snl1200

I've always felt that prior to competition, judges should transparently rate a max score for each line based on difficulty of the line, creative use of the mountain etc. Those should be shared and the reasoning. Inevitably every year someone's favorite rider does something with flair off a charismatic feature and everyone, often including the riders, feel gutted when the score is lower than anticipated. The rationale often being that the line they rode down the mountain was lacking some of the technical aspects of others. Then someone does something that appears to the viewer to be less stunning down a line that is insane and everyone complains they were overscored because they didn't reverse quad knack flip the bottom hit like so and so whom they think is cool. Other sports, like diving, do this, where before they compete, the thing they are planning to do is given a maximum score based on base difficulty. I think that could help with the keyboard debates.

Good to see Aaron Gwin on the list and expanding that YOB category back a few years haha... It's wild, this season's crop of new elite's would have been 1 years old when Gwin raced his first World Cup.

Bodhi Kuhn quietly qualifying for three in a row a putting in times that show he’s in the mix. Yeah Bodhi! 14th and now 12th in the big show. Well done.

Seeing people do cool things is cool. Seeing other people supporting people achieving personal goals is my favourite though. I think the best part of these is the stoke from the camera man or friends.

I feel like putting a big bag over it with the word "Prototype" attracts far more attention then just making the thing and it's hardware matte black and throwing some dust on it. the few people who may know what they are looking for in passing would likely just cruise by. If I saw a bike in a truck with a proto-sack on it I would definitely take more interest. Genuinely asking- do they do that to generate hype? Are they actually worried about proprietary tech being copied?

@phops: I think him at speed through seeding shows he was not just showing up for participation medals. Though Gwin has not always been my favorite personality in the sport, I think it is clear that he wants to win, is an incredible athlete and bike rider, and is going to try to win if he is healthy and showing up. Sad we didn't get to see how it played out. And sure Asa had a great chance for the win... but so did a lot of those guys. Oh well. Glad they are all safe. Bummer about the race.

West Coast Canadian and The Sovereign State of Alberta Brought To You By Cenovis Energy Enduro Series?

Do they have any studies that look at the percentage of fun between the wheel sizes? Cause I would be more interested in that... 1-3% tip to taint speed isn't what I'm getting on rubber for...

Even on a long ride I am not into backpacks. I'm pretty similar to what you describe except I have a small frame bag I had custom made that fits in the junction of the top tube and the down tube and still fit a full bottle under it on my xl Banshee Titan frame. It fits a tube, some snacks and, most important, my katadyne befree water filter that allows me to fill up along the ride. I use the One Up pump system on the frame that houses enough tools to get me out of a jam. I find at most I am throwing on a fanny pack with one extra bottle for something longer (like a 7 Summits...or another 3hr plus ride). To each their own. I think the water filter is the way to go... then the water is cold when you go to drink it. I'm in BC with lots of good water sources on all rides. It's a silly sport where grown men ride over obstacles on big wheels for excitement... so curious about the discussion of what's cool. It's biking. Who cares. I just prefer no pack.

@snomaster: I think the system is fair enough. Jackson has all those wins on the books. That is a huge acknowledgment. It's harder to acknowledge the great racing of those who are performing incredibly but not winning. Same with the women's this season. A super interesting year. Riders having to guess whether they should risk it for the win or ride for the season... or balance both.