Erik Long
The idea behind a State Championship, Brian, is to get as many of a given state's riders (regardless of city residence and hair color) gathered on the same course, on the same day, for the same race. You want to win that race because of the recognition that comes with beating the rest of the riders in your state, in your category in the most fiercely contested one-day race held within your state.
This is why it doesn't make sense to have out-of-state riders competing in such an event. The Idea behind such a race is to determine who can win amongst Oregon's racers. If Oregon's ridrers are competing against (or being helped by) Washington and California riders, it ceases to be an Oregon Championship and becomes just another road race, with a different medal.
-Erik
From: Brian Mack <brian.a.mack@gmail.com>
To: obra@list.obra.org
Subject: [OBRA Chat] State Championships???
Date: Tue, 08 May 2007 13:29:25 -0700
I'm a little confused - What makes one race on the calendar special
enough to be called a championship race? Why should I care more about
winning it vs. any of the other road races out there, and why would
anyone care if an out-of-stater beat them at that race more than any
other?
Is the idea that OBRA is so infested with racers from Ca and Wa that we
have to have a special race just to determine who the best person is in
this state? Why would anyone care who that was? How about a blonde
hair championships, or Portland championship, or one for people
owning
an SUV?
Or is it more arbitrary, just saying that everyone in the state should
show up at some random event so that we can determine who the best rider
is out of everybody. The winner on that particular day, in the weather
that it had, on that kind of course, out of the people who didn't crash
or have flats, whose tactics happened to work... who cares?
Whatever it is that makes the race meaningful is how it should be
restricted. For my part, if I show up, it'll only be for a chance to
win a free shirt with a nice picture on the front and pockets in the
back, and I probably won't care too much if I get beat by a guy from
Washington, or if he has three legs or drives a Buick or has four
testicles.
Brian
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