the set route from 1 to 2 was silly long and there was a way to get there without crossing any other stages, is this really cheating?
They are supposed to be fun events and as long as your not cutting corners on the race stages is it such a big issue.
Of course it’s cheating, if it was easier to do the short course then you could take a far ‘downhillier’ bike, fit supertacky tyres, full body armour for confidence etc. The whole point of Enduro is it’s a lap with timed sections. The transition sections are supposed to be hard enough that the people who put in the hours over the winter getting fit are at an advantage, either by not missing the next start time, being able to manage the above mentioned ‘downhillier’ bike up the climbs, or just being fresher (their choice, it’s a ballanceing act).
If it’s supposed to be a ‘fun’ event, why cheat? Do you hate riding your bike?