[Event] WP Downhill Round 1 - Helderberg Trails

[GLuvsMtb]

From a spectators point of view it was a bit frustrating. Delays (not sure why) meant that we left just after the ladies race.

I liked the intimate vibe and the way the guys seemed genuinely pleased if another rider had a good run.

[Ferro]

Don't know anything about the DH scene but very keen to come watch sometime with my son. What event should I look out for to make it a proper outing - spectator wise? CPT based.

[Duane_Bosch]

From a spectators point of view it was a bit frustrating. Delays (not sure why) meant that we left just after the ladies race.

I liked the intimate vibe and the way the guys seemed genuinely pleased if another rider had a good run.

Yeah. It's unfortunately not a great spectator sport. Getting the riders to get on the shuttles on time is like herding cats. Also there's a HUGE speed differential between the fast guys and the pikkies so they sometimes leave large time gaps. 

 

Typically there's a full course hold when someone crashes and gets hurt. This happened quite a lot in the dry powdery conditions. There are very few ego's and rivalries. It's a tiny community and everyone knows everyone. I think the happines for the other bloke is coz you race the clock and not the guy next to you. Also it's not the safest sport so there is a shared acknowledgement of the dangers.

Edited February 29, 2016 by Duane_Bosch

[Shebeen]

From a spectators point of view it was a bit frustrating. Delays (not sure why) meant that we left just after the ladies race.

I liked the intimate vibe and the way the guys seemed genuinely pleased if another rider had a good run.

we had fun there, lank dusty. flippen long way up from the finish, so with carrying two toddlers we didn't get far!

 

who won?seems like not much info on that!

[Tankman]

From a spectators point of view it was a bit frustrating. Delays (not sure why) meant that we left just after the ladies race.

I liked the intimate vibe and the way the guys seemed genuinely pleased if another rider had a good run.

The delay worked in my favour since I was a bit late in getting there.

 

I somehow missed the directions how to get up there. Luckily I've cycled up the a couple of thime.

 

Going up there with my Kawasaki Ninja probably wasn't the best bike choice!

Actually going up was ok but I kaked coming down with those slick tyres in the slippery slidery powder dust!

[Headshot]

Yeah. It's unfortunately not a great spectator sport. Getting the riders to get on the shuttles on time is like herding cats. Also there's a HUGE speed differential between the fast guys and the pikkies so they sometimes leave large time gaps. 

 

Typically there's a full course hold when someone crashes and gets hurt. This happened quite a lot in the dry powdery conditions. There are very few ego's and rivalries. It's a tiny community and everyone knows everyone. I think the happines for the other bloke is coz you race the clock and not the guy next to you. Also it's not the safest sport so there is a shared acknowledgement of the dangers.

Ya, spot on re the personalities thing. I am late to the gravity game and have always found the peeps super friendly and willing to help or share info.

 

How you do Duane?

[GLuvsMtb]

Yeah. It's unfortunately not a great spectator sport. Getting the riders to get on the shuttles on time is like herding cats. Also there's a HUGE speed differential between the fast guys and the pikkies so they sometimes leave large time gaps. 

 

Typically there's a full course hold when someone crashes and gets hurt. This happened quite a lot in the dry powdery conditions. There are very few ego's and rivalries. It's a tiny community and everyone knows everyone. I think the happines for the other bloke is coz you race the clock and not the guy next to you. Also it's not the safest sport so there is a shared acknowledgement of the dangers.

I was standing there wondering how difficult it would be to make it more spectator friendly. A few IP based cameras at the gnarly bits, a beer tent and what looks like one huge security control room looking at all 6 cameras at once as the footage is streamed down while the guys make their way down the mountain could be a possibility. The only way to grow this is to get the people to come and watch (or watch it on TV / over the internet). With some refinement you could even get these edited and have a short TV insert.

[Headshot]

I was standing there wondering how difficult it would be to make it more spectator friendly. A few IP based cameras at the gnarly bits, a beer tent and what looks like one huge security control room looking at all 6 cameras at once as the footage is streamed down while the guys make their way down the mountain could be a possibility. The only way to grow this is to get the people to come and watch (or watch it on TV / over the internet). With some refinement you could even get these edited and have a short TV insert.

They were doing something like this at the last Nationals at Jonkers.

[Duane_Bosch]

Ya, spot on re the personalities thing. I am late to the gravity game and have always found the peeps super friendly and willing to help or share info.

 

How you do Duane?

Erm. I forgot to wake up on Sunday morning....

[Heinrich Hattingh]

From a spectators point of view it was a bit frustrating. Delays (not sure why) meant that we left just after the ladies race.

I liked the intimate vibe and the way the guys seemed genuinely pleased if another rider had a good run.

Unfortunately this happens at every DH race...for some reason.

[Duane_Bosch]

I was standing there wondering how difficult it would be to make it more spectator friendly. A few IP based cameras at the gnarly bits, a beer tent and what looks like one huge security control room looking at all 6 cameras at once as the footage is streamed down while the guys make their way down the mountain could be a possibility. The only way to grow this is to get the people to come and watch (or watch it on TV / over the internet). With some refinement you could even get these edited and have a short TV insert.

Shu.

 

Would be rad. The fast guys, Garlicke, Philogene, Pottie, Sam Bull amongst others are properly fast riders and would be wealthy guys had they chosen golf instead of riding bikes downhill.

 

I've had the same thoughts about the WC races. The race day footage looks TERRIBLE if you compare it to an AMA Supercross or similar sport. 

[Super_mil]

It was a great weekend and the track was certainly tough. 

Here is a pic of the 1st page of final results from yesterday.

 

 

Personally I found the mid-section of the track really tough with a number of loose dusty corners that were quite hard to carry speed on.

 

All in all a great weekend that was tough on the rider and the bike. That said, it couldn't have all been about the bike as 4th placed Theo Erlangsen rode the pants off the Capra he was on! 

 

I'm sure a full write up will be up in a bit.

[Super_mil]

For the ladies it was:

1. Rika Olivier
2. Simone Futter
3. Beanie Thies
4. Kathryn Fourie

Sorry to the other ladies whose names I just don't know but every one did really well just to get down that track repeatedly. 

[GLuvsMtb]

Shu.

 

Would be rad. The fast guys, Garlicke, Philogene, Pottie, Sam Bull amongst others are properly fast riders and would be wealthy guys had they chosen golf instead of riding bikes downhill.

 

I've had the same thoughts about the WC races. The race day footage looks TERRIBLE if you compare it to an AMA Supercross or similar sport.

DH and XC should be much more TV and spectator friendly than marathon racing. You can cover so much with 6 or 7 stationary cameras and a drone or 2. Yet we have the hospitality zones packed at the marathon and half marathon races with spectators watching guys sprinting to the finish line. Blows my mind...

[Duane_Bosch]

DH and XC should be much more TV and spectator friendly than marathon racing. You can cover so much with 6 or 7 stationary cameras and a drone or 2. Yet we have the hospitality zones packed at the marathon and half marathon races with spectators watching guys sprinting to the finish line. Blows my mind...

Agree 1000% But SA is Marathon country. And it always will be.

 

On the DH side I think comparing it to Moto or something else is a mistake (Yes I'm guilty) I'd rather compare it to say the Isle of Man TT. It's also a Time trial that requires LARGE testes. At the TT decent live television coverage just is not possible. Their stuff comes the day after in a slick edited format that really works for me.

 

I feel the same for the World Cups. Budget constaints (the lack of cameras) and the fact that the riders are 1 minute apart mean we're only seeing 20-30% of each riders actual run. And most of that is the finish area.

 

In the ski world cups big panning shots are ok coz the skiers are on pistes so easily visible. in DH it makes it look lame. Some drones and helmet cams would make it way more exiting. But. That would mean no live coverage.

[lerouc]

DH and XC should be much more TV and spectator friendly than marathon racing. You can cover so much with 6 or 7 stationary cameras and a drone or 2. Yet we have the hospitality zones packed at the marathon and half marathon races with spectators watching guys sprinting to the finish line. Blows my mind...

Go pitch it to supersport, they already have the infrastructure. Or approach netflix  then dstv will follow suite quick.