole other viewing group. If you don't want to see you sport on TV you are crazy and don't need to post in here.

Transcend or someone please make this Thread stick for a few days so we can get some real #'s here?

Thanks,

of course i want to see it on tv. my point is i cant see this poll helping in the least, they would probably be more interested to hear how many members and visits to mtb related sites there. numbers on growth in the freeride and dh markets, and growth in gravity and freeride related mags. some bike nerds saying they want to see biking on tv wont be news.

you could go on any hobby or sport forum and be like you want to see more of this on tv and that small dedicated audience would say yes, will a network see that as a potential large audience no.

 

[offtheedge]

it has to happen.

 

[FCLinder]

of course i want to see it on tv. my point is i cant see this poll helping in the least, they would probably be more interested to hear how many members and visits to mtb related sites there. numbers on growth in the freeride and dh markets, and growth in gravity and freeride related mags. some bike nerds saying they want to see biking on tv wont be news.

you could go on any hobby or sport forum and be like you want to see more of this on tv and that small dedicated audience would say yes, will a network see that as a potential large audience no.

It's a start man. Trust me I fully understand how things work in the Marketing, Media , Advertising, and TV worlds.

 

[Bicyclist]

I think Crankworx style slopestyle is MADE for TV. It's mindblowing to watch that stuff. Let's face it, the average viewer prefers watching tricks to racing, and Crankworkx is NUTS and huge for that.

 

[bizutch]

So do what I did when you want something bad enough. Get aggressive. When everybody said they wanted 5.10 Impact's again, but that 5.10 said there wasn't interest...I proved them wrong.
E at 5.10 said...show me enough interest, I'll make you guys the shoes again. So I hit up every forum known to man in the US, started a poll, LISTED THE CONTACT INFORMATION of 5.10 for everyone to contact them about the shoes, and forwarded every link on every site in 1 email to Eric.

It didn't take long for the first sample to hit my doorstep. Next thing you know, they're at Sea Otter...and now you're even getting color choices and other manufacturers outsourcing them again.


If you want to see Crankworx, New World Disorder, Kranked, etc aired on Fuel TV...get a thread started that has the contact info of the program director. Send out emails to the program director and CC: it to whatever advertisers you think would drop money on ad time during the show.

Just 1 single 30 minute segment aired weekly for a 4-5 month period would be enough. If you want it...do something about it.

 

[homepiece]

If you want to see MTB on TV, get Dish Network HD Package. RUSHHD has mtb on all of the time. There has been a few redbull events, the Rampage retrospective, a series called Focus, a show about the World Cup that followed Peat and Cedric and an hour show on Crankworx/whistler, and a bunch of exerpts from the Freeride Entertainment team. I liked Fuel when I had it, but there was way too much surfing. Seriously, what % of viewers actually surf? Rush HD on Dish is way better than fuel, and everything is in HD.

 

[GumbaFish]

I'd love to see dh on tv, but I think 4x would be a lot more feasible.

 

[S.K.C.]

I'd love to see race footage on tv...but not on fuel or the xtreme network. I hate when the sport is portrayed as a bunch of mountain dew guzzling "EXTREME!!!!!" morons instead of professional, dedicated athletes.

That or they show bender launching himself off of a cliff with about a 1% chance of landing, and the interview that follows makes me want to crawl under the bed and curl up in a fetal position.

LOL...:biggrin:

Yes, unfortunately network execs seem to misrepresent the DH racer, if in fact they actually know anything about us as a group specifically.

Maybe someday, someone will get it right for us...

EDIT: (From above) Butch has an excellent idea there...

 

[Bicyclist]

Please don't make MTB popular. I like my trails empty.

 

[bizutch]

Please don't make MTB popular. I like my trails empty.

good point. sometimes we forget the natural element of what we do being the most attractive part of not being a mainstream activity.

Who wants to bang bars with a yuppie on every trail ride? I bet core surfers cringe every time a show hits Fuel TV letting one of their spots be known to the masses.

 

[Bicyclist]

Yeah, it's a balance between being too fringe and in the spotlight. Honestly, there are lots of complaints about Norba sucking etc. etc. but I like that the grassroots series are cool and people are out there riding for riding's sake, not because it's a "cool" thing to do.

 

[PatBranch]

^^^ Good point. MTB has a lot of trail acess issues, that a lot of other sports don't have....

 

[Zutroy]

good point. sometimes we forget the natural element of what we do being the most attractive part of not being a mainstream activity.

Who wants to bang bars with a yuppie on every trail ride? I bet core surfers cringe every time a show hits Fuel TV letting one of their spots be known to the masses.

Well in Theory more people doing it would make it easier to get access.

All those spots they show on Fuel are very well known surf spots.

 

[FCLinder]

MTBing on TV could help get more grants and funds for trail building. If it blows up then maybe more Ski resorts will start letting us build on the slopes for the Summers. You never know till you try!!!!

 

[Metal Dude]

Yeah look at Alternative Music
We don't want Dh riding to become too popular
then we'd all look like posers and
it wouldn't be a dark, misunderstood escape for us narly dudes
ha ha ha(sarcastic laugh)
It'll never become as popular as golf, it is too hard and
dangerous to be taken in by the masses
that's why xc is more popular = Alternative music listeners(cool but tame)
Dh = Metal dude, and we know hardcore metal will never be mainstream!

 

[bizutch]

...
It'll never become as popular as golf, it is too hard and
dangerous to be taken in by the masses...!

right now Asheville Parks and Recreation is accomadating a DISC GOLF course at a place called Richmond Hill park b/c all the creepy little fairys are out in masse supporting it with signs and protests like it's a 60's anti-war demonstration. There is a trail system there we built years back that they are trying to exclude from the plans. And we were the first ones they let in to the original park!

 

[halfro]

Do you remember snowboarding in the late 80's early 90's? It was a couple buddies and I with about 5000 skiers. Seems like today it's 5000 snowboarders and 5 skiers.
Be careful what you wish for. Snowboarding has progressed a lot more because everybody and their grandma are on snowboards. DH /FR mountain biking is one of those sports that is still under the radar. I liked snowboarding that way. I can't stand snowboarding now.
It would be great for the MTB community to get some respect/money/fame/etc, but it comes at a price.
I would have to agree that people don't want to watch slow sequences. That want mind blowing speed. Similar to the olympic Super G. The masses wants to see something that is dangerous as hell (slow boulder sections are dangerous, but you know what I mean). They want to see something they would not attempt because it would kill them.
To tell you the truth, I don't want the masses on full DH rigs. It'll happen most likely so enjoy it now. So much goes into this issue...