Ben Fischler
Hi all,
I'm new to the area and find this discussion fascinating. For me the course
is king. Boring courses won't see me coming back. Having raced MTB's on
and off in various flavors of XC since '87 I generally stick to events that
offer courses that are super fun or offer something extra. Point to point
races, 24 hr races or races with large, long loops are my favorites. The
more technically demanding the better.
The schwag, beer and all that shite matters not. Entry fee does but is soon
forgotten if the event is a blast.
Over the years I've found that Laird Knight and the Granny Gears folks have
consistantly had the best formula for putting on fun races. Part of it
comes down to making it a real event, which is why the 24hr format has
worked so well for them.
Anyway, this is interesting reading. My 2cents.
-Ben
2008/1/27 Erik Long :
> In all my years racing, I can't recall meeting anyone who returned to a
> race because of the food (the beer, maybe, but never the food).
>
> Secondly, the course has A LOT to do with whether riders return to your
> race. If what you have laid out for your racers is not at least enjoyable
> as a casual/fun MTB ride, it's unlikely to be fun as a race. If you subject
> your racers to a 3-mile hike in the middle of what should be a bike race
> (which we've seen before), your event will not last. We want to compete and
> have fun, as opposed suffering through a death-march. Your unique choice of
> route and terrain is the key difference between your race and everyone
> else's.
>
> The other factors you mention - Ease of registration, reasonable pricing,
> good organization, timely results, etc. - are a matter of professionalism in
> the job at hand. These things won't likely bring riders back, no matter how
> well done, but they'll push riders away if poorly executed - or ignored.
>
>
> > Date: Sun, 27 Jan 2008 13:23:57 -0800
> > From: teel@jeffnet.org
> > To: obra@list.obra.org
> > Subject: [OBRA Chat] XC attendance
>
> >
> > I would float the thought that a decline in attendance at particular
> events may have nothing to do with location or the calendar. Some are just
> more fun to attend than others, and that has little to do with the course or
> the calendar. Sometimes it is the other stuff that makes an event enticing.
> >
> > For example:
> >
> > How easy was it to register? Were categories and numbers a mess?
> >
> > Did the entry fee feel reasonable for what was included?
> >
> > Did your team sponsorship get properly credited if you landed a podium
> spot? How about in the final results?
> >
> > Was there post-race food? How was it?
> >
> > Did everything run on time? Or did you have to wait around forever for
> results/prizes?
> >
> > Were there decent prizes and were younger kids given proper support
> and/or schwag?
> >
> > Was there a nice comfortable place to hang with folks after the race?
> >
> > Was everyone putting on the event nice and helpful?
> >
> >
> > Now obviously not all of these are priorities for all people, but they
> are some things to think about.
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--
-Ben
[ ben.fischler@gmail.com ]