Downhill Riders,including current SA National Champ, overlooked for World Champs

[DieselnDust]

48 minutes ago, Jewbacca said:

It was rad

Big rain squalls overhead, clean, glassy sets peeling down the line with just me and one of my best mates on the peak. 

I'm no longer phased by the fact that no one has answered any of the questions on this thread with actual information, just emotional responses. 

 

Bugger missed out on a good session then. Need to drop by Dave’s to pick up my board from repair.

One day in the future, if this thread still exists, and the emotions are settled, maybe reason will prevail.

[Headshot]

4 hours ago, Jewbacca said:

I did!

And it makes your post entirely incorrect.

You stated Kerr was a late bloomer at 36, but in reality he is 33 and he started his own team at the age of 21.

Minaar signed his first pro contract as a teenager. Not at 42.

Neither are late bloomers as you wanted to make us believe.

Anyway, I'm out. It's become a side quest of nonsense.

I went for a surf and I feel much better about life. 

Hope all of you have a wonderful weekend, whether you qualify to have one or not.

I think you misunderstood my post. If you followed Kerrs results you would know he has really only come close to actually winning a WC round in the last two years or so. He himself has said how long it takes to get to that point, even with the advantages he has enjoyed.  Is he a late bloomer, well maybe. Greg's career illustrates that age is not necessarily an obstacle to performance in DH. There are plenty of racers in their 30s. Erlangsen is over the hill according to you though.. 

[Jewbacca]

10 hours ago, Headshot said:

I think you misunderstood my post. If you followed Kerrs results you would know he has really only come close to actually winning a WC round in the last two years or so. He himself has said how long it takes to get to that point, even with the advantages he has enjoyed.  Is he a late bloomer, well maybe. Greg's career illustrates that age is not necessarily an obstacle to performance in DH. There are plenty of racers in their 30s. Erlangsen is over the hill according to you though.. 

No, this is what I said

'Before everyone says Theo, he is 30 odd and while I'm not ageist, most teams won't invest in a 30 year old rider to develop'

Nowhere did I say anything about him other than his age. The fact that he does not have years of competitive racing at the top level means he would be a gamble at his age while there are 17, 18, 19 year olds who have come through the ranks of junior racing who are a more likely investment.

Again, don't be emotional, be realistic. 

If we take your post above, you're then saying that to take an exceptionally talented noob to the DH circuit it takes years to become competitive? Does a 30 year old exceptionally talented Noob have enough time to adapt in order to have a career worth investing in?

Edited July 20 by Jewbacca

[ians H2Sport]

On 7/19/2024 at 11:43 AM, J Wakefield said:

Greg wasnt 100th+ in the world at 42 and had a few results it seems before that at at close to half his current age. 
Its like comparing the Zim dollar to the Euro

At 19 years old Greg won the overall Elite World Cup series, to your point..... 

[J Wakefield]

1 hour ago, ians H2Sport said:

At 19 years old Greg won the overall Elite World Cup series, to your point..... 

Yes, correct, a "few" results compared to a 30year old or older South African comparing his results on why he must go. 

[DieselnDust]

1 hour ago, ians H2Sport said:

At 19 years old Greg won the overall Elite World Cup series, to your point..... 

ya but you see he wasn’t handicapped with 29er wheels and learned his downhill skills on tracks less technical than those offered by the current national downhill series. 
must there he was World Cup winner in 2001, world champ in 2003. I don’t think he was living in Europe at that point either

[Sally E Kirk]

11 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

ya but you see he wasn’t handicapped with 29er wheels and learned his downhill skills on tracks less technical than those offered by the current national downhill series. 
must there he was World Cup winner in 2001, world champ in 2003. I don’t think he was living in Europe at that point either

Greg was in the UK/Europe from the age of 16.  

[Headshot]

13 minutes ago, DieselnDust said:

ya but you see he wasn’t handicapped with 29er wheels and learned his downhill skills on tracks less technical than those offered by the current national downhill series. 
must there he was World Cup winner in 2001, world champ in 2003. I don’t think he was living in Europe at that point either

So much bias and misinformation masquerading as fact...

[J Wakefield]

5 minutes ago, Headshot said:

So much bias and misinformation masquerading as fact...

Right up there with delusion of pathway development 

[Headshot]

On 7/20/2024 at 8:18 AM, Jewbacca said:

No, this is what I said

'Before everyone says Theo, he is 30 odd and while I'm not ageist, most teams won't invest in a 30 year old rider to develop'

Nowhere did I say anything about him other than his age. The fact that he does not have years of competitive racing at the top level means he would be a gamble at his age while there are 17, 18, 19 year olds who have come through the ranks of junior racing who are a more likely investment.

Again, don't be emotional, be realistic. 

If we take your post above, you're then saying that to take an exceptionally talented noob to the DH circuit it takes years to become competitive? Does a 30 year old exceptionally talented Noob have enough time to adapt in order to have a career worth investing in?

Why is 'investing in his career" relevant to this discussion.  We're talking about sending the best riders SA has right now to the Worlds. If these are the best we have they should all go. Comparing them to GM is not really fair because he makes many if not most other riders on the circuit look bad. 

[Headshot]

1 minute ago, J Wakefield said:

Right up there with delusion of pathway development 

I'm too stupid to understand that except that its supposed to be an insult Please explain. 

[J Wakefield]

3 minutes ago, Headshot said:

Why is 'investing in his career" relevant to this discussion.  We're talking about sending the best riders SA has right now to the Worlds. If these are the best we have they should all go. Comparing them to GM is not really fair because he makes many if not most other riders on the circuit look bad. 

You just answered why they should not go. 

Thank you for understanding eventually what the level is at World Champs and where level of the SA riders are in comparison. 

[Headshot]

7 minutes ago, J Wakefield said:

You just answered why they should not go. 

Thank you for understanding eventually what the level is at World Champs and where level of the SA riders are in comparison. 

Don't be silly, that's not what I said or understand. Your opinion ignores all the other riders from numerous other countries who are also not as good as Greg but who will be there because their federations don't have poorly thought out selection criteria that ignore the nature of downhill racing and the hurdles our riders face. 

Send them all!

[Sally E Kirk]

Meanwhile, two talented riders (both current SA National DH Champions in their age groups - Elite Women and Junior Men), (ages can be supplied on request but definitely not over 30) who were selected for World Champs do not have sufficient funding to go to Andorra, and are requesting financial assistance.  Maybe it's time for the cynics among you to put your money where your mouths are and support their fund raising efforts.😉

[DieselnDust]

51 minutes ago, Headshot said:

So much bias and misinformation masquerading as fact...

So he didn’t win the World Cup overall in 2001 and world champs in 2003…? Eish….

@Sally E Kirkthanks for the insight that he was based in Uk since age 16. I was under impression he only based himself there permanently from 2004 because I asked him at Fort Bill in 2003 if he was planning on moving over permanently and he said “from next year “. Must have misunderstood him.

[DieselnDust]

40 minutes ago, Headshot said:

Don't be silly, that's not what I said or understand. Your opinion ignores all the other riders from numerous other countries who are also not as good as Greg but who will be there because their federations don't have poorly thought out selection criteria that ignore the nature of downhill racing and the hurdles our riders face. 

Send them all!

You argue like the ANC