Enduro in the Western Cape - has it died?

[nigelhicks]

6 minutes ago, Headshot said:

Thanks for the replies Nigel, most insightful. I'm starting to understand the benefits of CSA when it comes to racing. 

Ya - being affiliated and working with your local Commission and CSA is very helpful to an event organiser. I have seen it now with the GP and MP series too as they have blossomed with the help of the local governing bodies help. 

Working with all the commissions and event organisers we (CSA, Regional, and organisers) have been able to put together a full 2022 Gravity Calendar that does not have ANY major clashes with other gravity events - so this promotes travel for riders to go to other provinces etc. too and brings up numbers. Its a big job, but its been really good from a participation perspective and general overview towards the CSA Commission.

All the events are discussed at each one of our CSA commission meetings and if there is are things we can help with for the events we make a plan to help with that. We did the same with the Enduro Champs at harties last year. Charl was so stoked to have the CSA team there helping in the background.

Same with Witfontein for 2022 - They work closely with the local MTB Commission (Eden) so we sent them an award letter saying that they have been awarded the 3rd Round of the SA Enduro Series, and immediately the Eden commission went out looking for funding and sponsorship for the event on behalf of the organisers.

We have had the same here in KZN where, when I was Chairman of Gravity, I would go to KZN Cycling or KZN MTB and they would help with funding for the series if they had budget. Same with asking to buy our timing system - I put in a proposal to KZN Cycling and they said yes. We also did this for development bikes for DH (we now have 8 development bikes for riders to use).  So it is well worth working with the local Cycling bodies who are then linked to CSA.

 

 

 

[Robbie Stewart]

2 hours ago, nigelhicks said:

KZN Gravity is run as follows:

- 4 Committee members (Volunteers) form the backbone of KZN Gravity who are a subsidiary of KZNMTB Regional Commission.

- Event dates and venues are selected with the help of the CSA Gravity Commissioner (me).

- KZN use a suite of service providers that we have used for years - so get good prices (Medics, marshals, timing)

- Timing - KZN Cycling own the Sport Ident timing system that KZN use - we just pay an operating fee to Elite Timing who are our "operator" for the system.

- There is no prize money only cool medals etc as this brings down costs.

- KZN get sponsorship (Minnaars sponsors the series with money, but we have lots of other sponsors with product that replaces actual prize money)

- The series is run to breakeven - whereby Enduro and DH are run on the same weekend at the same venue - this reduces overall operating costs - and costs for riders (travel etc). 

- KZN entry fees are now about R400 for a single event (Enduro) or I think R550 or so for dual events (Enduro and DH). So this promotes more participation.

Just for interest sake - here is the link to my 2020 budget for the KZN series before I stepped down as KZN Gravity Chairman. - Its pretty scary what things cost.

 https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16_T-Cu_3lENbavqN31GIIbZO2OQ_Gu0Ggx8mBSd3n6A/edit?usp=sharing

 

 

 

After all that effort that goes in to a season, putting up with people's BS and then walking away 7k out of pocket at the end. Not many folks who would do that. You must have a passion for this otherwise what's the point.

Chapeau to you Nigel.

[MoreTrails]

@nigelhicks just reading your post above, and the success that seems to gaining momentum with other provinces ...would you say you have received resistance from the WC in the past?
It would seem by the sounds of things that WC needs to pull the enduro series back in under a provincial body operating on an NGO type framework, to make a series both possible and financially achievable to most entrants.
Would you say this would be a good direction for the WC to consider?
There is definitely still scope for the more specialist events in a format by WildAir, or EzelEnduro, catering for that single day monster event. But that is not everyone's cup of tea.

[DirtyDan]

On 3/15/2022 at 12:01 PM, Hairy said:

was their last event not stupidly expensive and had people deciding to vote with their wallets and rather race their buddies using strava?

 

Must admit, when I heard about the crazy price bump I lost interest.

[DirtyDan]

On 3/15/2022 at 2:19 PM, El Duderino said:

I 'raced' the enduro series in KZN from 2014 to 2021, in both veterans and masters categories. I'm a back of the field puzzler who did it mostly for fun. It is a thriving scene. Why does it work? It is run by a few dedicated people who volunteer their time organizing events. They also have a very reliable timing system provided by Elite Timing. Events are well supported and the focus is on having fun and attracting people to the gravity scene. It works. I miss it. Hope the Cape is able to develop a sustainable scene here as I would happily support it.

Where in KZN were you based?

[DirtyDan]

On 3/15/2022 at 3:11 PM, Jewbacca said:

Do you guys only rid 50 hours a year?! 😝

I also think the venues get stale. Even the Jonkers race doesn't have me scrambling for my full face, knee pads and credit card anymore.

As mentioned earlier, my enthusiasm for shredding the gnar has dedded on top (or maybe partly as a result) of what has been mentioned above.

I made the effort to go the George for the inaugural witfontein gig and it was sick. New venue, rad trails blind, some different faces. It was really fun.

The lack of filmogrephers, socials, interviews etc was awesome too. I am not a massive fan of the hashtags and high five socials vibe. Much like the overused venues, it has become somewhat tedious. 

I come across as such a grumpy no hoper. Sorry, I'm really not. I'm just not at all surprised the scene is dying and it sucks

Nonsense man. It's your new-dad instinct inhibiting your wild mongrel inside...

[El Duderino]

17 minutes ago, DirtyDan said:

Where in KZN were you based?

I was based in Durban. Giba Gorge was my home trails.

[nigelhicks]

2 hours ago, Robbie Stewart said:

After all that effort that goes in to a season, putting up with people's BS and then walking away 7k out of pocket at the end. Not many folks who would do that. You must have a passion for this otherwise what's the point.

Chapeau to you Nigel.

Hey Robbie, Ya for sure - I was the Chair of Gravity in KZN for 10 years, so it takes some dedication. ... but I must mention that the budget I put in is the one we always do as a pre-season budget. So the 7K loss actually isnt want it ends up as - as we use lowest common denominator entries in our budgets to account for wet weather events etc. 

So although it looks bleak, KZN has never had a year where we make a loss. In general we end up with about 10k extra in the kitty which goes towards inflation factors for the following year.

So all in all it is a good system for a Series that is designed to breakeven and be about the riders. 

[nigelhicks]

1 hour ago, MoreTrails said:

@nigelhicks just reading your post above, and the success that seems to gaining momentum with other provinces ...would you say you have received resistance from the WC in the past?
It would seem by the sounds of things that WC needs to pull the enduro series back in under a provincial body operating on an NGO type framework, to make a series both possible and financially achievable to most entrants.
Would you say this would be a good direction for the WC to consider?
There is definitely still scope for the more specialist events in a format by WildAir, or EzelEnduro, catering for that single day monster event. But that is not everyone's cup of tea.

Ya, there hasnt been any pull-back per-say in the Cape - just a deep dislike for CSA due to the way it was operated previously ... this is a hard thing to bring people back from. ... Also the way the series was operated as a private enitiy makes it hard to get volunteers etc. especially if they know the oke at the top is making cash - if its "for the riders" where it is the ballies on the commission (as it is in KZN) there are more okes willing to put up their hands to help where they can.

The resistance is reducing though as GP and MP are being spearheaded by ladies (Yes you read that right - a LADY is running GP Enduro) and gents respectively who have ties to governing bodies there is less animosity and more room for growth (IMO).

I would say that there should be a WP Gravity commission set up under WP MTB, and then they go to the venues and say - are you keen to host a race? YES? Cool we can help ... and off it goes. This is where we are at now where we have venues phoning us asking if we can bring races to them for a season.

Then on top of that you have the big specialist events like you say - Ezel, and the likes - and this is where a private entity would shine. EG - The Epic!

 

[Beefy]

https://bikenetwork.co.za/western-cape-enduro-its-back/