mtn bike races @ mount snow

[J.W.]

they have a ton of races going on this year. always a good chance for some action shots. here is the full list...

SoBe Energy Downhill Series presented by e.thirteen Race #1
05/31/2008 - 06/01/2008

SoBe Energy Downhill Series presented by e.thriteen Race # 2
06/21/2008 - 06/22/2008

SoBe Energy Dual Slalom Series #1
06/21/2008

Kenda Last Chance Qualifier Mountain Bike Weekend
06/28/2008 - 06/29/2008

USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships
07/16/2008 - 07/20/2008

SoBe Energy Downhill Series presented by e.thirteen Race #4
08/09/2008 - 08/10/2008

SoBe Energy Dual Slalom #2
08/09/2008

SoBe Energy Downhill Series presented by e.thirteen FINALS
09/27/2008 - 09/28/2008

SoBe Energy Dual Slalom Series Finals
09/27/2008

the nationals is going to be the big one so here is the break down for that....

Wednesday July 16, 2008
12noon – 6:00pm Athlete registration and packet pick – up.
6:00pm National Championship Athlete & Team Manager Mtg.
Thursday July 17, 2008
7am – 6:00pm Athlete registration and packet pick –up.
8am - 12noon Observed Trials inspection and walk-through.
8am - 11:00am Beginner/Sport Downhill course inspection and practice.
11am – 12:30pm Super D course inspection and practice.
11am – 1:00pm PRO/ELITE/Semi-Pro Dual Slalom course inspection & practice.
11:30am -1:30pm Expert Downhill course inspection and practice.
1:00pm U23 Men’s Cross Country National Championship
U23 Women’s Cross Country National Championship
2:00pm - 4:00pm PRO/ELITE Downhill course inspection and practice.
3:00pm – 5:00pm Beginner/Sport/Expert Dual Slalom course inspection & practice.
Friday July 18, 2008
7:00am – 6:00pm Athlete registration and packet pick – up.
8:00am-12noon Observed Trials inspection and walk-through.
8:00am-11:00am Beginner/Sport Downhill course inspection and practice.
11:00am Semi-Pro Men Cross Country National Championship
Junior Expert Men’s (15-16, 17-18) and Women’s (15-18)
Cross Country National Championship
11:30am -1:30pm Expert Downhill course inspection and practice.
2:00pm - 4:00pm PRO/ELITE Downhill course inspection and practice.
2:00pm – 5:00pm Beginner/Sport/Expert Dual Slalom course qualifying
2:00pm Sport Cross Country National Category Championship
4:00pm – 5:00pm PRO/ELITE/Semi-Pro Dual Slalom course inspection & practice
5:00pm PRO/ELITE Women’s Cross Country National Championship
5:00pm PRO/ELITE/Semi-Pro Dual Slalom Qualifying
6:30pm Beginner/Sport/Expert Dual Slalom National Championship
Saturday July 19, 2008
7:00am – 6:00pm Athlete registration and packet pick – up.
8:00am Expert Cross Country National Championship
(EXCEPT Junior Expert Men and Women)
8:00am Single Speed Cross Country National Championship
8:00am-12noon Observed Trials National Championship
8am-11:00am Beginner/Sport Downhill course inspection and practice.
8am – 11:00am PRO/Elite Downhill course inspection and practice.
11:00am Beginner/Sport Downhill National Category Championship
(Includes all juniors 10 and under/11-12/13-14)
11:00am PRO/ELITE Men’s Cross Country National Championship
11:30am -1:30pm Expert Downhill course inspection and practice.
12noon Speed Trials Exhibition/Contest
2:00pm Expert Category Downhill National Championship
2:00pm Beginner Cross Country National Category Championship
(Includes all juniors 10 and under/11-12/13-14)
4 pm – 6:00pm PRO/ELITE/Semi-Pro Dual Slalom course inspection & practice
7:00pm PRO/ELITE/Semi-Pro Dual Slalom National Championship
Sunday July 20, 2008
7:00am – 12 noon Athlete registration and packet pick – up.
8:00am – 9:00am Super D course inspection and practice.
9:00am Super D National Championship
10:00am NON-PRO Women Short Track National Championship
10am – 11:30am PRO/ELITE/SEMI-PRO Downhill course inspection and practice.
10:45am Expert Men 30 + Short Track National Championship
11:30am PRO/ELITE Women’s Short Track National Championship
11:30am PRO/ELITE Downhill National Championship Qualifying
12:15pm SHIMANO Youth Series Race
1:00pm Semi-Pro Downhill National Championship
1:15pm PRO/ELITE Men’s Short Track National Championship
2:00pm Semi-Pro Men’s Short Track National Championship
2:00pm PRO/ELITE Women’s Downhill National Championship
2:30pm PRO/ELITE Men’s Downhill National Championship
3:15pm Expert Men 19-29 Short Track National Championship
4:00pm Junior Expert Men’s Short Track National Championship


if you want to go but can only make it to one, make it to that one! :D

[ChrisG]

I'll definatly be going to those this year.I love downhill but dont feel like being broken, so photographing it would be the next best thing lol

[Orgnoi1]

LOL thats funny Chris... yeah thats a really crazy sport... I wouldnt mind checking it out...

[J.W.]

if you guys come up let me know....i plan on going to almost all of the downhill ones....might have to work durring a few but....

[ST13Pilot]

thanks for the info, Jay. Looks like a nice chance to shoot something a bit different.

jeff

[J.W.]

no problem. :)

[rfreschner]

Wow, so much more going on now in these championships than when they first started out in the early 90's. My avatar is a picture of my dear departed Jesse taken at the Mtn. Bike championships at Mount Snow during that time period. I can't remember now if it was just a Norba race or the first World Championship held there, but I do remember John Tomac being there when he ruled men's mountain biking and Julie Furtado, a women's mountain biking icon. Julie even spent some time talking with my wife and I out on the course when she came over to play with Jesse, a veritable babe magnet in those days.

I never got the chance to race there, as I was really into road racing at the time and that had come to an end after a bad crash in 1991 at the Killington Stage Race. I wonder how the event is these days, it was a pretty wild party back in the day. Do they still have the naked mountain bike race on Saturday nights? :D

Perhaps I can convince Sue to go on up there for the weekend, but it does fall during her busiest time at work. It would be interesting though to see what it's turned into after all these years.

[J.W.]

it has changed alot, i havent been to the finals in a few years but...last time i was there john tomac was up and wandering around so he might still come up. it used to be alot more layed back, but its still a big party.

lol, yes they do still take advantage of vermont not having any public nudity laws. ;) its in the sundance parking lot still.....or so im told, lol.

you got me thinking about "the old days"....on of my best memories of it (back when it was the NORBA nationals)...somehow the profile team ended up with only one mechanic for the weekend so they came and yanked me and another guy out of our bike shop. we ended up working on their bikes all weekend, they kept us very busy by breaking stuff, lol. it was such a good time....our payment was getting to ride their massive downhill bikes for a few days after. :D we did have to send them back though. :(

[rfreschner]

Yeah, it was pretty easy to destroy your equipment back before full-suspension everything. After the previously mentioned bike crash at Killington, as soon as my doctor said I could resume normal activities, 2 buddies and I grabbed our mountain bikes and headed up to Mt. Snow for the weekend. This was pre-chairlift ride to the top so we rode up the grooming roads and then headed downhill. First time down, one of my friends waffled his front fork when he hit a waterbar the wrong way. We drove around until we found some guy running a bike shop out of his barn and darned if he didn't have a spare fork that fit. Heck, he didn't even charge that much to fix it. He thought we were pretty suicidal taking on those slopes. Come to think of it, I'm amazed we aren't all more beat up than we are now. Of course, it does take a bit to get everything moving in the morning! ;)

[J.W.]

oh, this wasnt THAT long ago, lol, maybe 1999 or 2000....they were full susp, something crazy like 13" of travel in the back 11" up front.....i was a x-country guy and rode just front susp...and i cranked it as stiff as it would go....riding those profile bikes almost killed some of the magic for me...its still not easy but it takes a big bump to even notice it is a bump, lol.

being a xcountry rider i have ridden up that many times, couple summers we did it almost every day after work, i dont think i could do it at all now, lol. ....on my hardtail i liked the climb better than the decent, lol.....it gets a bit hairy in a few spots. :)

[rfreschner]

Yeah, I know what you mean about hairy. I couldn't imagine doing it now......of course, I'm over 15 years older and 40 pounds heavier! :mad:

[ChrisG]

for you guys that do shoot downhill...what focal length do you use? i am excited about shooting these events this year. the last even i was at you could stand literally next to the racers as they went down the singletrack. obviously a wide angle lens and speedlight would be used in this situ. that was a small event though so what im asking is in these large events, how far away from the riders are you? would a telephoto lens be needed?

im thinking about putting my 70-200 up for trade for a wide angle lens since i really cant find enough use for it at this time. and a wide angle would benefit me more.

[J.W.]

dont hold me to it, but all the ones ive gone to (including the nationals) you can get right along the course. im hoping to be able to order the 10-20 i want for some of these but would prob still bring something longer incase they change it.

[ChrisG]

bump

anyone still considering going to one of the first races next weekend?

[nvr2low]

would love to, a little far for me right now though.

[J.W.]

its looking like i'll have to work for this one. :(

[J.W.]

bump...

just got emailed the update for this weekend...

Schedule:
SATURDAY, May 31st, 2008
REGISTRATION AND PRACTICE
Registration from 8am - 4pm in the Main Base Lodge across from Tony's Pizza
Practice 9am - 4pm SUNDAY, JUNE 1st, 2008
PRACTICE & RACE DAY
Open Practice from 9am - 11am
Race begins at 11am Sharp with Beginners, Sport, Females, Expert, and then Pros
Awards 30 minutes after our last finish.

[J.W.]

bump for this weekend...

i took the weekend off and will be there both days.

here is the email update i got..

Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 8:51 PM
To: All MS Staff
Subject:

~MOUNT SNOW EVENT ALERT~
What: SoBe Energy Downhill Series presented by e.thriteen Race #2
SoBe Energy Dual Slalom Series Race #1 Saturday & Sunday, June 21 - 22, 2008
Time: All Weekend
Registration: Saturday, 9am - 4pm. Main Base Lodge
Where:On Mountain and Mixing Bowl

Description:The SoBe DH Series presented by e.thirteen will be making it's second stop at Mount Snow this weekend with practice and registration all day Saturday and racing beginning at 11am on Sunday. Riders will compete on this year's US Nationals Beginner/Sport Downhill course which descends Standard from the top of the Canyon Express lift before taking a hard right across mountain to the infamous Yard Sale section before finishing in the normal finish area in front of the Clocktower. We're expecting approximately 200 riders for this weekends event.

Saturday night is our first dual slalom of the year taking place on Mixing Bowl. Riders go head to head in this unique and fun event dirt racing series. Qualifying begins at 4pm with racing expected to start around 5pm and go until around4 7pm.
Come on out and watch some great mountain bike action.

[J.W.]

pretty much rained out today. :(

i didnt stick around to see if they got going again but thunderstorm rolled in pretty much as soon as they started today....they had a bit of an incident last week where lightning came outta nowhere and the top lift tower got struck right after the last ppl got off so they arent taking any chances now....they used to close them if lightning was within 11 miles but they bumped that up some now, 15 miles i think....alot off the riders started packing up so i doubt they got going again.

[J.W.]

almost forgot to bump this....almost.

im heading up for a few hours tomorrow, i cant stay for too long but i should be able to catch some trials and some downhill. :)