the TenaciousD
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I remember a time, perhaps last year?, when a certain muck-raker threw out some concerns about where all the up and coming male NorCross racers were.
... and you know, i've got to admit ~ i'm a bit worried myself.
As I look over the results in the men's events for this season ... i'm seeing a lot of geezer-types up near the top of the podium and waaaay too few adolescents (physical). yeah, we've got Logan (... what, is he like 12?) Loader looking bull-in-the-china-shop strong ... and maybe we can lay a bit of claim to the Noble mutant ... but, other than that ???
There are a number of roadie U23 riders that have shown some strength in the past couple of years out in the smashmouth sections of tarmac ... but honestly, even the top of the roadie-scum ladders have been heavy with NorCal gray-hairs.
It's an oft asked question, and one that some choose to ignore and others cry chicken little to ... how do we attract young people to the sport of cycling?
Dunno ...
But KiddieCross has got to be a decent effort.
... those who set up the course and conducted ~ you rock.
choosing to act.
17 comments:
that's like asking the question...how do we attract snowboarders, skateboarders or bmx bikers to the events? take a look at their events...it's coool...
maybe cooler designs on bikes and a great marketing gig...it's all in the marketing...
look at the the snowboards and skateboards - awesome graphics and marketing for the young ones...
... it's not too late to make little Hernando mutants yourself. Just about every kid is inspired to be like there da-da.
... little Herandos? the thought is pretty cool, but a bit humorous.
Man, I think about this question often. How to attract the youngins to the sport. I think Flandria is on to something here with the cool stuff, but just don't know. I think cross could become bigger with the young folk......if they knew what it was.
It all ebbs and flows. A few years ago, we couldn't win a National Norba mountain bike race. Damn Canadians. Headlines read on VeloSnews: Is Mountain Biking Dead in the USA? Now we dominate the local series and even have guys podiuming in World Cups (sans dope no less JHK).
dooood we tried to net Logan onto the Gorillas but he is moving up the ladder too fast and leap frogged over our elite status and onto development.....
have a chat with him someday, talk about colorfull.....
Fritzy is doing a great job with the kids over at the HS Mtn Bike League. Maybe we need to ask him to include some cross info in his weekly emails to 400+ kids and their coaches and parents.
Kids (and their parents) need a destination sport. They go to the soccer field, the skate park, the pool. That's why the track is popular. I think cross could fit that bill as well.
However, bringing a sport into the school seems to add some legitimacy. We struggled with our HS team last year because the local HS wouldn't recognize it. The schools have the infrastructure to disseminate the information. Otherwise, it's just hit or miss.
Of course, if we attract the kids, there needs to be junior fields at the races....
OV....It's "hiding in plain sight" right under your nose. All those kids at our CCCX and Surf City CX races are NorCal MTB League riders revving up for this coming season. There are four teams in Monterey alone, and two in Santa Cruz if you count Los Gatos. The first race of the 2005/2006 season (Ft Ord) had over 100 first-time freshman racers including a bunch of girls. Our biggest League problem is not youth recruitment, rather providing sufficient adult ride-along helpers, and venues large enough to accommodate the numbers which grow by 1/3 each year. This last Sunday League director Matt was a featured speaker at the National USACycling conference explaining this (apparent enigma) to the guys in the Springs.
Will they listen? We'll see! Check out www.norcalmtb.org especially the photo's in the results section. I think you'll find it encouraging.
MK
schweeeeet.
did anyone watch the kiddie race? there was a kid in a spongebob squarepants jersey whose dismount/remounts were smoother than 90% of the adult riders out there. Total Natural; Not Kidding. if anyone knows who's kids were in the spongebob jerseys, tell'em to kindly, gently encourage their tykes to keep ridin'.
johnny mosley made mogul racing big with one of his own stunts...that caught the attention of young people...skateboarders/bmx'ers all have their own signature stunts...
cyclocross can have free style stunts...can't it?
or one of the juniors invents their own...
or I am just being silly...
How about introducing perilous shortcuts into the course...big jumps over the barriers...berms...a flaming over under. Yeah, that would be cool. Anyone remember the “Power Post Extreme”
TenaciousD - hope you have your tickets....
www.sfstation.com/tenacious-d-with-neil-hamburger-e26419
I think things tend to take care of themselves to some extent.
I have said before that the sport, at least in Nor Cal, has taken on a very different look. The demographic is of the 35 and older crowd. If that is the way of things, why fight it?
The sport is still growing and it is growing in a group of people who are far more influential in society.
That can have an affect on laws, and other things that make our sport more viable and less obscure.
It also developes an innate growth as youngsters will be influenced by positive roll models and the ability to spend time doing something with Dad.
There is no doubt that a substantial share of junior boys' ridership is originally drawn from the jump-n-skid crowd. But to assume that to attract young people to racing requires bumps, berms, and adrenaline charged stunt features is not only incorrect, but dismisses the athletes as shallow and undisciplined. In truth, many adopt training schemes and volumes comparable to the best masters athletes and willingly suffer on the bike for hours at time, week after week for months on end. A particular point of pride among my own girls is that each has shed tears in training pushing past their own former limits of pain tolerance. You (we) are the "Boom"....behold the echo....
MK
http://www.norcalmtb.org/race/pics/2_20_2005/pages/_J2P1902.htm
word.
The D brother the D..........
Thanks for the kind words wedeking.
David & Brian, the spongebob boys, had a blast. I just felt bad that their bikes weigh a ton. Lifting these bikes over the barriers really defined the challenge of cx :)
I try to get them out to all the kiddie races that are local, but this was their first cx. Props to Cats Hill, Burlingame and the the Velo Bellas for putting on these type of events, they really do make a difference in promoting cycling to today's youth.
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