Counterpoint: World Cup Dual Slalom Isn't The Answer
Sorry Matt Wragg, dual slalom doesn't need to make a comeback, especially not onto the world stage. Elite level slalom is currently on life support, and I'm totally fine if it stays that way forever. And don't even get me started on my thoughts about speed and style competitions...
Now, before Kyle Strait shows up at my doorstep to tell me that I'm an idiot and dual slalom is the best thing ever, I should stress that I do think slalom is a great activity, one that every mountain biker should try if they have the chance. The thing is, it's not something the UCI needs to be involved in, and the top DH racers shouldn't need to add another event to their already-full plates on a race weekend.
The best slalom races are semi-underground affairs, ones that take place on a rut track hidden in the woods, or in a backyard that happens to have just enough room for some head-to-head racing. Trying to push slalom onto the world stage just isn't worth it, especially since it's been proven time and time again that the races don't attract nearly the same number of fans as an XC or DH race.
Slalom is an event that tends to be more fun for the participants than the spectators. It's entertaining to watch for a few runs, and than it starts to lose its luster as the races drag on due to the bracket style elimination, which means racers need two runs per heat just in case one side of the course is running faster than the other. Compare that to XC or DH racing, where the fastest rider down the hill, or the first person to make it across the finish line after a certain number of laps wins – it doesn't get much easier to understand than that.
Sea Otter slalom is a good time, but there's no need to add more elite slalom races to the schedule.
How About More DH Races Instead?
If the goal is to give fans more chances to watch their favorite athletes compete, why not try to get more DH races put on the calendar? Next year there are eight World Cup DH races, which seems like a decent amount, until you consider the fact that Supercross and Formula 1 both have 17 events on their calendars. Granted, there are more fans and more money in motocross and car racing, but it sure seems like there should be a way to squeeze in at least a couple more World Cup downhill races.
Looking at the 2022 schedule, there's an almost two month gap between the first and the second race, and then there's another nearly month long break from June until July, right when some of the best weather conditions of the year occur. Adding in a double-header or two sure seems like it would be a great way to increase the number of races without incurring too many logistical headaches. It's obviously too late for that to happen in 2022, but it'd be great to see the calendar expand in the future.
 | Cut a course into a grassy field, build a bonfire, and let the late night shenanigans begin. |
Getting back to the great dual slalom debate, rather than dealing with the UCI, I'd love to see the number of mountain bike festivals increase. You know, the kind that are held at a venue that's close to decent trails with plenty of room for camping (actual camping, the kind where you sleep in a tent, not a $100k Sprinter van), preferably one with a stage for live music. That's where dual slalom really belongs – cut a course into a grassy field, build a bonfire, and let the late night shenanigans begin. Slalom, high jump contests, bicycle limbo – they're all perfectly suited to a party atmosphere, with hundreds of excited mountain bikers ready to heckle, spectate, and above all, participate.
Editor's note: if you're a fan of dual slalom, check out the Crankworx Rotorua live broadcast at 9:30 PM PST today.
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78 Comments
Or is that maybe a good race format for ebikes? Technical climbs and descent stages. One battery and limit capacity so they have to manage the effort.
Mass start downhill with climbing and depending on course a 5" ish bike was perfect
The race format works great for festivals like the Malvern classic and sea otter! It’s one of the hardest and most drawn out race format to watch though. Just to watch the top 8 battle you have to watch 16 heats to find out who wins, and you only know has won if you can see a timing screen! Bring in 4x the tracks don’t need to be any where near as man made as Phil and team made them going back when the uci were hosting them! They could be come a lot less man made with a lot more natural features made from the hill! Bringing back the raw mountain bike style that has been lost over the years! This format is also easy to follow the person our front is the person that’s winning. Keep dual dead! You want a spectator sport. You want mountain bikes to be come more main stream. 4x is the simplest form of mountain bike racing to watch and follow.
I for one would like to see Super D make a return. Super D is after all, Enduro with climbs; or as most of us recognize it, riding your ducking bike.
Definitely need more WC XC and DH races. For example there are 16 Cyclocross WC races this season spread over less than 4 months and two continents.
Counterpoint, WTF is short track XC doing as a separate WC event? XCC is a qualifying event FFS. How can you be WC at qualifying?
I'd like to see XCE make a comeback though. I think with what modern riders can do on modern bike, this could be an excellent event (like pedaling, obstacled pump track)
100% agree though, I think they could double the calender.
Now, full suspension MTB GIANT dual slalom would actually add something to the sport.
Disagree? Fight me...
I always thought it was kind of dumb to do on big wheel bikes with suspension, but then end up building the course so that it's more suited to a short wheelbase, small wheel, zero suspension bike. Just seems kind of circular.
Parallel courses that are A-line scale where speeds don't go below 30mph, can be done chainless potentially, and a couple fast tech/rough features that actually require suspension and large volume tires and it would probably have tons of utility for hosting resorts when not in use for racing weekends.
We've got bikes that are dimensionally almost the same as motocross bikes (angles, wheelbases, suspension travel). The format itself was fun for DS, but the courses haven't been built to a modern bike. They were built to bikes that existed in the 90's. And even then, the courses were underbuilt because riders kept sizing the bikes down to fit the courses.
Anyway, the alliteration was really why I posted that