Mid last month, a few whispers hit the Internet that Kyle Bennett might be moving to GHP for the 2012 season. Nothing was confirmed or final at that point, so that news dove back under the bed until today, when we sat down with Kyle and Greg to talk about the go-forward plan.

Listen to the Podcast Now
link
iPhone users, paste this URL into your browser:
http://www.bmxnews.com/podcasts/at_049_kyle_bennett.mp3

Here is the official press release:

Kyle Bennett has teamed up with GHP BMX/ Risen BMX to continue his success on the track, look for KB out front at a USA BMX National event near you! Kyle will be training with Greg Hill in preparation for a successful 2012 season, Kyle brings years of experience along with three UCI Pro World and 3 NBL Pro titles, KB has a lot of fuel in the tank and has his sights set on adding more titles to his resume in 2012 and 2013…”I am very excited to be working with the guy’s from GHP/Risen BMX and working with Greg will take me to the next level” KB
We want to welcome Kyle to our GHP and Risen BMX family, it’s on for 2012, watch the magic unfold this year as KB does work! I am very happy to be working with one of the sport’s most accomplished athletes. –GH

While Bennett will be fully equipped with the full range of GHP and RISEN BMX products. He will also be supported by Dan’s Comp, Tioga, Alienation and Crit Plates.

Since seeing the press release earlier this month, announcing that BMX Racing will be included in the USA Cycling Collegiate Cycling Program, we have been blitzed with interest from readers, parents, track operators and a sponsor or two, looking for more information on the topic, and just how deep this program will go.

Some people had NCAA concerns, such as “can a rider participate in the Collegiate BMX Program, and still race Pro-Am races, or accept endorsement deals?” (Yes, by the way, since Collegiate Cycling is not an NCAA-recognized sport). Other readers were curious about scholarship programs or the list of schools that might field BMX teams.

We set out to bring together a list of questions for the community, then sit down with the man who knows the most about the program within USA Cycling–Jeffrey Hansen, High School and Collegiate Program Manager.

Some of the finer details are still coming together, but in this Podcast, you’ll learn a lot about where the program is headed in 2012-2013, and how you can start a “BMX Club” at your school to get the ball rolling.

You don’t have to be Nostradameus to be able to see how this program could dramatically increase the size of the participation pool in BMX Racing, as well as the overall public profile of the sport, once fully realized.

Give it a listen, then come on over to the VintageBMX.com forum, where the discussion is underway, and your questions can be answered.

Listen Now
Link

iPhone users can paste the following URL into their phone’s browser:
http://www.bmxnews.com/podcasts/at048_usac_collegiate.mp3

LINKS

USA Cycling Collegiate

BMX News has been long looking forward to a comprehensive sit-down interview with Johan and Ritz since before the Chula Vista Supercross in September. Johan, is CEO of GSX Events–the independent company that runs the BMX Supercross World Cup Series for UCI. And Tom is CEO of a GSX division called Elite Trax, which is responsible for building all SX tracks on the World Cup circuit, as well as the Olympic track in London.

Any time the riders, spectators, industry or other observers express an opinion or comment about BMX Supercross, threre is nearly a 100% chance it involves a decision one or both of these gents made at some point.

GSX is just about a year old now, and a lot has happened over the past 12 months. We talk about the dark days, when their original partner in the GSX venture–the National Bicycle League, imploded about a month in to the 2011 World Cup series. GSX was relying on the NBL for financial and back office support–and it was suddenly gone. Johan and Tom candidly address how that went down, and also talk about Stratesphere, Inc. a private equity firm, who is their new partner, after buying the NBL’s shares in GSX out of receivership in October of this year.

The guys also address popular hotbutton topics like track design, whether BMX Supercross as a whole helps, hurts or has no effect on “classic” BMX Racing, and whether we will see prize payouts rise dramatically in the 2013 season (after the 2012 games, next August).

It is a fairly long show, but we felt all of the content addressed was of interest to our audience, whether you’re an insider or a fan. Of the topics left on the cutting room floor, we salvaged three clips, which we present to you as “deleted scenes.”

Enjoy the Podcast…and, as always, we’ll be discussing the show over on VintageBMX.com, so come join the fun (and listen to the deleted scenes).

Listen Now
Link

iPhone Users can listen by pasting this URL into their phone’s browser:
http://www.bmxnews.com/podcasts/at_047_johan_and_ritz.mp3

Well, the truckstop wasn’t necessary, and it ended up being about three months, but today we got the interview. Toby, on the record, speaking candidly and openly about his plans for a new line of “Lamborghini-quality” BMX Racing components, and some later forays into “big wheel” stuff (MTB, Road, CX, etc). He even drop the name of the new brand here publicly, for the first time.

Toby’s trademark timing was helped along today by some news that broke on the Dale Holmes Podcast yesterday. TonyD dropped the big bomba that Marc Willers would be wearing Toby’s jersey in 2012 (012, 013 and 014, as it turns out).

In a 20-minute interview, Toby talks about the vision for his product line, the over-arching goal of bringing a higher degree of sizzle to BMX Racing, and what he sees 2012, with all its changes and big events, netting out to look like.

Listen Now

iPhone users, paste this directly into the URL area of your phone’s browser

http://www.bmxnews.com/podcasts/at_045_toby_henderson.mp3

—Mike Carruth

VintageBMX.com Discussion on this Topic

A World Cup win has been a long time coming for Arielle Martin–and, indeed, the USA Women’s BMX effort, as a whole. In fact, one thing you’ll learn in listening to this interview is that the United States has never won a World Cup event on the women’s side. Until this month.

We spend some time chatting with Arielle Martin about her historic win, about her next 10 months leading up to the London Olympics (and qualifying for same), as well as life after August 2012.

Listen Now
Link

iPhone Users: Copy and paste the link below into your phone’s web browser.

http://www.bmxnews.com/podcasts/at_044_arielle_martin.mp3

Click here if you missed yesterday’s interview with Chula Vista Mens winner, Connor Fields

It’s been a while since we last posted an episode of our wildly-popular “Announcers Tower” Podcast. Well, this week, we’re back in gear with five new episodes to keep your iPod happy.

This week, we’ll bring some final focus on the Chula Vista SX, with interviews of both Elite Winners, Connor Fields (Tuesday) and Arielle Martin (Wednesday). But first, we wanted to bring you some perspective from a newcomer to the Supercross scene, and we found it via Fly’n Felicia Stancil.

Lots of changes between traditional BMX Racing and BMX Supercross, and in a fairly-quick 14 minutes, Felicia give us an inside look on the whole magilla.

Listen Now
Listen Now

iPhone users: http://www.bmxnews.com/podcasts/at_042_felicia_stancil.mp3

Editor’s Note: We thought it was pure coincidence that the Gatorade bottle ended up facing camera in big-media-interview fashion? Later, it occurred to us that Felicia may be wising-up early to the ways of doing right by her sponsors.

In one of the most riveting SX races in recent memory, lots of eyes were on London this past weekend. A few extra shots of adrenaline because it was A). The Test Event for the 2012 Olympic Games; and B). Because the whole shootin match would be broadcast on NBC the day after the race.

A total of 126 Elite Men from 26 countries turned up to get their first go at the Olympic track. BMX News posted full-coverage of the race.

Marc Willers was one of the standouts, as he always is anytime he buckles his helmet. But Sam Willoughby was also riding very strong, as was Joris Daudet–out with his W1 plate for the first time. And those three standouts took their battle down the final final turn of the final lap, after a three-abreast dash down one of the more technical straightaways we’ve seen.

In the end, it was Marc holding the top-step Magnum of Veuve, with Joris at his right, and Nic Long–who, himself, performed amazingly, going from sixth in the first turn, to third at the stripe–on the left.

Once Marc touched down in So. Cal, and got his laundry done, we sat down with him to talk about the weekend, what’s next as we look toward Chula Vista next month, and his 2012 aspirations. Marc also speaks directly to the question of “mental toughness” and how sometimes you have to “ground yourself” (meaning “no cell phone for you for one whole week”).

We always look forward to chatting with Marc, so give it a listen now:

link

Above Photo: UCI BMX / craigdutton.com

Tuesday morning dawned in BMXland with a Vintage thread that made our hearts sink: “Rider Down – Joey Albright.” Joey “Gunz” is one of the good guys on the East Coast scene, and his Madera/Profile colors are always a factor in the Vet Pro class.

Joey was turning some practice laps at his local track in Kingston, NY–getting ready for the UCI worlds next month–when a trip through the rhythm went wrong, and he ended up on the deck, with a serious concussion.

“I just started puking,” Joey says in this, the first Announcers Tower Podcast “Short.” He also talks about how, for several minutes, he lost his vision. “Everything just went white,” he said, in recounting the minutes immediately after the crash.

Joey was rushed to a trauma center in Poughkeepsie, where he spent a few days getting a full workup of his injuries. His prognosis is remarkable, considering what his injuries COULD have been.

Tough as they come, Joey went straight from the Trauma Floor to his son’s sixth-grade “moving-up ceremony” (graduation). “No way I was going to miss that!” he told us.

Treat yourself to 12 minutes with Joey. The guy’s got grit!

Listen Now
link

—Mike Carruth

Photo by DJBMX, via Facebook.

Last weekend, the UCI BMX Supercross World Cup race in Papendal, Netherlands made some headlines in the BMX community. But they weren’t all trumpeting the great work Marc Willers and Sarah Walker put in disposing of the competition.

The track, itself, became the story of the week, as riders, coaches, industry luminaries and at-home spectators alike all chimed in with their opinion of how the most extreme SX track on record sorted out the ranks.

On the same day as the Papendal race, another Kiwi, Jed Mildon, was making some headlines of his own–performing the first-ever triple backflip on a BMX bike. Mildon’s trick ultimately grabbed an eye-popping 6.5 million YouTube views in one week.

In a world where extreme feats can command eyeball counts of that scale, it’s logical, if not obvious, that the pressure to march the crowd appeal (read: extreme nature) of BMX Supercross ever-forward is high on the minds of Johan Lindstrom and Tom Ritz, the two lead architects of modern-day BMX Supercross.

In a 10-page critique of the race, Garret Does, the inventor of the UCI World Cup series, offered some chilling statistics on the Elite Men class in Papendal:

• In total there were 133 entries in that class (from all over the world!).
• After watching and/or taking part in the Thursday Practice, 40 riders decided NOT to race. “Too dangerous a track,” they said.
• With those 40 pull-outs, 93 riders were left to compete on Friday.
• During the time trials, NINE riders were DNF, and did not have a chance to qualify. The main reason for the DNFs were that they weren’t able to jump onto the 90-degree-vertical step up (Box-jump), or they crashed too hard and were treated by the medics present.
• Out of the 84 riders left, 64 qualified for the Saturday rounds.

Connor Fields, who did not make it to the Papendal event, offered commentary, via Facebook, which brought a lengthy and lively chorus of A-List stars chiming in on the subject (taking positions on both sides of the issue).

Though no official announcement has been made by UCI, the talk on the fenceline is that the Papendal track is very close, if not identical, to the track design currently being built in London for next year’s Olympic Games. A “test event” will also be held on that very track and is, in fact, the next stop on the 2011 UCI Supercross tour this August.

BMX News feels this is an important topic, and one where you should hear, in the riders’ own words, how they feel about the progression of SX track features. So, we set out to ask a selection of Elite riders their views on a handful of questions. We bring you their answers unedited, and in full (thus, apologies if it’s longer than most articles).

In all, we sent our questionnaire to 24 riders. Ten responded, and you will see their answers below. Of the other 14, only one replied to say that he preferred to stay out of it. We will not speculate as to the reason of the remaining 13, but we respect their decision, just the same.

Responding Riders (listed here, and in the responses, alphabetically):

Kelvin Batey
Luis Brethauer
Jim Brown
Tyler Brown
Connor Fields
Ramiro Marino
Tory Nyhaug
Corben Sharrah
Marc Willers
Sam Willoughby

The Questions:

1). What do you like/love about BMX Supercross?

2). Do you feel it is important for the next SX track to be more challenging than the last?

3). Do you feel that tracks should constantly introduce new types of obstacles to challenge riders’ abilities?

4). Striking a balance between making a track “challenging” and creating a course that may be prove dangerous to riders is obviously a delicate dance. What, about a track, could “cross the line” between challenging and dangerous?

5). Do you have any thoughts on how future tracks can avoid the kinds of issues the Elite community has voiced after Papendal?

6). Have you ever traveled to an SX race and considered not racing (or actually pulled out of competition) as a result of a track being “dangerous” in your eyes? If yes to either, please add details.

7). Please list any other thoughts or opinions you have on this topic which we have not covered above.

RIDER RESPONSES
Note: Where a rider did not respond to a question, their name is left off.

1). What do you like/love about BMX Supercross?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): BMX Supercross is a spectacle, not only for people within BMX Racing but also for people who know nothing about the sport. The speeds and bigger jumps have pushed riders’ abilities to the next level and the way that its being promoted now is more in line with the high profile sports.

Luis Brethauer (GER): The speed, the big jumps and the adrenaline rush.

Jim Brown (CAN): I like the rush of the hill. There is nothing like sprinting down that hill with seven other riders elbow to elbow. I also like that the SX format is a showcase of the pros.

Tyler Brown (USA): I think SX is great! It is great for our sport and something that is so much fun to do. Our sport needs the “limelight,” it needs the spectators, it needs something to showcase the world’s best riders, and what we can do on a race track on our BMX bikes! SX is a great stage and I have seen it bring thousands out to watch…there is nothing better then racing a fast track in front of thousands of fans!

Connor Fields (USA): I enjoy the intensity and the fact that we’re not riding the same track as the 5-year olds.  I love the speed and the competition.  It is the pinnacle of BMX racing.

Ramiro Marino (ARG): I love the speed that you can earn on the track. For the first two years, i thought it wasn’t good for any reason. Now, I would say that SX is far away from regular BMX. 

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): I love the speed at the bottom of the ramp, and the competition from every country in the world. It is so exciting already, the tracks don’t need to get any more dangerous!

Corben Sharrah (USA): The speeds of the tracks. It’s a great adrenaline rush to go down that huge hill as fast as you can and whip through a trip in 35 seconds.

Marc Willers (NZL): I am a fan of the speed and the fast-paced racing. I love the big hill. Period. I feel racing is far more exciting at higher speeds as long as we can all stay in touch with each other.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): I enjoy the bigger track, bigger turns, bigger jumps and higher speeds

2). Do you feel it is important for the next SX track to be more challenging than the last?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): Not at all. It’s not always about how challenging a track is, but how it rides– both in time trials and (group) racing. If it was the case that each new track built had to be more challenging than the last then how far does the progression actually go? There is a limit and I think for the sake of safety and how good racing looks– this was reached a year or so ago. I have never seen so many races so strung out at the finish line as was seen in Papendal with the lead rider crossing the line, 2nd place half way down the last straight and then other riders still on the 3rd straight after a big scramble for bikes half way around the track after a crash somewhere. One of the best SX races ever was at Chula last year where five riders were practically going over the line together in the main and there is a vast difference in both tracks.

Luis Brethauer (GER): Papendal was already a huge step to the next level, so I don’t think the next track should be even more challenging.

Jim Brown (CAN): I do think the Tracks need to progress and be more challenging as everyone in the sport is getting better. I think the Papendal track has gone too far, putting in the box jump and the hip jumps just took an exciting sport and made it boring to watch.

Tyler Brown (USA): I feel there is a time and a place for everything, and the limits do need to be pushed. That is how SX racing came about in the first place. If it wasn’t for trying something new and pushing the limits BMX wouldn’t be where it is today.

Connor Fields (USA): There are different things they can do the make tracks challenging without making them dangerous.  Making different kinds of jumps, like they did with the first jump in SA, and the step up step down in Madrid.  Those make it more challenging, yet keep it BMX, and keep it fun.

Ramiro Marino (ARG): I wasn’t there, but I heard many bad things about the (Papendal) track. I also watched the races on Freecaster, and i can say that I have never seen that many crashes. First, the track was longer than ever, so I saw crashes in the last straight as never before. Then, I saw guys casing the box and get flat tires, then transfer crashes. Do they think we are robots or what? Did you guys see how windy it was? Bad!!!!

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): No it’s not. Look at Copenhagen, the track has been the same for a few years now and the racing there is always exciting! Everyone can do the track and actually race properly on it. There is no need to change it or make tracks twice as difficult. We all want to put on a good show but we want to stay healthy too.

Corben Sharrah (USA): I don’t feel it has to be more challenging in any way. Just a different layout and some obstacles switched around would be perfect.

Marc Willers (NZL): Not at all. When we all arrived in Beijing 07 for the SX race we all thought that track was huge! It was big, but it was also simple and straight-forward. The races seen on that track and Chula Vista, are some of the best races in history. They allow flat-out, clean racing.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): I don’t think they have to feel that they need to make them crazier and crazier every time we race. Because pretty soon we are going to lose the idea of “Racing.” I think they just need to make a variety of tracks. Some technical, Some more open. Have tracks on the circuit that suit all styles of riders to make it a level playing field. I think making crazy tracks just makes it a lottery rather than a championship.

3). Do you feel that tracks should constantly introduce new types of obstacles to challenge riders’ abilities?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): I think its great to see new kinds of jumps introduced, as long as they keep the speed element of the sport. The box jump section of the track in Papendal looked slow and boring and there didn’t seem much point to it as racing became single file. In comparison, at that stage of the track in Beijing/Chula Vista (halfway), you see riders going for moves and giving it everything they have at max speed and that’s what makes BMX racing the sport it is.

Luis Brethauer (GER): it is cool that there are new obstacles introduced to the sport from time to time like the box jump in Madrid, or things like berm jumps and those new crossovers to push the sport forward. But, if some obstacles don’t really work in racing they just should leave them out again. Also, you don’t need to have a brand new obstacle on EVERY supercross track.

Jim Brown (CAN): I do think that we can bring in some new jumps for the SX tracks. We could start with some different jumps that are made out of dirt, triple on the second straight, step-up, step-down on the first straight. Instead of doing a box jump made out of a container or paved hip jumps. At some point the UCI has to think about the riders’ safety.

Tyler Brown (USA): This is kind of an add on to my answer above. I think we need to push and challenge ourselves and try new things, however I think there is a time and a place for that. I think the last place we should be testing new ideas and track designs is at a World Cup event, where all of the riders paid a lot of money to get to and worked our butts off to be the best we can be.

Nowadays, there are so many training centers and SX tracks all over the world. How about taking advantage of that and testing some of the new jumps at those places? There are five SX races on the calendar. Let’s build the box jump in Papendal, the new hip jump at Chula Vista, some jump-on, jump-off thing in Australia, I think you are getting my point. Use the local riders that have plenty of talent and time to get a jump dialed-in.

They are then able to give input to GSX, say this works, this doesn’t, and what can make it better. So us riders show up to a World Cup event with the kinks already smoothed out and we know we are riding something that will work right and we can race on.

Connor Fields (USA): Some, but not constantly.  What they have been doing for the last few years has worked and been totally fine.  This last race, they went too far and it caused a lot of riders to get hurt, and that’s always the worry with “progression.” 

Ramiro Marino (ARG): naaah!!! it wasn’t good for fans, because everyone was running on the track with bikes in their hands!!!!! We just need a regular SX track like Beijing. Three turns, four straights and that’s it! See who has more power and can handle the track. This way, the BMX fans would be watching how fast we can go!!! 

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): Yes and No. BMX is already an exciting sport so what’s the need to create a box jump or hip jump? IT slows down racing, this is RACING not FREESTYLE. Stick to big jumps that we can go fast and race on. That being said, It’s cool the UCI is trying new stuff but don’t go over the top like the last track in Papendal.

Corben Sharrah (USA): You always look forward to riding a new track, and seeing what’s on the track…but we all know the abilities of the Elite riders out there. We could ride any track they throw at us, but the big thing is can we race that track with seven other of the world’s fastest in the gate? Last weekend in Papendal, we saw how UN-race-worthy the track was. So, there is a point where you can say you can only do so much to a track to have it “raceable” and entertaining with all eight guys battling instead of two getting out front and the other six rolling the jumps.

Marc Willers (NZL): Again, no. It needs to be a race…being BMX RACING and all. We want to race, that is why we all chose this discipline. Elbow to elbow racing is what we love, not slipping in behind the guy in front, just to get through an s-bend and then hoping he won’t blow up.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): I think some different rhythm sections would be a lot cooler then things like box jumps. Rhythms where its faster to triple something, instead of everything being one-lined and “two, two, two.” There needs to be gaps that are really big, but daylight faster.

4). Striking a balance between making a track “challenging” and creating a course that may be prove dangerous to riders is obviously a delicate dance. What, about a track, could “cross the line” between challenging and dangerous?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): Without a doubt, I think the line was crossed in Papaendal, as there was a statistic released saying that more than half the riders that actually raced crashed at some point in the racing. Crashing over these big jumps at such high speeds can’t have a good outcome every time. The length of the track may also have been an issue in Papendal, with it being so long it will be so fatiguing for riders that they begin to make mistakes and when going through a rhythm section with gaps of 25-30 feet, this did cause some guys to mess up.

Luis Brethauer (GER): Actually, with the weather conditions in Papendal, this track already “crossed the line” of being dangerous. On the third straight, after 27 seconds at full speed, in this size and with the wind from the side is more than challenging.

Jim Brown (CAN): It definitely is a fine line between challenging and dangerous, crossing the line would be putting jumps that are too big with paved landings and obstacles you either make it or you have to get off your bike and hop on top and over them. This is BMX racing not Cyclocross!

Tyler Brown (USA): I think last weekend was the perfect example of that. You had many of the world’s best riders, including local riders (to Papendal), crashing, and crashing very hard!! If something like my idea above was used, we would have still challenging jumps but stuff that worked better because it was tried and tested. Ultimately, anything that is to tight, to big/small, or steep can be to dangerous for a race.

Connor Fields (USA): Here’s a thought: The track builder and UCI officials should think to themselves “if I had a kid, would i want him/her racing on this track?”  I think the first-straight berm jump is a horrible idea, people are still too close and jumbled up, and one mistake on that jump and you’re hurt. Plus, it causes a couple guys to have to roll it and makes the racing boring. 

Ramiro Marino (ARG): I think the maximum would be South Africa, with a transfer in the middle of the track, or Madrid (2010), with that box jump, which was normal…but not more than that. We get more and more tired with each weird (obstacle) on the track.

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): The track needs to make it possible for eight people to race on consistently. Almost every lap in Papendal, half the guys crashed. That is the balance, it has to be fit for eight guys to have a good, clean race.

Corben Sharrah (USA): There isn’t too much of a fine line, but there are some things that work on a track, and some things that don’t. I think it’s all in the way the tracks are built, not necessarily what the jumps are but how they’re shaped, how the turns are bowled, how wide the track is. Things being built too narrow, and hips and things not having the right angle on them could really make that difference between challenging and dangerous.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): I think build jumps steep and short is, to be honest, stupid. It slows the racing down and its dangerous. We have that big hill for a reason. To create speed. So why put small jumps, with steep backsides, that you have to brake for and lose all that speed.

5). Do you have any thoughts on how future tracks can avoid the kinds of issues the Elite community has voiced after Papendal?

Kelvin Batey (IRL): I saw a quote from another rider a few days ago saying to just give the riders some 180 turns and real BMX jumps and it’s good to go, and I agree with that. The South Africa Worlds track, Chula, Beijing all had flowing tracks with real BMX jumps on them which were both good for spectators and riders to ride. I think tracks should keep to the core element of what BMX Racing is with the twist of the Supercross in them. I don’t think the sport needs to be reinvented that dramatically.

Luis Brethauer (GER): The first and second straights in Papendal are awesome! The crazy turning stuff should be wider or different somehow, that there are several lines in racing for overtaking. On the box jump in Papendal, you lost all your speed so it would be cool to make it curved on top to keep that speed. The third straight should be a little smaller and with different lines…maybe go back to some manual doubles so that you can still go through the straight fast if you have some trouble before the straight.

Jim Brown (CAN): I think there needs to be a rider rep in place with the UCI or GSX, who has some say on how the tracks are built– someone who will speak up for the riders.

Tyler Brown (USA): Again something above would be great, but also how about using the riders to help build a track? I mean, “hello,” we ride for a living, and we have all built trails. We can figure out what works and what doesn’t. Take Papendal. I think all of us leading up to the event were worried if it would even work and if it was raceable and I think most of us were right!

I’m a friend of Tom (Ritz), and have been for years. The last thing I am trying to do is bash the dude. All I am saying is: why not have input from people who actually ride the tracks and have to race them? In my opinion, I think that is a no-brainer!

Connor Fields (USA): Stick to what’s working, don’t keep trying to push it, because were pushing it with our necks on the line and I’m worried its gonna take someone getting really badly injured for the UCI to do anything, and no one wants that. 

Ramiro Marino (ARG): Well, we are doing it now by this article, but I hope the guys who should hear us listen. It all depends on us to make a change!!!! I mean the Elite riders.

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): Stick to BMX. Make big jumps that we can attack at a fast speed and jump cleanly. Make the track technical, but possible to race on. We shouldn’t have to worry about the TRACK, we should have to worry about racing.

Corben Sharrah (USA): Most of Papendal was weather conditions. It would just be safer for all the riders if there could of been a different time we practiced/raced so the wind and weather factors weren’t so bad.

Marc Willers (NZL): I feel they need to keep it in line with how it has been working over the last six years. There is no need for box-jumps or wall rides as it is clearly a major interruption in racing.

I’m on the fence whether the track itself was too crazy, or just a result of many factors. In my opinion, the hips/s-bend, has to go. I can’t vent my disgust for its waste of space in writing!

As stated earlier, the Beijing track was a shock to all of us when we first
saw it. A year later, it was “just another track.” Maybe Papendal will go
down the same road, for riding, not racing. Though I feel that a decision
needs to be made on whether they want a good flat-out, hard-charging race for
30 seconds, over a challenging track, vs the Tour-de-France
they made us ride in Papendal… It can’t be both.

The length of the track is over UCI regulation, and I can tell you now that this played an equal role, along with the wind, for killing everyone. The sport’s top pros from around the world should not be crashing out of a race because they just physically run out of steam.

Sam Willoughby (AUS): Build tracks to be raced at high speed. And think flow first! Make the tracks “flowy…” they will still be challenging.

6). Have you ever traveled to an SX race and considered not racing (or actually pulled out of competition) as a result of a track being “dangerous” in your eyes? If yes to either, please add details.

Kelvin Batey (IRL): I’ve never gone to a race and thought of pulling out, but have read about a few riders saying that about Papendal.

Luis Brethauer (GER): No, I never have. I usually love the big tracks and the risk. In Papendal, I made a mistake on third straight and crashed in TT. I was really pissed, but when I saw the riders struggle on race day with the wind and everything, somehow I was a little glad I didn’t have to race that day.

Jim Brown (CAN): I have never considered not competing at a SX race because of the track. The wind has sketched me out a few times, but I have not skipped out on a race. I was not in Papendal but I may have considered not racing that one.

Tyler Brown (USA): Have I been scared at times? Yes. At the same time that is part of the thrill of SX is beating those fears. I think the only time I was super-nervous was the SLC Dew Tour when it was raining and so windy. That was a bit scary!

Connor Fields (USA): Never, but if i was in Papendal, I would have been lying if I said I wasn’t scared out of my mind.  I was nervous for the guys just watching.  It looked like crash-up derby out there. 

Ramiro Marino (ARG): Well, I always travel long to race. But Denmark 2008 was one time I didn’t race. It was too windy and the track was wet. Then, in China at the 2007 Olympic test event, they had to change the track like three times by the weekend.

Tory Nyhaug (CAN): No I haven’t. Papendal was right on that edge though.

Corben Sharrah (USA): No, I have not pulled out of a race or found a track to dangerous. But there are some times I wouldn’t want to ride because the weather has been bad with wind or rain which makes the track dangerous at the time.

Marc Willers (NZL): Right before the third moto in Papendal, I had those very thoughts. Had one of the four people I asked, given me a straight up answer, and the one I was kinda hoping to hear, I would have quit on the spot. The conditions we were riding in were ridiculous. Sporting events get postponed all the time, for many reasons, but not us, we just have to deal with it. (Sarcasm intended).

Sam Willoughby (AUS): No none of them have ever been that bad yet.

7). Please list any other thoughts or opinions you have on this topic which we have not covered above.

Luis Brethauer (GER): Some good riders didn’t, or barely, made it through the timetrial in Papendal, because they made small mistakes in their only lap. Someone asked me why we don’t have something like the last chance qualifier in motocross, so that might be an idea.

Jim Brown (CAN): I hope that GSX and the UCI will take a second look at how the Olympic track is going to be built. Take out the box jump and the hip jumps and make it a race track not a skate park.

Tyler Brown (USA): Here is the way I look at it: It is up to us, the BMX pros, to take it and push it in the direction we want it to go. Just like other sports have, our athletes need to run it, not some dudes who don’t ride. There is a lot in our sport that needs to get better, and don’t even get me started, because that would turn into a longer story (haha)! I hope you like my ideas and thanks for giving us a voice!

Connor Fields (USA): Like I said above, the UCI needs to think “would I want my kid racing this track>”  BMX Racing is awesome, and could be one of the most exciting sports to watch– if they keep the tracks wide-open for good racing, and not too crazy so that the world’s best don’t get injured.   

Ramiro Marino (ARG): All i can say is: PAPENDAL JUST CROSSES THE LINE OF DANGEROUS.

Corben Sharrah (USA): Just that I hope we get better conditions for the races and tracks that are actually raceable not just rideable!

Marc Willers (NZL): (excerpt from Marc’s Papendal Race Report). The track had everything an Olympic medal should be decided on: a MASSIVE first straight, BIG second straight, pro doubles, which went into a questionable hip/S-bend/into-box-jump/into-weird-drop-off. Then there was a grueling dig for speed to get down the extremely technical third straight rhythm section and then onto the deep last straight. Not to forget the track is 75 meters longer than the 35 years of BMX rules have allowed them to be.

Needless to say, it was a burn. (obviously certain things listed above need
to be attended to)

If the sheer size of the track wasn’t daunting enough, Mother Nature
decided to do her best to kill off any skeptics, and that she did. The wind
was horrific all week and every time we started a lap it would be blowing a
different way. With the elevation changes of the track, one minute it was
dead calm when you were down below the face of a jump, and then the second
you took off, you could be blown in any direction. I firmly believe we need
specific conditions, in which it is deemed unsafe to ride, not just realize
it once we’re in a pile, on the dirt.

Racing was crazy. I’ll be the first to admit I was scared and after the
second round of motos I was having doubts and thinking of pulling the plug. I
managed to clear my head and put together a solid third lap with a win. The
quarterfinal went smoothly, and I got another win. By now, my body was really
starting to feel the hurt. I hadn’t managed to put a clean lap together yet.

Leading into the first turn in the Semi, Holland’s Jelle Van Gorkom took a
sharp inside line, and pulled off a nice move to take over the lead. With
such a tight line, though, he struggled for speed over the first pro double
and came up short. I went to the right in case it got nasty, but USA’s
Corben Sharrah poked his wheel up the inside over the second jump. I saw him
coming and with the S-bend heading his direction, it was about to get tight.
I had a slight lead as we jumped and, sadly, he fell victim to the poorly-
designed hip jump and went over the back of me. If it weren’t for that part
of the track, it would have been a much better race. When good side-by-side
racing ends up like that and ruins the day for one of the best riders in the
world, then something ain’t right.

Editor’s Conclusion:

I am not offering any editorial analysis of the above…the riders said it best.

I will close by saying that, in my two-and-a-half-year tenure as editor of BMX News, this is the story I am most proud to have posted.

I love the fact that the Elites of the sport are getting involved shaping in their destiny, and that they articulated their views on this very important subject so well.

A big thanks to Connor Fields, for inspiring this article, and helping with the riders’ cooperation.

Thank you for reading! Now, come on over to Vintage and give us your views.

—Mike Carruth

Over the past 18 months or so, we have seen Tony Hoffman make a comeback on the track that has taken him from mid-pack in the A Pro class, to the AA semi at the recent ABA Gator Nationals–and the season is just getting started. Many of us are fans of his website, thoffonline.com, where he pens thought-provoking articles, written from the riders’ point of view, as well as whip checks on the top Elite hardware on the track.

But for all the success and moving forward Tony has enjoyed recently, the road that got him back to the track was a tough one. It is a tale of life dreams gone off the rails, getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, making ill-conceived decisions, and ultimately ending up at the crossroads, as an inmate in a Central California prison.

In this episode of Announcers Tower, THoff says “my life is an open book.” Tony makes good his promise by answering some tough, pointed questions, taking us through the lowest lows, and how, through faith, he has rebooted his life.

He tells us about “Project Freewheel–” a Christian outreach program he started this past weekend in Fresno, CA, which uses BMX racing, and the laser-like focus required to succeed, as a means to head-off kids moving down the wrong path.

And, Tony puts his opinion to several questions facing the sport today.

Whether you regularly listen to Announcers Tower, or this is your first time, we know you will find Tony’s story as compelling as we did.

Listen Now
Link

We will be talking about the interview, and Tony will answer questions from listeners on the Vintage Forum.