DH World Cup thread

[Rockhopper70]

I don’t think the example you have provided is applicable as it’s a much smaller field.

In the WC DH finals there are 15 women entrants and 30 men. The average finish times are 3:45 and 4:00 mins respectively. Even setting off with no holdups when the previous starter finishes, that is over three hours of racing. Would they want to broadcast three hours? It likely wouldn’t make a difference to the riders as they’d still have a start time, but perhaps they want to avoid issues with changing weather in that wider window of time?

Maybe the broadcasters only give them a specific time slot? If it was just broadcast on YouTube it wouldn’t have such constraints?

 

[RustyMTB]

the ridiculous lies

Still chuckling at this.

 

[Powerslider]

I don’t think the example you have provided is applicable as it’s a much smaller field.

In the WC DH finals there are 15 women entrants and 30 men. The average finish times are 3:45 and 4:00 mins respectively. Even setting off with no holdups when the previous starter finishes, that is over three hours of racing. Would they want to broadcast three hours? It likely wouldn’t make a difference to the riders as they’d still have a start time, but perhaps they want to avoid issues with changing weather in that wider window of time?

Maybe the broadcasters only give them a specific time slot? If it was just broadcast on YouTube it wouldn’t have such constraints?

As the pinnacle of the sport, they should have the resources and ability to make it happen. I suspect the apathy we see here is why there’s no pressure to produce a professional-level broadcast event. Might as well just phone it in.

Look at WC soccer. I realize the scale is completely different, but imagine the broadcasters saying, there’s so many games we can only show the fourth quarter for games we think aren’t important… even when viewers are paying to see every competition. Feels the same.

Figure it out (broadcast) guys.

What makes it worse is this is not compelling TV. The sport will continue to be relegated to a minuscule audience if this is the product. I know Id rather watch regional DH where I can see everyone’s full run.

 

[Zimmerframe]

In the WC DH finals there are 15 women entrants and 30 men. The average finish times are 3:45 and 4:00 mins respectively. Even setting off with no holdups when the previous starter finishes, that is over three hours of racing.

As the pinnacle of the sport, they should have the resources and ability to make it happen

Are you proposing interdimensional magic ?

Or maybe picture in picture in picture ?

I guess they could just cater to 3d headset owners and have 4 feeds,.or 5, feck it, we can have live overall presenter chat, running side by side and i just rotate my head to focus on the parallel feed I want with the sound adjusting accordingly.

Or mainstream it, call it Super plate (someone claimed Super Bowl - which has nothing to do with bowling )

Actually, we could have a competition Super ?????

Drag it out to 12 hours and have a meal break between each rider for the US audience ? (Sorry,I'm an asshole )

 

[RustyMTB]

I suspect the apathy we see here is why there’s no pressure to produce a professional-level broadcast event.

Also chuckling at this. Apparently our fault WBD don't meet this guy's exacting standards.

So far today across three posts, you've called forum members liars, apathetic & gaslighting bullshitters. Is everything ok at home?

 

[Powerslider]

So far today across three posts, you've called forum members liars, apathetic & gaslighting bullshitters. Is everything ok at home?

Touché. You genuinely make me smile here. Everything is great personally. Thanks for asking.

Gaslighting is a trigger for me. The apathy kind of disgusts me too tbh.

I’m just appalled by the coverage for a sport that I’m really into. I’m repeating myself, but I’m a huge sports fan and that last broadcast was literally the worst I’ve ever seen. Not exaggerating for impact either. It was that much of a failure.

 

[Powerslider]

Are you proposing interdimensional magic ?

Or maybe picture in picture in picture ?

I guess they could just cater to 3d headset owners and have 4 feeds,.or 5, feck it, we can have live overall presenter chat, running side by side and i just rotate my head to focus on the parallel feed I want with the sound adjusting accordingly.

Or mainstream it, call it Super plate (someone claimed Super Bowl - which has nothing to do with bowling )

Actually, we could have a competition Super ?????

Drag it out to 12 hours and have a meal break between each rider for the US audience ? (Sorry,I'm an asshole )

I’m proposing any changes that are required to broadcast the entire event like nearly every other sport does. That could mean longer broadcasts; or fewer competitors; or something else. Whatever it takes but not showing every athlete’s full run is simply unacceptable. Get creative. That’s not how you increase viewers and grow the sport. That’s checking a box. It’s lazy and disrespects the competition in my view.

Somehow they figured out how to do it with skiing competitions for example. They can do it here too.

 

[Zimmerframe]

So far today across three posts, you've called forum members liars, apathetic & gaslighting bullshitters. Is everything ok at home?

I don't want to be argumentative, but I'm pretty sure there are members which would fit all of those categories

I’m just appalled by the coverage for a sport that I’m really into. I’m repeating myself, but I’m a huge sports fan and that last broadcast was literally the worst I’ve ever seen.

You need to drink Guinness when watching.

It even tells you to chill before you open a can.

 

[JP-NZ]

Well I didn’t fair too badly despite my absence. So that might be an omen for the next round when I’m on holiday again over the practice sessions, qualies and races.

I see PinkBike have also changed the pricing structure so it’s going to be a little trickier from here on in to get a team of big hitters.

I'm on Holiday in Indonesia for Lenzerhide so hope that omen is correct.

Yes, a well overdue update of the pricing, 1st round was way too easy. I hope it keeps going up because it adds a lot more varibility to the choices.

Also agree with you Rusty, having people like Bruni, Brosnan, Goldstone etc way down the list puts real pressure on them in future races. Makes for a VERY exciting season ahead.

 

[JP-NZ]

I’m just appalled by the coverage for a sport that I’m really into. I’m repeating myself, but I’m a huge sports fan and that last broadcast was literally the worst I’ve ever seen. Not exaggerating for impact either. It was that much of a failure.

I wasn't going to reply as you are obviously not arguing in good faith and I resent being abused or being accused of "gaslighting" on here when all anyone has said is the truth.

It honestly seems to me that you have never watched downhill world cup before and thats okay, but I have watched the last 14 seasons and it has literally been like the last race on every single race of every year. You won't change it (no matter how bad you think it is), I already see you don't watch anymore and thats probably for the best.

Let everyone else on here enjoy it.

 

[Powerslider]

I wasn't going to reply as you are obviously not arguing in good faith and I resent being abused or being accused of "gaslighting" on here when all anyone has said is the truth.

It honestly seems to me that you have never watched downhill world cup before and thats okay, but I have watched the last 14 seasons and it has literally been like the last race on every single race of every year. You won't change it (no matter how bad you think it is), I already see you don't watch anymore and thats probably for the best.

Let everyone else on here enjoy it.

The good faith comment is garbage but I’m not going to change your opinion so I’ll just move on from that slight.

TBH, you’re right. I haven’t ever attempted to watch a full broadcast of WCDH. That’s why I’m shocked it’s so bad!

I was ready to pay for HBO Max every month purely to watch all the events. I even woke up very, very early last weekend to watch the live competition. However, when I see the organizers and television producers apparently are so inept they can’t show the full competition, it’s clear that I’ve wasted my money. I cancelled my HBO Max subscription and will catch the highlights on YouTube for free.

I’m not sure if it’s funny or sad that people are making excuses for this television fail.

 

[HandsomeDanNZ]

Are you proposing interdimensional magic ?

TBH - I'd be all-in on this.

 

[Weeksy]

The good faith comment is garbage but I’m not going to change your opinion so I’ll just move on from that slight.

TBH, you’re right. I haven’t ever attempted to watch a full broadcast of WCDH. That’s why I’m shocked it’s so bad!

I was ready to pay for HBO Max every month purely to watch all the events. I even woke up very, very early last weekend to watch the live competition. However, when I see the organizers and television producers apparently are so inept they can’t show the full competition, it’s clear that I’ve wasted my money. I cancelled my HBO Max subscription and will catch the highlights on YouTube for free.

I’m not sure if it’s funny or sad that people are making excuses for this television fail.

Must admit, i have no clue at all what you're on about. The coverage is bloody superb. OK, Ric is a bit of a MMMMmmmm something... but the coverage is great.
As he said above, if you covered everyone in finals, then add in junior boys and girls, you'd be in the 7 hours bracket and no-one is watching for 7+ hours straight... Just no-one.
This way you get all the filler, then a lot of the top 10 are pretty much full runs... I can't see how you could ask or want for more.

DH is at it's PEAK currently in terms of tech, riders, racing, you're honestly living the dream here.

 

[Rockhopper70]

Must admit, i have no clue at all what you're on about. The coverage is bloody superb. OK, Ric is a bit of a MMMMmmmm something... but the coverage is great.
As he said above, if you covered everyone in finals, then add in junior boys and girls, you'd be in the 7 hours bracket and no-one is watching for 7+ hours straight... Just no-one.
This way you get all the filler, then a lot of the top 10 are pretty much full runs... I can't see how you could ask or want for more.

DH is at its PEAK currently in terms of tech, riders, racing, you're honestly living the dream here.

I was coming back from the Lakes on Sunday afternoon and passed loads of DH bikes heading south. Seems there was a SDA DH race at AE Forest. Was that one not on the radar, or just too damn far?

 

[Weeksy]

I was coming back from the Lakes on Sunday afternoon and passed loads of DH bikes heading south. Seems there was a SDA DH race at AE Forest. Was that one not on the radar, or just too damn far?

Hi mate, the boy is mid A-level exams, we were slightly tempted but was not quite the right timing. He's been racing a few Enduro races too lately and is heading out to Europe for a couple of EDR/EWS this summer once we finish improving his bike with the kind support from TFTuned. He's got Pearce and NAtionals in the UK but we've not really done much in Scotland apart from Fort William and SDA at Inners.

 

[simonali19]

I watched on Sunday and was amused at how the women were slower but all finished and half the men crashed. That is the same reason ladies get cheaper car insurance.

 

[JP-NZ]

I wonder if we will see much change on the Leogang track this year?

 

[RustyMTB]

Wyn did a thing on prize money. A few revelations I didn't know about.