Y'know, Canada and Mexico share boarders with the U.S. Canadians and
Mexicanos, along with various other nationals have raced the USPRO
championship repeatedly. The race has been won by individuals from other
countries on many occasions. Do you recall a single non-American ever
wearing the stars and stripes jersey of a U.S. national champion? HELL no.
They may have been allowed to race, affecting the outcome of the event and
occasionally allowing a lone American to suck wheel all day and cross the
finishline in the last position of a lead group of foreigners to claim a
Championship without merit, but not one was allowed to wear a jersey unless
they were the first American to cross the line.
It doesn't matter that Vancouver is just a few hours' drive from Seattle,
that doesn't make a Canadian eligable for a U.S. title, no matter how fast
he/she/it may be. It does not matter that Gourd Fraser made Tucson, AZ his
home for the last several years of his career. He was ineligable for a U.S.
Championship because he kept his Canadian citizenship. So, guess what? He
competed in the national championship in CANADA (are we grasping the
concept, folks?) and won the CANADIAN Championship and raced on the CANADIAN
Olympic team.
Touchy-feely crap aside, when you hold a Championship of a part of the world
- regarless of how big or small - the point is to single out a Champion out
of a group of people from that part of the world. They're OBRA supporters,
good for them. I've supported USCF and many race organizers in many other
states, too. I'd hardly be dissapointed that I don't get to compete for
Idaho's State Crit Championship, because that's not where I reside.
OBRA is the OREGON bike racing assocication. We hold open events all year
long. One day of racing reserved for Oregon riders, no matter how few,
shouldn't rattle the cage too hard. This is one case where exclusion is OK.
(Sort of like disallowing men in women's events, even if a man had no
intrest in the win, he could tow a woman all the way to the line, allowing
her an advantage that shouldn't exist).
Oregon riders = Oregon Championship.
Oregon, California, and Washington riders = West Coast Championship, and
that's another race, for another day.
-Erik
----Original Message Follows----
From: "Luciano bailey"
To: elongride@hotmail.com, obra@list.obra.org
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] State Championships???
Date: Wed, 09 May 2007 20:36:33 +0000
Maybe you are unclear but you race against riders from other states or
Washington as the case may be all season long. Many of whom have been OBRA
members for years, Obra members being the key what would it be like to not
see faces like Chris and Austin Alling , Tim and Trevor Schauer and many
others at these championships. My advice bring your A game race hard without
worrying about weither the guy next to you came down I_5 twenty minutes from
washington. This is what makes OBRA the great program it is we are a
welcoming orginization that thrives on great competiton even if it comes
from New Zealand or somewhere else.
>From: "Erik Long"
>To: obra@list.obra.org
>Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] State Championships???
>Date: Tue, 08 May 2007 13:48:15 -0700
>
>
>
>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
>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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