Anyone has volunteered

[Stretch]

Volunteering is less fun for some, more fun for others. Depending on the team you are on I guess. I was on the Pro Tech team, and it was a jol. Nice team, and a great job!

 

That said, I wouldn't do it again for the entry. There are entries going "cheap" now, so if you train hard and can go at the drop of a hat, entries become available.

 

Also, have your ~85k ready. You need to pay for the entry by the end of April (if they do what they did last year).

Did you just quote 85k... To ride a ******* bike. What a colossal waste of money

[DieselnDust]

Did you just quote 85k... To ride a ******* bike. What a colossal waste of money

 

 

its more a colossal cost for what some consider to a short cut to right of passage into uber mountain biker

[matthieup]

I like the idea of paying that as a refundable deposit in order for the organisers to know they can rely on you arriving and doing the work at hand ... once you have full filled your obligations, then it would be "right" for them to refund you the deposit.

 

If it was a matter of just volunteering, I would imagine that closer to the time they would see a fair no. of people just pulling out and then they have to scramble to find replacement staff.

 

or at the very least deduct it from the next year fee...

[Hairy]

even better

or at the very least deduct it from the next year fee...

[Simon123]

Hahaha, I cannot believe people are PAYING to work. 

 

Cape Epic isn't a charity.  It's a business with BIG MONEY, and people are paying to work there?   I get charging the "volunteers" because it means they will actually show up (a real problem), but FFS, rather offer them SOMETHING and they will still rock up.

 

We are one of the few people in our industry that pays our internships (other's dont, let alone charge them).   The drop out on our huge events is quite high, but the second we started offering payment, not only did the quality of intern over each year improve, but reliable people who could take instruction suddenly were there.   5 to 8 are regulars now, even despite having full time jobs.

 

Crazy.  Pay to work.  GFY.

[Carcarias1974]

its more a colossal cost for what some consider to a short cut to right of passage into uber mountain biker

 

Did you just quote 85k... To ride a ******* bike. What a colossal waste of money

I'm guessing, this year was 82K and some change per team.....

[Brakepad]

I think i need a volunteer to clean my bike . Only serious offers above R1500 please

[Skubarra]

I like the idea of paying that as a refundable deposit in order for the organisers to know they can rely on you arriving and doing the work at hand ... once you have full filled your obligations, then it would be "right" for them to refund you the deposit.

 

If it was a matter of just volunteering, I would imagine that closer to the time they would see a fair no. of people just pulling out and then they have to scramble to find replacement staff.

 

I can't state it better than Grease_Monkey in post #22

 

That said, the socialist in me has endless admiration for the creative abilities of Epic organisers to extract money from rich people for very little in return.

[LeoKnight]

And who did some volunteering this time around and is there any interesting stories to share?

[TeamBaja]

You got it, 100% right. I did it for the experience and the entry. Many people have been volunteers for years. They do it because they want to be part of the event, other do it to learn or for studies. We had an event organizer and a guy with a MBA. The epic is a case study, so he came to see what, was the event all about. He has never been on a mountain bike.

I get the haters will be haters, but some people enjoy it very much and do it with more passion that some actual "racers'.

 

Life is about experiences, the epic is a very unique one, brings people from all over the world to be together and race a bike for 8 days, along the side of the fastest mountain bike racers in the world.

Next year I'll be racing, by the way cape town is beautiful. 

 

Volunteering is less fun for some, more fun for others. Depending on the team you are on I guess. I was on the Pro Tech team, and it was a jol. Nice team, and a great job!

 

 

That said, I wouldn't do it again for the entry. There are entries going "cheap" now, so if you train hard and can go at the drop of a hat, entries become available. 

 

Also, have your ~85k ready. You need to pay for the entry by the end of April (if they do what they did last year).

Edited January 9, 2020 by SpeedLab

[TeamBaja]

Ok 

      My review of the volunteering for the epic. 

You meet a lots of great people(volunteers)

The position(job) you get determines a lot how much you'll work and what do you get to see and do.

The volunteering is not for everyone.

You do get the guaranteed entry for next years race. 

Everyone at the epic wants to be there, you can feel the excitement is like no race I ever been to. I been to world cup races. 

The food for volunteers and racers a like is the same, this year it was awesome (thanks Gino) they had vegetarian options. The lunch boxes were great.

Would I do it again sure, but coming from USA is a very expensive proposition.

By the way, some people have volunteer for years and they love it. If you get to meet Jan, she should be epic grand Marshall. 

So if you want to learn the in and outs of the epic, volunteering will do it. 

Oh yeah many people volunteering do even ride bikes. They just want the event experience.

 

Racing in 2021

[Quagga]

I'm trying to assure my entry, so the volunteer option looks like a safe bet. Apart from traveling there twice, but is the price to pay, when you are in the other side of the world.

Nevermind.....

Edited January 10, 2020 by Quagga