S.A. downhill ladies

[Thug]

I think we are sitting in a catch 22 situiation.

 

To make it on the world stage and to compete regularly at the sharp end of the field requires sponsorship and to get the required sponsorship one needs to have extreme talent and be noticed at a youngish age.

 

The only way that this is going to happen is to move out of SA and live in Europe trekking from race to race until your technical skills improve and the results start coming. Even then there is no guarantee of that happening.

 

Bottom line is that you need make the sacrifice to live your dream of competing against the world's best (assuming that is what you want) but not many are prepared to exchange the cosy life for one of a sleeping bag in the back of a 15 year old camper van.

[Wyatt Earp]

So the resounding answer is that we don't have 1 lady in all of S.A. that can compete on the international DH circuit .

[Guest Omega Man]

So the resounding answer is that we don't have 1 lady in all of S.A. that can compete on the international DH circuit .

That is unfortunately correct. To be fair tho unless your name is Atherton you aren't going to make any $ on the world cup circuit as a lady.

[Wyatt Earp]

That is unfortunately correct. To be fair tho unless your name is Atherton you aren't going to make any $ on the world cup circuit as a lady.

 

Sad , as for the money, I hear you, however it's for the pride of oneself and the nation.

[DIPSLICK]

So the resounding answer is that we don't have 1 lady in all of S.A. that can compete on the international DH circuit .

I GET THE FEELING YOU TRYING TO GET TO ANOTHER POINT HERE

[Danger Dassie]

Mariske Strauss is doing very well on the international circuit, XCO.

 

To get riders onto the podium is more than finding talent, that we have here. It's the development, nurturing and continued support of those riders where we'll see the real results.

It seems to be a work ethic that's fast fading in SA. It's an all or nothing attitude.

[hayleyearth]

So the resounding answer is that we don't have 1 lady in all of S.A. that can compete on the international DH circuit .

 

If you compare the amount of woman in this country that have DH rigs (maybe about 15 in total) to the amount that does XCO/XCM I think you should see 10 ladies AT LEAST from SA in the XCO/XCM top world rankings 1st to even think about hammering the girls that have the balls to go down the things they do on the DH courses.

(no I am not one of them, I DO NOT DO DH! I just ride my bike.)

[Guest Omega Man]

Sad , as for the money, I hear you, however it's for the pride of oneself and the nation.

Ja I get you. But there's nothing in it for the riders. Tahnee Seagrave (Junior Ladies World Champ) for example isn't on a proper WC team. Her dad "manages" her and they are effectively a privateer team operating out of a van in Morzine with her brother and another junior rider who's probably paying his own way.

 

Pottie man in a van'ed it for a year 2 years ago and he was incredibly fortunate to be picked up by that Canfield team. And he didn't even get a salary. He got paid win bonuses.

 

Pride don't pay the bills.

[Wyatt Earp]

If you compare the amount of woman in this country that have DH rigs (maybe about 15 in total) to the amount that does XCO/XCM I think you should see 10 ladies AT LEAST from SA in the XCO/XCM top world rankings 1st to even think about hammering the girls that have the balls to go down the things they do on the DH courses.

(no I am not one of them, I DO NOT DO DH! I just ride my bike.)

 

Get off your high horse, nobody is hammering the girls that do downhill locally.

If you have the very high level of intelligence you so very often claim to have, you would have noticed by now that what I am saying is that it would be awesome to see a South African lady at the top of the downhill circuit internationally.

 

The handful that are doing downhill, I do take my hat off to them, especially the girls who actually can ride a downhill course.

I for one don't have the skill, yet have an admiration for it, and I will stand by my belief that if we had a lady from this country on that circuit (regardless of how it gets funded) it would be good for cycling in this country as a whole.

 

Downhill gets more exposure and "face" time than any other discipline of MTB.

 

So do yourself a favour and go back to my original post so you may get an understanding as to where it all originated from.

 

You come across as pretty defensive and I simply can't understand why, you are not a downhill rider from what I understand.

[hayleyearth]

Get off your high horse, nobody is hammering the girls that do downhill locally.

If you have the very high level of intelligence you so very often claim to have, you would have noticed by now that what I am saying is that it would be awesome to see a South African lady at the top of the downhill circuit internationally.

 

The handful that are doing downhill, I do take my hat off to them, especially the girls who actually can ride a downhill course.

I for one don't have the skill, yet have an admiration for it, and I will stand by my belief that if we had a lady from this country on that circuit (regardless of how it gets funded) it would be good for cycling in this country as a whole.

 

Downhill gets more exposure and "face" time than any other discipline of MTB.

 

So do yourself a favour and go back to my original post so you may get an understanding as to where it all originated from.

 

You come across as pretty defensive and I simply can't understand why, you are not a downhill rider from what I understand.

 

 

 

So much to say about that…

 

1stly, I didn’t attack you, so calm down. No need to be rude.

 

Keeping on the topic:

“DH gets more exposure?” I can’t recall if I ever saw any DH on TV before this year actually. I can remember telling a friend or two every time this year when I saw it to put the TV on. Can you tell me how many hours they show XCO/XCM vs DH on TV? Or how many more XCO/XCM races there are in SA compared to DH a year? ………..I can go on and on to argue this point.

 

There are two born SA ladies (Nadia isn’t SA born and thus had paper issues) I can tell you that I have seen riding (note this as I know there are a few I have not seen) that if they are told to quit their jobs and go ride and get the support to do so that they will make it onto the international scene: Kath and Linkey (yes she doesn’t even have a DH rig, but give her one and a chance and she will make it).

 

All the personal things you said towards me:

I have never had a horse, always wanted one, but opted for the bikes instead.

 

I never "claim to be intelligent", if I have, please tell me where and when. Just because I have an engineering degree it doesn’t mean “I think I am smart”, I just knew I would have to provide for myself one day (which is today), so I pulled my finger…..

Just because I know a bit about things in general and have the confidence to sometimes mention my opinion doesn’t mean I think I know best. I will never make less of someone else so I can feel better of myself. I will never tell anyone their decisions are crap, but I should also not be judged because I follow my own path/way.

 

Yes, I am not a DH rider, but I will pay R500+ for an entry if it keeps the sport alive. (That is what they are trying to do now in Gauteng "keep the sport allive", and sadly in the last few months, I was the only lady at both the races they had…. – yes only 2 races in Gauteng the last 4 or so months…..compare that to the amount of XCO/XCM…do you still say it is getting more “face time”?)

[Wyatt Earp]

So much to say about that…

 

1stly, I didn’t attack you, so calm down. No need to be rude.

 

Keeping on the topic:

“DH gets more exposure?” I can’t recall if I ever saw any DH on TV before this year actually. I can remember telling a friend or two every time this year when I saw it to put the TV on. Can you tell me how many hours they show XCO/XCM vs DH on TV? Or how many more XCO/XCM races there are in SA compared to DH a year? ………..I can go on and on to argue this point.

 

There are two born SA ladies (Nadia isn’t SA born and thus had paper issues) I can tell you that I have seen riding (note this as I know there are a few I have not seen) that if they are told to quit their jobs and go ride and get the support to do so that they will make it onto the international scene: Kath and Linkey (yes she doesn’t even have a DH rig, but give her one and a chance and she will make it).

 

All the personal things you said towards me:

I have never had a horse, always wanted one, but opted for the bikes instead.

 

I never "claim to be intelligent", if I have, please tell me where and when. Just because I have an engineering degree it doesn’t mean “I think I am smart”, I just knew I would have to provide for myself one day (which is today), so I pulled my finger…..

Just because I know a bit about things in general and have the confidence to sometimes mention my opinion doesn’t mean I think I know best. I will never make less of someone else so I can feel better of myself. I will never tell anyone their decisions are crap, but I should also not be judged because I follow my own path/way.

 

Yes, I am not a DH rider, but I will pay R500+ for an entry if it keeps the sport alive. (That is what they are trying to do now in Gauteng "keep the sport allive", and sadly in the last few months, I was the only lady at both the races they had…. – yes only 2 races in Gauteng the last 4 or so months…..compare that to the amount of XCO/XCM…do you still say it is getting more “face time”?)

 

Listen carefully , you came out with the assumption that I had no respect for the downhill ladies.

You should have read the thread properly.

 

Downhill always has and always will get more exposure internationally ,you seem to think local, I am thinking international.

It's the most watched of the MTB disciplines and also the most marketed in the international rags.

 

As much as we are marathon mad in this country, it's quite the opposite in Europe and the States.

 

The rest of the story is beautiful.

[hayleyearth]

Listen carefully , you came out with the assumption that I had no respect for the downhill ladies.

You should have read the thread properly.

 

Downhill always has and always will get more exposure internationally ,you seem to think local, I am thinking international.

It's the most watched of the MTB disciplines and also the most marketed in the international rags.

 

As much as we are marathon mad in this country, it's quite the opposite in Europe and the States.

 

The rest of the story is beautiful.

 

(the part in bold reminds me of how angry parents spoke to naughty kids - note, my parents never said those words to me luckily)

 

I think that is also the problem here...I am a good listner, but a bad reader (note, I am saying I suck at something), but it doesnt change what I have written as a GENERAL statement (not one pointed towards you)! I also never said you dont have respect for them, as I know you dont even know most of them.

 

I will start my sentences in your threads from now on "If one" and not "If you".....it might show you that I am actually talking about the bigger picture and not directly about you....sorry if I have offended you.

[Wyatt Earp]

(the part in bold reminds me of how angry parents spoke to naughty kids - note, my parents never said those words to me luckily)

 

I think that is also the problem here...I am a good listner, but a bad reader

 

Yeah the part in bold maybe shows that you never really listened well, so if you didn't read properly (online),then it actually means you listened poorly (online)

[Super_mil]

Listen carefully , you came out with the assumption that I had no respect for the downhill ladies.

You should have read the thread properly.

 

Downhill always has and always will get more exposure internationally ,you seem to think local, I am thinking international.

It's the most watched of the MTB disciplines and also the most marketed in the international rags.

 

As much as we are marathon mad in this country, it's quite the opposite in Europe and the States.

 

The rest of the story is beautiful.

 

But with no local exposure and no local support how do you expect a local rider to make it to the international scene? You don't just fall into international cycling. There has to be progression...

[Wyatt Earp]

But with no local exposure and no local support how do you expect a local rider to make it to the international scene? You don't just fall into international cycling. There has to be progression...

 

Correct, and thats's why I started the thread, as I said in the original post, we were discussing this on our ride yesterday and it raised quite a few questions.

 

I heard via someone that there was a lady they met who claimed to have raced on the international circuit, if this is the case, I would like to hear her views.

It would be great to see the growth of downhill in this country and in particular ladies.

[Wyatt Earp]

But with no local exposure and no local support how do you expect a local rider to make it to the international scene? You don't just fall into international cycling. There has to be progression...

 

My comment was also in reference to the exposure and the comments made regarding broadcasts.

As I said, locally we don't se the exposure DH gets, internationally it's very different.