Big Mountain Enduro Round 4 - Winter Park Highlights

 or you know having water at the hydration station would be cool too. The one ton pickup they had there could apparently only hold 10 gallons of water for the pros

 They don't even list the top 3 AMS like they do the others. The top guys deserve some love with how big that field was.

 Ha no one cares about AM class until they find out that they stop attending and realize there goes a large chunk of funding at these races.

 @JacobSpera: Exactly...

 thats BS for how much these enduro races cost. the local xc races are all under 100 dollars and they seem to find a way to have more than enough food and water at multiple locations for everyone.

 @adrennan: I normally find it a waste of time to defend ourselves, but we have awesome aid stations at all our back country events. This is a bike park with full service lodges top and bottom. Maybe there was 45 minutes of climbing total. I brought it up at the riders meeting, no aid stations.

 @dtrotter: @MTBCAM Have you ever been on an amateur podium at one of our races? Do you have any clue how hard it is to get and give away as much prizing as we give away? We don't give it to the pros. Maybe thats why we have been selling out races for 5 years. Because we do care about the ams, and the pros, and slaving away for ungrateful athletes like you, or just clueless pnikbike trolls. We charge less for a race than a rental bike and lift ticket for the day. Let's go ride bikes one day and I'll tell you all about it

 Your absolutely right about this, and we try our best to get photos taken, and loaded on our pages. We are working on getting more photogs out there, but Eddie is here to capture the pro action to share with the race world. We rely on the ams as well, and we will do our best to get more photos of everyone out there.

 @adrennan: maybe come prepared next time? the course did not get far out from the base. also, there was no water station when the pro class went through, not that we needed any since we all brought our own water. the BME guys ran a really smooth race, and I thought they courses they chose were sick, and that's what I care about when I race.

 @Instamiked: I tried to get any info about the riders meeting because I couldn't make it since I had to work my day job. No one responded to the two emails I sent asking about it. The website actively advertised that hydration stations would be out there. If the website just said be self sufficient I would have packed accordingly.

 I just want clearer communication. A 6pm riders meeting on a Friday (that you find out about the day before) doesn't work for most people that work normal jobs if that is the only way for the message to get to riders

 Scrolled down to say the same thing

 @Instamiked: Disclaimer - I didn't race but have friends that did, and it was an awesome race! That said, your webpage says "Fully-stocked aid stations with local organic food and hydration". But it is a bike park there really wasn't a big climbing at all. I just wanted to point out that you did say there would be aid stations.

 @adrennan: If you want water ride with more than a bottle... I see this all the time. You cant depend on the aid station to get you through the day. Especially if they mentioned no aid stations in the meeting. You thought a bottle would suffice for 2 full stages of back country is a big mistake IMO... Bring snacks of your liking and water and you are never salty. nuff said.

 @logic007: you must have missed where I said they had a meeting Friday at 6 and they didn't announce the meeting til the day before. And they actively advertise aid stations as part of what race fee covered. In talking with other racers, I know I am not the only person who had the expectation. My emails were ignored. Communication was not up to par.

 Racer gallery is now live. www.eddieclarkmedia.com/Print-Gallery/2017-BME-Winter-Park

I shot through the whole field on stage four, and sacrificed getting post-race lifestyle photos to do this because we thought the Am's would appreciate it. Unfortunately, I know I missed a few people while moving around- I'm not a button pushing monkey that stays in the same spot all day. This is an ass load of work, and it takes time to edit (2000 photos) and upload (505 20+MB files) in addition to creating this report. Next time, try exercising a little patience instead of flaming a bunch of people busting their ass to provide a top notch race.

 I found that I had plenty of time at the bottom between stages 2 and 3 to chug from a Nalgene, drink a coconut water, eat some food, find some extra food to bring for the next 2 stages. When the course map is released on Wed, that's when you start strategizing. I had time between almost every stage at Keystone, too. I may be consistent mid-pack, but I haven't been thirsty or hubgru

 Hubgru = hungry. #fatthumbs

 @Instamiked: I think JacobSpera's comment was a general blanket statement. Not pointing out your race series specifically. I think you need to remove the stick from your anus my friend. It's not just your races...

 @adrennan: Dude, EVERYONE is supposed to attend the racer meeting. They exist because of last minute changes to logistics which is a guarantee with practically every race ever. Nothing new, no excuses, take some responsibility for yourself.

 @RkyMtnSrfr: then they should be held at a time when everyone can attend. unfortunately, i cant just willy nilly get off work to make it to a meeting for a race. Every other race I have done has set time for riders meeting far in advance and held at a time when everyone can attend. An e-mail with basic information from the meeting to all riders would take a few minutes and avoid confusion.

don't worry though, probably my last bme. there are plenty of other series out there.

 @RkyMtnSrfr: on a different note, nice photos.

 @RkyMtnSrfr: just a suggestion, but berating potential customers isn't usually the best way to sell photos.

 @adrenalated: Friend, if you feel berated I apologize. But try and follow me here. I'm not speaking on behalf of BME, but instead as a photographer who's been shooting bike racing for over a decade now. Myself, and the people involved with these bike races (not just BME, but all bike races) are stoked on cycling, and we want to spread the stoke. Nobody wants people to walk away from a race or event with a negative experience as their memory of it.

Here's the rub, if you're at a race or event and having problems with something, by all means please talk to someone from the staff, or even me. We're all there to create a positive experience, and we know that sometimes things go wrong or fall through the cracks, so we'll be as understanding as possible to try and correct the problem or do it better the next time so we don't repeat the problem. Trust me, most all of these folks at the races are pretty nice people in that regard. If it comes down to not making a racer meeting then definitely talk to someone who did before the morning of the race because changes happen, important announcements are made and that really is common with most bike races.

I rode the whole course on Friday with one water bottle, and I refilled it at the base area after riding stage 2. On Saturday, I was in the lift line at 7:30am, rode with gear and shot photos on course until almost 3:30, then got to the base area for a quick bite and beer before shooting awards, then I went back to my room to download and edit until falling asleep at midnight. I've also run out of water while shooting events, and stuck it out because I had a job to do and kept shooting in the hot sun for hours, bone dry hot and thirsty as hell, and it really sucks when that happens. My point, pretty much everyone putting on bike races from directors to volunteers is putting in a big effort to make it happen, and none of us are getting rich doing it. We also have been doing this for a while, and know how it feels when shit happens so, yes, we really can sympathize with crappy situations.

The reason I'm still typing is because I hope you do come back to more races. They're even a shit ton of fun for me despite riding with a pack full of gear. I hope you can understand that after we put in so much work and effort to make this stuff happen, we're human and it rubs us the wrong way when the first thing we see in the comments is people complaining behind screen names when they could have just asked us about the problem in person when it was a problem. We'd much rather fix a problem or provide an answer then respond to negative comments after the fact on the internet because at the end of the day we're stoked on bikes and want to share that stoke.

So there ya go, hope that helps a little. Either way, it's time to get my ride on. Good luck with your adventures, and keep it rubber side down.

-Eddie Clark

 @RkyMtnSrfr: thank you for taking the time to do this for this race. I originally brought up this topic because I have been to all the BME stops this year and so far Santa Fe was the only one where you could find pictures of the AM class. Glad you changed that for this race. it always kills post race stoke when you go charging by 15 people taking pictures and cannot find a single one online anywhere. I do wish the BME would hire out another photographer or two to help spread things out and make access to those photos much easier. I have spend a ton of money racing this year. All I have to show for it is some number plates, 2 pictures from santa fe and 2 I will get from you when I get back from vacation. Just wish I could get more a 4 picture slide show for a whole season is kinda a letdown.

 @hitechredneck: The Utah Gravity Series is the same way. There are usually 3 or 4 photographers snapping pics but after 4 years of DH and Super D racing in the UGS I have a total of 3 pictures of me on track...As you said, It'd be nice to take more away from a race than a number plate.

 @hitechredneck: Totally understand. There's a lot of reasons behind all this all the way down to mtb editorial outlets not having the budget that existed even a couple years ago, to specifically Keystone where I was at my sisters wedding and Winter Park where Tony was on his wedding anniversary. That said, I think we'll both be on deck for the next two races. Thanks for coming out to play!

 I get the issue people have with aid stations, but what's with the rant about pictures?? No picture = no proof..?.. As for water, or lack thereof, Trestle fails to keep it filled on an average weekday, without a race. Locals and vacationers alike have to constantly remind and ask employees for water.

As for photos, is the entire world preparing for Alzheimer's disease? I don't understand the need... Water, needed. Pictures, wanted.

 @geerumm: a lot of people don't get riding photos very often (stopping to take pictures kills my chances of getting that KOM). A race where you are paying 150 bucks for race entry seems like it creates an opportunity to get pictures. Some quick math tells me at the trestle stop they could add 10 dollars to race fees and get 3500 dollars; that should pay for at least 1 or two photogs on the course for the day even if no body buys the photos. hell, i will take pictures if someone paid me 1500 bucks for a day's worth of work.
like I keep saying with the aid stations, it was an issue of communication that I had my real problem with; the aid station issue was just the symptom.

 I'll get that sorted out straight away

 So Savage.

 Thanks! It was a great race and a lot of fun

 nope. double jepordy wasnt in the race.

 The fastest line I can find is to take off the corner of the start of the bridge to get an outside to inside line on the far far left.

 I saw some random riding the other weekend, come blitzing into the section, hit the bridge, hucked off it and continue to float over the rocks like a magical bike riding fairy. His buddies behind him did not hit that same line.

 @meesterover: i will try that and report back from the hospital

 @adrennan: I lol'd at this

 @adrennan: I will be there on the 29th for sure (also possibly the 22nd), let me know and I will record it for you.

(I have yet to make a clean run through that section and my first blind run through it, I thought I was awesome and just tried to hit it. Only thing I hit was my head on a rock -- now I have a mental block trying to make it through there again, about halfway is the furthest I have made it.)

 @meesterover: i have my line through it all. its not fast or pretty though. i want you to be able to describe me as a "magical bike riding fairy" to the interweb.

I will probably be there both those weekends too

 Inside lines the whole way, the wood features just slow you down and set you up for the rockiest line.

 @where-am-i: The dude I saw jumped off the first bridge at the half way point and cleared about 8' of rock. I would agree with you if I had not seen that line hit.

 @meesterover: You should not have told me about this.

 @spankthewan: So when are you going to hit that line?

 @meesterover: YEP- at the EWS dudes were hitting that same line... it looks pretty easy if you are going really fast and are really pro-

 Sorry about that, totally my fault on the photo caption, but we did get it correct on the results/write-up.

 Definitely me

 @C9H13NO3: Nice.

You and the Yeti crew had a good day out it seems.
(and thanks for being humble enough to mingle with us common folk, cheers)