5 Key Stats From Downhill Racers in the Pinkbike State of the Sport Survey
Welcome to the 2023 Pinkbike State of the Sport Survey. This anonymous survey is designed to help shed light on key issues affecting the professional field and elite competition. We surveyed the best riders in the world to hear their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and criticisms on mountain biking as we go into 2023, all in an anonymous format. To read the introduction to the survey click here, and to see all the other currently published SOTS articles click here.
![photo]()
Downhill has had a strange couple of years. Whether it's the 29" wheeled bikes near dominance, smoother tracks followed by a lurch to more technically demanding courses, covid affected racing and double headers, French dominance, or moving on from Red Bull, it certainly hasn't been quiet. It feels like downhill is currently as good as, if not better, than ever.
The racing is close, the tracks arguably represent the style of riding most fans enjoy and the spectacle is hard to fault. That said, it doesn't mean everything is perfect in the world of downhill. Here's what we found out.
In our selection of responders that compete in UCI downhill World Cups, 15% are winners, and another 21% have scored podiums.
![Ele Farina was edged just off the podium here in the Andorran dust.]()
There Are Still Plenty of Downhill Riders Who Barely Make Ends Meet
Although it might be sometimes called the Formula One of mountain biking, any similarities certainly don't translate to earnings. Much like the first survey, it makes quite grim reading to learn how much your favorite downhiller may well take home.
There is a further 12% of riders making between $5,000 and $10,000. It seems that in downhill the very best are well taken care of financially, with over 10% of our riders surveyed making over $100,000.
There might yet be the hope of financial security for riders though, with around 10% of those surveyed scoring a top five in the overall of their category, and around 12% making six figures, it may well be that they're the same riders and big results equal out to a big payday.
![The crowd was huge until it got more huge as only a few riders remained at the top of the hill.]()
Riders Don't Want to See a Larger Field in Finals
In the 2021 survey, it transpired that irrespective of gender, riders wished to see more people make the cut into finals. In fact, in both questions, the largest share of the vote was increasing the men's field to between 60-80, and the females to 15-20 riders. However, it seems to be there is a trend moving away from this.
It should be noted that our catchment isn't so large for this survey so that may skew the data, but it's also worth noting that the fight in elite downhill field size has gone from fighting to increase it to 80 in the male category, to the very real fear it could be culled to 30. So, the conversation might have evolved on the subject since Discovery's announcement that it will be taking over the broadcast rights in 2023. It's also worth thinking about whether a top 20 rider would see any advantage to increasing the field size when the disadvantages are quite obvious. The fact that riders want to retain the status quo should be encouraging that it currently strikes a good balance between fairness, competitiveness and opportunity.
![Nina Hoffmann would squeeze into second by the smallest of margins.]()
30% of Racers Would Rather Race Their National Series
Part of the problem with wages in downhill can be traced back to a lack of smaller, well-established and prestigious feeder series. The problem is that for some riders hoping to turn their dream into a career, it doesn't make sense to try and score a top five in a national event when sponsors would probably be more impressed with a top 40 at a World Cup.
The problem with this is twofold. Firstly, the national series is starved of talent. This can become a vicious circle and eventually make a series seem less competitive or worthwhile for elite racers. It also means that there is a huge onus on riders to self-fund an expensive 8-stop world tour. Then, when teams do offer support, they can offer low wages or even just the promise of covering expenses.
The World Cup calendar is also exhaustive, especially when budgets are constrained. It's not hard to imagine a world where a smaller World Cup field size would enhance the level of competition among national racers, and it looks like some racers could also see the benefit. Around 30% of riders say that if their national series was better funded or more prestigious they would rather attend that than a World Cup race.
Around 80% of riders say they try to race their national series when it doesn't conflict with World Cup racing, and there are rumors of a less drawn-out calendar in coming years that will put a focus on short but intense legs of racing, rather than drip-feeding some times as little as six races over the course of nearly seven months. This could really help support grassroots racing.
![Troy Brosnan was on one until a mid run spill took him out of contention.]()
70% of Riders Want More Variety of Tracks
The way venues for World Cup races are chosen is obviously more than just choosing a good track, it's also based on who wants to bid to host the race, but I think there is a genuine desire amongst riders to see more input from in regards to what they race on. In a multiple choice question, 55% said a significant hope they held with Discovery was that they would have more of a voice at races to have their input heard. That same thought was something that was clearly driving the downhill riders to unionize, and many were vocal about what they thought was inappropriate or dangerous track layouts over the course of the year, most notably in Andorra.
![That s levitation homes.]()
The Racing is Considered Fair and Honest
There is some positive news to come out of the survey. Only 2% of racers think that racing isn't fair and honest. That's compared to around 15% in enduro and over 20% in slopestyle and freeride events. The fact that these riders feel their sporting competition has a lot of integrity is no small thing because that's not something every sport has - be it in cycling or beyond.
Downhill has had a strange couple of years. Whether it's the 29" wheeled bikes near dominance, smoother tracks followed by a lurch to more technically demanding courses, covid affected racing and double headers, French dominance, or moving on from Red Bull, it certainly hasn't been quiet. It feels like downhill is currently as good as, if not better, than ever.
The racing is close, the tracks arguably represent the style of riding most fans enjoy and the spectacle is hard to fault. That said, it doesn't mean everything is perfect in the world of downhill. Here's what we found out.
In our selection of responders that compete in UCI downhill World Cups, 15% are winners, and another 21% have scored podiums.
Downhill Cohort Details
Number of Riders Choosing Downhill as their Main Discipline: 41
Men/Women: 24/17
Number of World Cup Winners: 5
Top 5 Overall Finishers in 2022: 7
Home Continent:
South America - 1
Oceania - 7
North America - 8
Europe - 25
Number of Riders Choosing Downhill as their Main Discipline: 41
Men/Women: 24/17
Number of World Cup Winners: 5
Top 5 Overall Finishers in 2022: 7
Home Continent:
South America - 1
Oceania - 7
North America - 8
Europe - 25
There Are Still Plenty of Downhill Riders Who Barely Make Ends Meet
Although it might be sometimes called the Formula One of mountain biking, any similarities certainly don't translate to earnings. Much like the first survey, it makes quite grim reading to learn how much your favorite downhiller may well take home.
After the initial survey and the catchment criteria we used that spanned over two seasons, we wondered whether that had skewed the results. After the covid affected 2020 season, one could argue that there were some riders with a high ranking that may have struggled to achieve the same in other years. So for this survey, with only the overall finish in 2022 considered, we hoped to have a more condensed view of what a full-time athlete with a very high world ranking could expect to be paid.
43% of downhill riders earn less than $5,000 USD per year. If we remove juniors from the equation, 25% of elite riders surveyed fell into the same bracket. Enduro is still very much the cash cow of gravity racing and sees a greater number of riders in the higher wage brackets.
43% of downhill riders earn less than $5,000 USD per year. If we remove juniors from the equation, 25% of elite riders surveyed fell into the same bracket. Enduro is still very much the cash cow of gravity racing and sees a greater number of riders in the higher wage brackets.
Downhill Rider Pay (in USD):
0-5,000: 43% (18 )
5,000-10,000: 12% (5)
10,000-20,000: 2% (1)
20,000-30,000: 7% (3)
30,000-40,000: 5% (2)
40,000-50,000: 5% (2)
50,000-100,000: 12% (5)
100,000-250,000: 7% (3)
250,000-500,000: 2% (1)
500,000+: 2% (1)
0-5,000: 43% (18 )
5,000-10,000: 12% (5)
10,000-20,000: 2% (1)
20,000-30,000: 7% (3)
30,000-40,000: 5% (2)
40,000-50,000: 5% (2)
50,000-100,000: 12% (5)
100,000-250,000: 7% (3)
250,000-500,000: 2% (1)
500,000+: 2% (1)
There is a further 12% of riders making between $5,000 and $10,000. It seems that in downhill the very best are well taken care of financially, with over 10% of our riders surveyed making over $100,000.
There might yet be the hope of financial security for riders though, with around 10% of those surveyed scoring a top five in the overall of their category, and around 12% making six figures, it may well be that they're the same riders and big results equal out to a big payday.
Riders Don't Want to See a Larger Field in Finals
In the 2021 survey, it transpired that irrespective of gender, riders wished to see more people make the cut into finals. In fact, in both questions, the largest share of the vote was increasing the men's field to between 60-80, and the females to 15-20 riders. However, it seems to be there is a trend moving away from this.
It should be noted that our catchment isn't so large for this survey so that may skew the data, but it's also worth noting that the fight in elite downhill field size has gone from fighting to increase it to 80 in the male category, to the very real fear it could be culled to 30. So, the conversation might have evolved on the subject since Discovery's announcement that it will be taking over the broadcast rights in 2023. It's also worth thinking about whether a top 20 rider would see any advantage to increasing the field size when the disadvantages are quite obvious. The fact that riders want to retain the status quo should be encouraging that it currently strikes a good balance between fairness, competitiveness and opportunity.
How many men should qualify for Elite World Cup finals?
2021
20 or fewer: 0
20-40: 4 (4.8%)
40-60: 4 (4.8%)
It should stay at 60: 29 (34.9%)
60-80: 44 (53%)
80+: 2 (2.4%)
20 or fewer: 0
20-40: 4 (4.8%)
40-60: 4 (4.8%)
It should stay at 60: 29 (34.9%)
60-80: 44 (53%)
80+: 2 (2.4%)
2023
20 or fewer: 1 (2%)
20-40: 7 (14.3%)
40-60: 3 (6.1%)
It should stay at 60: 24 (49%)
60-80: 13 (26.5%)
80+: 1 (2%)
20 or fewer: 1 (2%)
20-40: 7 (14.3%)
40-60: 3 (6.1%)
It should stay at 60: 24 (49%)
60-80: 13 (26.5%)
80+: 1 (2%)
How many women should qualify for Elite World Cup finals? (all responses)
2021
10 or fewer: 2 (2.4%)
10-15: 10 (12%)
It should stay at 15: 16 (19.3%)
15-20: 37 (44.6%)
20+: 18 (21.7%)
10 or fewer: 2 (2.4%)
10-15: 10 (12%)
It should stay at 15: 16 (19.3%)
15-20: 37 (44.6%)
20+: 18 (21.7%)
2023
10 or fewer: 0
10-15: 7 (14.3%)
It should stay at 15: 18 (36.7%)
15-20: 17 (34.7%)
20+: 7 (14.3%)
10 or fewer: 0
10-15: 7 (14.3%)
It should stay at 15: 18 (36.7%)
15-20: 17 (34.7%)
20+: 7 (14.3%)
30% of Racers Would Rather Race Their National Series
Part of the problem with wages in downhill can be traced back to a lack of smaller, well-established and prestigious feeder series. The problem is that for some riders hoping to turn their dream into a career, it doesn't make sense to try and score a top five in a national event when sponsors would probably be more impressed with a top 40 at a World Cup.
The problem with this is twofold. Firstly, the national series is starved of talent. This can become a vicious circle and eventually make a series seem less competitive or worthwhile for elite racers. It also means that there is a huge onus on riders to self-fund an expensive 8-stop world tour. Then, when teams do offer support, they can offer low wages or even just the promise of covering expenses.
The World Cup calendar is also exhaustive, especially when budgets are constrained. It's not hard to imagine a world where a smaller World Cup field size would enhance the level of competition among national racers, and it looks like some racers could also see the benefit. Around 30% of riders say that if their national series was better funded or more prestigious they would rather attend that than a World Cup race.
Around 80% of riders say they try to race their national series when it doesn't conflict with World Cup racing, and there are rumors of a less drawn-out calendar in coming years that will put a focus on short but intense legs of racing, rather than drip-feeding some times as little as six races over the course of nearly seven months. This could really help support grassroots racing.
70% of Riders Want More Variety of Tracks
After a covid-affected 2020 season that featured doubleheaders at the same venue, and only a small variation between the 2021 and 2022 seasons in the form of an extended North American leg and a different track in Andorra, the riders seem to be crying out for some new tracks. 70% don't feel that a venue should hold a race on the same largely unchanged track for years at a time. Sometimes, the most substantial variation is which track is the anointed World Championships venue.
A venue shouldn’t hold a race on the same, largely unchanged track, year after year
Strongly Agree: 17 (34.7%)
Agree: 17 (34.7%)
Neutral: 11 (22.4%)
Disagree: 3 (6.1%)
Strongly Disagree: 1 (2%)
Strongly Agree: 17 (34.7%)
Agree: 17 (34.7%)
Neutral: 11 (22.4%)
Disagree: 3 (6.1%)
Strongly Disagree: 1 (2%)
The way venues for World Cup races are chosen is obviously more than just choosing a good track, it's also based on who wants to bid to host the race, but I think there is a genuine desire amongst riders to see more input from in regards to what they race on. In a multiple choice question, 55% said a significant hope they held with Discovery was that they would have more of a voice at races to have their input heard. That same thought was something that was clearly driving the downhill riders to unionize, and many were vocal about what they thought was inappropriate or dangerous track layouts over the course of the year, most notably in Andorra.
The Racing is Considered Fair and Honest
There is some positive news to come out of the survey. Only 2% of racers think that racing isn't fair and honest. That's compared to around 15% in enduro and over 20% in slopestyle and freeride events. The fact that these riders feel their sporting competition has a lot of integrity is no small thing because that's not something every sport has - be it in cycling or beyond.
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Pure speculation, but the two making less than 100k are probably women.
I'll offer something as a matter of conversation: pro racers are paid according to their value, not according to their merit. Would I love to see all these super talented riders that I look up to get paid more? Sure. Are they bringing value to the brands that sponsor them and therefore warrant getting paid 100k+? That's a matter to be determined by the marketing department and the bean counters.
Thought experiment: the Olympic sport of Curling. Let's say a pro league is started--how much should those people be getting paid, right out of the gate, as professional athletes?
If you make $4k as an accountant and have to work full-time at another job you aren't a professional accountant, and your firm sounds like a joke.
These athletes don’t just sit at home on non race days making stupid comments on the internet, hence why you’re not amongst them.
As an aside--you said "there kind of is a pro league".. so are they pro or not? Is it just a tournament that pays well? Or do these people do nothing other than play Curling for a living? I guess it's neither here nor there, point above stands. Unless the Curling tourneys in Canada are funded by taxes, then it remains a transactional affair.
@RonSauce you made a claim, but omitted any quantification--"if you can't afford to live off your salary you aren't being paid as a pro". So how much is that then exactly? There are many a politician that are fighting for $15/hr as 'a living wage', or roughly 30k/yr. So if a racer is pulling in 35k/yr, would you call them a pro? Or do their winnings need to cover their $3,500/mo rent and the $500/mo car payment in order for you to deem them a professional? Where do they get to live--Whistler, or BFE Arkansas somewhere? Can they have roommates, or does needing roommates mean that 'someone, somewhere needs to pay them more'?
Do you see why nebulous definitions don't really do your argument any good? It opens up a whole new conversation about what it means to be able 'to live'.
Probably getting off into the weeds more than necessary here. It's simple--this is a business transaction. It sucks, but that is the fact of the matter. If a company/brand doesn't deem an athlete as a value to their brand, there's no deal. If a company doesn't see a return on their partnership, but want to pay the athlete anyway, that is welfare. And if that's the case, you or any one else is welcome to pass the hat to make sure that those racers down there at the $5k earnings range get to keep showing up. Heck, I have $20 for the pot too.
Next thought experiment that you won't bother participating in--YOU own a company, and *I* get to tell you where and how you should spend your money, based on an arbitrary idea I have in my head.
Keep in mind these riders have their travel/bikes/hotels/food paid for for half a year. Dont need 50k to sustain a living this way
Between 50-75k seems like a reasonable salary for this, assuming your employer is covering the cost of travel, housing while you travel, etc.
I recognize that some bring more to the table than others, and could be compensated more generously for that.
I think I’d rather see more, and more diverse athletes supported, rather than companies spending North of $100,000 to ride a bicycle.
It’s possible we have some wildly inflated concept of what entertainment should cost.
As far as being paid less that $50k, I think there’s room for that as well.
And for those asking generally athletes in a team would have most costs covered whilst racing, so this income would be after costs. I hope a lot of juniors were part of this survey, otherwise its extremely sad
to see so many earning 0-5000. Lets hope we can get some good privateer awards going this season to help out those people.
And yes, agreed, 100k is not "well taken care of" considering risks are high and careers often short!
Of course it's not much more or less work or danger whether you are on skis or on a bike throwing yourself down a hill. But as a professional athlete your value is derived from being a living billboard, it scales with the number of eyes you attract.
There were 9 juniors involved in this survey, with only one not in the 0-5000USD bracket.
Agree with your point on being a living billboard, but if you compare social media following of MTB riders to Skiers its similar or in some cases more aside from a few.
Regardless, I'd argue @chrismac70 point stands that 100k USD or 81k GBP would be a very good salary in the UK. It's not the 99th percentile, but it would be the 95th for 2019-2020 (haven't found the latest). Not bad for a niche sport that not a lot of people watch. Not football money but not exactly the same reach either. Anyone who says £81k is not great is living in a bubble and I recommend they look at the earnings percentile table. It's sobering and might even make you feel good about how high up there you are
Another opportunity to get more money to the sport is if it could go Olympic. That would attract a huge audience at least once, and it would get national federations on board with their resources. But that's not an easy process.
Folks can make the argument that mountain biking isn't THAT popular so this numbers make sense, I call BS. That's a convenient argument for those in control of the purse strings.... Without a doubt, riders will only get paid what they deserve if they can organize and collectively bargain for what they're due.
I don't personally think DH could support that, but something like 15 or 20k might be achievable in the medium term.
Obviously there are some teams running on a real shoestring, and riders can have other jobs (not really the case for World Tour cyclists), but it'd be nice to think an influx of eyes and sponsorship in the coming years might see those shoestring budgets boosted a bit.
But it's all a bit hypothetical. IOC doesn't want more cycling events. Once you have the velodrome, you might as well have 10 events there and sell tickets every day. Scrapping one of those events and instead having to find a high enough hill and build a venue there is a big ask for any organizing city. They would have to really really want DH on the ticket to justify that.
My point is this, some of the notoriety that skiing events and athletes have build just comes with time, and there's not much we can do to push that along. AND, there is alot we can do to help build up the sport, help more people access and understand it, and build a real global market that reaches well beyond our small community. On that point, we totally agree. Also, I would say, I hate the idea of DH in the olympics, but if we are to take our ques from other sports then the dollars injected into youth development, regional racing or competition opportunities, sponsorship deals, etc is very real and should be considered very seriously. No one knows who Mikaela Shiffrin is because of the WC here in the US (less true in Europe certainly), its basically all because of the big, silly, frustration, and kind of dumb Olympics. Thanks for chiming in bud.
I think you can make the argument that popular spectator sports which can consistently draw excitement and eyeballs don't need the Olympics and might be better off without them. Call my bias, but I think DH Mountain Biking especially, if properly televised/covered and supported, can have much bigger commercial appeal than it does now (there are pros and cons to this, I'm not trying to take a stance on this subject).
Locking one's hip with the IOC won't improve rider salaries, you can argue it hurts them. And while I do believe riders deserve a larger slice of the current pie, the main way they're going to get paid is by seeing the pie grow.
As for growing pies, I checked the UCI accounts a couple of years back (they're public) and they were putting more money into MTB than getting out of it. Maybe the Discovery deal changed that? But who is actually making money out of DH racing?
Riders who are earning $0-5000 likely still get free bikes, free gear and all their travel and expenses paid for. To make it up into a full time salary you have to get a bit creative with a YouTube channel, Instagram, coaching, appearances, working with the brands on product development or whatever else you can do to make extra bread aside from just racing. People like Yoann Barelli, Wyn Masters, Bernard Kerr spring to mind. Not frequent podium guys at world cups - but still find ways to create a lot of value. If you're a 0-5000 guy those are the people to learn from
"It seems that in downhill the very best are well taken care of financially, with over 10% of our riders surveyed making over $100,000." ...that's a bit of a leap given it was only a whopping 5 people who responded that they make over $100,000.
"10% of those surveyed scoring a top five in the overall of their category, and around 12% making six figures, it may well be that they're the same riders and big results equal out to a big payday."
WTF. Surveys can be anonymous, but for basic analysis, questions should be kept together so a survey can be adequately analyzed. I do this stuff for a living, if you want to hire me to 1. fix the damn survey so you get useful information, and 2. produce an analysis that makes sense, let me know.
2021
20-40: 4 (4.8%)
20-60: 4 (4.8%)
2023
20-40: 7 (14.3%)
20-60: 3 (6.1%)
Just for some context regarding the sample size - we sent out around 90 invitations for DH riders, which covered both male and female in both elite and junior. I know that 5 riders might seem laughable, but I don't think it should be totally discounted. Besides, it's currently the only data we have.
Absolutely not above admitting that I'm no survey analyst, and I try to take things on board. Thanks.
I accept its all the data you have, and I accept your doing your best with what you have. I guess the real question is if the sport is as badly paid as is suggested then why more weren’t prepared to raise it as an issue with their anonymity protected?
N=41 might sound low, but by contrast polling 30% of your population with N=15% of your population group is pretty darn good. In a perfect world, you'd be able to get 100 responses, but as Henry said there is no alternative data set. This is the best we have right now.
With sponsor driven sports like mountain biking there is no (or very little) direct revenue from people paying to watch. It all comes indirectly from companies selling their products by sponsoring riders. Athletes in this situation will always be operating with much less leverage than mainstream athletes who are the actual product being sold.
You can't eat a bike and you can't use stamps on your passport as a down payment.
+ add Sponsorships, prize money, paid endorsements like Instagram posts etc.;
I dont want to know what the riders get paid in cash, i want to know what their taxable income is, safe to say no-one is surviving in 5k taxable income
Otherwise you'd also have to look at the question of 'what do you spend', if they're spending £5K a year on flights to go to races and they are lucky enough to be reimbursed that money by sponsors/teams, then they haven't made any money at all which is why it isn't included, and if they weren't to take those flights then it's not like they'd get that £5K as cash
Also you're again too optimistic, I highly doubt everyone who got surveyed gets all of their travel/accommodation/etc paid for
A lot of these people at the lower end will be holding down other jobs, maybe part time or flexible ones, maybe even coaching/training jobs. Mountain biking really isn't anywhere near as lucrative or glamorous as you thing it is which is very unfortunate!
When jobs advertise the total compensation, it never includes expenses and the same applies here.
Let's play it a different way, if you're lucky enough to be on a full factory team where they pay for absolutely everything (flights, food, accom) whilst you're travelling for racing, then of course that money never touches you. Just because a racer not on that deal might be the one to pay for that and it gets reimbursed, doesn't mean it suddenly counts as compensation.
Expenses aren't compensation, it's a reimbursement. They aren't fringe benefits by any means, it's just expenses to carry out your required job/duty (travelling to races to go and race). Just because you might say the travel is cool, fun and enjoyable, it doesn't take away from the fact that it's a requirement of the job rather than a fringe benefit
I’d like more detail on that please.
This year at fort William for example he's racing and out there in practice with him is Bruni, Vergier, Brosnan, Greenland etc etc. It's honestly bonkers. Expensive, but bonkers.
The simple fact is, my lad won't make 'it' he's a bloody fabulous rider of course, but there's guys who are considerably quicker at his age.. See the Madison Saracen team of juniors last week, they've got some of the cream of the crop and whilst my lad can win a DH race (@weeksy08 on Insta) it's the lower classes of race, there's the kids like George Madley, Nathan De Vaux, Felix Griffiths who are the real up and coming. But you see riders come and go, maybe it's time, maybe it's money, maybe it's GIRLS !!! Who knows... but fast kids are there one year and the next they barely ride. Maybe the kids/parents burn out... I don't really know.
In the past 6 weeks i've bought a £17,000 van, put 2500 miles of fuel in it, a new DH bike and countless 'things'. I struggle to add it up, the figure would terrify me.
But we are honestly living the dream... His dream hopefully, my dream heck yes... Mrs Weeksy59s dream, i doubt it, she barely knows where we are lol.
Expensive bits... fuel, food, accomodation. Fort William will cost us approx £1500. Mostly on those three things..the accomodation is £600 for the weekend, then £300 in fuel, then add in tyres, bits, food, drink, entries... I mean people think "entries are £100", to be honest here, entries are the least of our worries financially
We've been given masses of help from the team and sponsors... but heck, it's still an expensive game.
One day though, to line up at a WC race, just for qualifying, just for 1 session, sitting in Les Gets with my lads name on the start board.. yeah, that's why we play this game mate... that's why.
(apologies, that was more than i planned on racing)
P.S. I thought accommodations only suck in NA... not sure what in UK is a VAN.... but VAN here can easily replace a hotel
The great part is, I get to ride too, all the cool places, trails, fun, uplifts, I get that, so it's a win win.
Like others said, no one at PB will be accused of having studied statistics too intensely. Great effort in the asking tho.
If riders are in Aus/NZ for the full 6-ish month season, then it dramatically cuts down on travel costs for teams/racers, and allows for great sponsorship opportunities for local businesses. Same for Canada, South America, Southern Alps, South-East Asia etc...
It's like a mini Olympics every year in terms of local hype, but less expensive to stage than the current regime, and also less expensive for the riders, teams, and the media covering it.
I used to watch DH World Cups (not now they're pay-walled), but I'm never going to buy a DH bike. I watch the EWS coverage, and even the coverage isn't usually great I'm still likely to buy products people race in that simply because it's the same type of riding I do.
There's probably a lot more opportunity for clothing/apparel brands to make sales based on what DH riders are wearing, and non-endemic sponsors want to be associated with stuff that looks cool, and that's most likely what's keeping pay as high as it is in many ways.
Also Pinkbike comments: "If I have to pay to watch world cups next year I will not and never will, I just wont watch"
Obviously the pay to watch scheme does not guarantee the riders get paid more but if nobody pays to watch it certainly guarantees they dont ever get paid more.
Establishing base pay would create a healthier sport, provide athletes a way to hopefully be able to not work in the off season (aside from training) and/or save up a bit for the next period in their careers (given a typical racing career is short).
Edit: I mean only so much money form bike brands, not many non bike related sponsors at the moment.
Been an F1 fan watching live and on TV since 1967....but Netflix's "Drive to Survive" pushed it to new heights world wide.
DH can get to a better place, the ball is in Discovery's court. Red Bull plateaued. I hope Discovery succeeds, great for the riders, teams, and fans.
The top DH guys are incredible athletes. They 100% deserve more. They need world wide media exposure to get it.
'Murica!
I was a sponsored athlete for years, I hated being asked if I was a professional. I always answered "no, but I got boxes of free shirts and parts and they pay my travel, but I need to make sure I have pto at my actual profession if I'm going to go compete". My income as an athlete... $0k/year from sponsors $30k at the grocery store. Not to mention when I got hurt my sponsors left me flapping in the wind and I didn't have enough pto at my job, so I lost that from too much time off as well. Much professional.
Be interesting to know if lower "wage" riders get good bonus compare to high paid riders?
And also how many riders did get/achieve the goals to get a bonus?
The local pro who gets lucky and qualifies for x games is going to get nothing in comparison to a Shaun White.
The local course pro on the golf course doesn't get Tiger woods money.
Why should the guy getting 58th place 15 seconds off the podium deserve to be paid big bucks?
They should be happy they have the opportunity to travel the world and test themselves against the best in the world, and if they are truly talented they will eventually make better money.
In the real world you earn what your skills command. Not making enough money, better up your skills.
If anything the problem with pay in DH is the top guys and gals should be making more not the people struggling to qualify.
More exposure and $ would be nice!
In a capitalist, un-unionised, big supply sport racers are going to get what they can negotiate. If you have no results, eyeball time or serious future potential then in a negotiation you’ll have little bargaining power.
If all the riders formed a union and downed tools (racing, insta, YouTube etc) until a minimum salary structure was agreed then you would have bargaining power. However this would mean the riders actually earning striking for unknowns of the sport. Highly unlikely.
$0 to 5ks doing give up yet. 2023 could be your year! Better than sitting at a desk or on a construction site. It ain’t all about money.
Discovery is cutting the mens field to 30 while the vast majority of riders state it should either stay at 60 or go up to 80. Similar results for the womens sadly already much smaller field
I feel that headline should have read "Riders Don't Want to See a Smaller Field in Finals"
"55% said a significant hope they held with Discovery was that they would have more of a voice at races to have their input heard."
This sentence also appears to have an oddly pro-discovery twist, that seems jarring in light of the controversy surrounding what they are doing to the sport.
These are hobbies and people should be happy they are getting any money to be doing it...you want to spend your youth riding your bike and racing, there are some sacrifices to be made. You are top 20 at this hobby in the world, great! Playing games for a living is a choice and the financial model is well known in most cases. Revenues generates wages and I don't see racing as a cash cow for many if any parties involved.
I mean, it's utter bollocks and stinks worse than a goth edgelords knee high Doc Martens, but thinking you'll be downvoted for it? Pinkers aren't that fickle...
But obviously that isn't how the world works. Just because you're doing something, doesn't mean anyone else is obliged to pay you for it, especially when it's just a passion/hobby that benefits nobody else, and nobody ever asked you to do it.
And I suspect Gwin & Greg may still be.
It'd be nice to think Myriam was, but that might be wishful thinking.
It's not THAT insane considering the pyramidal nature of the sport.