I remember AP a few years ago on the grass turns at top of Les Gets (?) going visibly faster than anyone, utterly amazing before he’d even got onto the dirt.
When you see Kerr showing absolutely everyone the lines, the speed, the technique, hitting all the features first, then again just to show it's OK, well personally then, i'll forgive him most things. He's done SO much for parts of this sport that even if he's guilty of a few things, that's OK with me.
He sees himself as the king of hardline and has an entitlement to win. He had more track time in Tasmania than any other rider at the sharp end, so to be beaten by Ronan, who had the least amount of track time must have been a huge reality check.
I like Bernard, but I also dislike him. Whatever the view though, he has come a long way since 'can't pay or we'll take it away'.
I remember AP a few years ago on the grass turns at top of Les Gets (?) going visibly faster than anyone, utterly amazing before he’d even got onto the dirt.
That's it. We need to see more of that.
He sees himself as the king of hardline and has an entitlement to win. He had more track time in Tasmania than any other rider at the sharp end, so to be beaten by Ronan, who had the least amount of track time
That's it.
I'm sure some of the other riders must resent that self-imposed role a bit.
Anyway, I don't think anyone was disappointed to see Ronan win - and mostly because he was Ronan rather than not BK. The lad is a breath of fresh air.
He's a bit of a control freak that's really clear. He tries to hide it by laughing a lot. It's a shame he was so pissed off as I don't think that was fitted in with the general event atmosphere.
A mate that was there used to manage an mx team. He said the mtb vibe was outstanding - so much better than any offroad event he's been to.
You get that vibe at every level from grass roots DH to Nationals. It's honestly incredible how much support the riders all give eachother. Chatting about lines, (probably hiding a few sneaky ones of course) chatting about cornering, jumps, just standing there going nuts every time a rider comes down the trails. It's part of what makes what i do with the boy so worthwhile, the fact that even their rivals are still cheering eachother on. It's brilliant, utterly brilliant.
At Fort William last year the boy was at the top with Minaar behind him in the queue, he looks and sees him and goes "Do you wanna go first.." the reply was "Nah kid, you go, it'll be brilliant"
A couple of weeks ago the boy was riding with Dan Atherton at Dyfi along with 4-5 others. "Right kid, you look fast, you lead on this one" was what Dan says to him. Along with "yeah you can hit the ramp easy", so he did...
Fabulous.
Interestingly Amaury Pierron wasn't that far away, he was racing at the New Zealand national champs, is time would have put him 3rd behind two locals, surprising though two other riders in the juniors beat his time.
That's proper awesome @Weeksy. When I was at Dyfi, Gee and I "chatted" in the lunch queue. "What's nice", "It's all good, mate", so now we're bezzies obvs. I was more than a little star-struck if I'm honest.
What’s interesting is how many were racing in Tasmania and still declined to be part of this pr stunt
It doesn't really fit the criteria of a PR stunt does it? Hardline has been running for 10 years with the same title sponsor.
It was a great event that was almost unanimously enjoyed by riders and spectators both on location and all over the world. Who else has pockets deep enough to run an event like this? Would you prefer Shell, or BAE Systems?
I'm quite happy that a fizzy drink company pours so much money into MTB because we get to see things that no one else would ever finance and I'm still free to not buy their product.
@chrismac what do you mean? you appear to have a real bee in your bonnet about Red Bull in all of these threads.
Speaking of Amaury ‘The Dreamcrusher’ Pierron, I can’t wait until he’s back and riding at full speed. When he’s on a flier I’m convinced we’ve never, ever seen anyone go that fast on a DH bike.
Agreed - when he puts a run together I feel like he's a level above the others. Jackson is a very different rider but I think the next one we'll see do that. I look forward to them going toe to toe.
Jackson is a very different rider but I think the next one we’ll see do that. I look forward to them going toe to toe.
Exactly. I was gutted when Jackson got hurt, I can't wait to witness a season of him riding in good health. He's definitely playing on a different level to almost everyone else.
AP is a monster but the way JG changes direction is supernatural, he's like a housefly. Total opposites. It'll be amazing seeing them face off on various tracks.
God Damn, is it time for round 1 yet? It's been forever!
It was a brilliant event… no more, no less… I can’t see any downside to it.
When there's no downside, someone on here will find one.
"God Damn, is it time for round 1 yet? It’s been forever!"
Get yourself to Rheola in a few weeks to the Nationals 🙂
AP is a monster
I love watching AP's runs, he's going so fast, it's like he's only *just* this side of it all going horribly horribly wrong, he literally seems to be going as fast as he possibly can, he holds nothing back, when it all comes together I genuinely think he's untouchable, it's amazing to watch.
what do you mean? you appear to have a real bee in your bonnet about Red Bull in all of these threads.
I just don’t get the love in for these events and that RB are somehow the shining light of dh. I have a friend who works at RB HQ in marketing and these events are carefully calculated around the ROI. They are just as money motivated as WB and Discovery but everyone gives them a free pass for some reason. I also struggle with all the hype when clearly most of the top racers aren’t interested.
Other races are available.
Well, kind of.
I think you miss the point fella. People enjoy the spectacle, the pleasure, the fear factor, the atmosphere between the riders, then of course the racing too.
I don't see why the top racers need to be there for it to be enjoyable. No one is saying "it's bigger than WCHD" or they're all faster than DH racers, people are enjoying it because it's brilliant to watch things that are crazy difficult.
I couldn't care less if RB make £10 or £1,000,000 from it... i simply don't care. I just enjoy watching MTBers do stupid stuff really well. The fact that Bruni or Jordan or Vergier isn't there doesn't take anything away from the event.
They are just as money motivated as WB and Discovery but everyone gives them a free pass for some reason
I think they get more leeway because the events are free to watch. +1 to what weeksy wrote too.
I have a friend who works at RB HQ in marketing and these events are carefully calculated around the ROI.
Oh no it's a conspiracy!!!
Honestly I wouldn't expect anything less. Burning money would be foolish and your business would die.
They are just as money motivated as WB and Discovery but everyone gives them a free pass for some reason.
Because from my perspective as an armchair racer, the product is better. It's free and it works beautifully on multiple platforms, it's easy to find out what's on and when and they've got the commentary dream team.
Disclaimer: I well remember when Red Bull TV was crap and they have dropped the ball multiple times in the past but at least the riders and teams have a direct line to raise their concerns.
WB Discovery just took the whole thing and changed everything without consulting anyone who has dedicated their entire life to it. They took the sport that we've been following since the 90's and tried to turn it into Gladiators. Then they put it behind a paywall, and I haven't bothered to find out how to watch it.
If it was the other way around I'd be a WB fanboy but they've bolloxed the job and they'll drop it as soon as the bean counters say it doesn't make sense.
I also struggle with all the hype when clearly most of the top racers aren’t interested.
I think some of the top racers are seriously considering how their bread gets buttered. Riders just below the top are drawing up schedules that include lots of non WC events.
and these events are carefully calculated around the ROI.
Well, Duh...I don't think anyone in the world ever has thought " Gee..I wonder if this sporting event surrounded by all this hype will make someone a pile of cash". Do you go into town just to ride the escalator?
Let me introduce you to Gaius Appuleius Diocles Widely understood to have been the richest sportsman that ever lived...in 150AD.
these events are carefully calculated around the ROI.
Of course they are. As are their sponsored riders. But they appear to be doing it in a way that works for both the rider and the fan. Seeing Red Bull advertising that has no influence on my purchasing decisions is £7.99 a month cheaper than a discovery subscription.
They are just as money motivated as WB and Discovery but everyone gives them a free pass for some reason.
WB took a previously free product and put it behind a paywall with no benefit to fan or rider whilst messing with the format in a way that wasn't popular. It's not a free pass as such, there was also criticism of Red Bull's world cup coverage, but it's alot better than WB.
I also struggle with all the hype when clearly most of the top racers aren’t interested.
Meh. It's a pre season race in a hard to access location and a mid season race with high injury risk. I don't think anyone is expecting a WC calibre entry. I'd rather have seen the likes of Kade and Brage rather than two more top 10 World Cup riders.
Interesting seeing Ronan in one of the Vlogs saying how much more it meant to win than a WC and how nice it was to actually win some proper prize money.
don't think he compared it to winning a WC, considering he's not done that.
don’t think he compared it to winning a WC, considering he’s not done that.
I think it was just an awkward wording in his excitement (and possibly being wired to the moon on RB).
I felt he was just trying to say he'd rather win Hardline than a WC, or preferred the event.
I read that hardline has ended both Kade and Goldstones seasons before they even started. Healing vibes to them both
Bizarre way of looking at it. If they'd crashed in their local woods, would their local woods be responsible ? No, not really. It's just a place, a day, we/they/everyone crashes, what if they'd crashed in the recent Portuguese DH or the Spanish one.... It's just an event.
That's a really strange way of thinking.
But they weren’t riding in the local woods. They were at a promotional event for sponsors. I doubt they ride that hard or take the same level of risks in their local woods
Lol of course they do. Otherwise they'd never progress to higher levels. They have to ride, race, test, practice, push. That's all part of being a sportsman.
Think of Bernal or Froome crashing, should they never have been riding?
Kolb and A'Hern were injured pre season previously, Myriam too.
Chrismac70 has been getting downvoted into oblivion on Pinkbike for exactly the same "promotional events" conspiracy theories.
You're very persistent for someone with no point to make.
Did someone at Red Bull steal your wife or something?
For an alternative view of Goldstone's stack see 1:45 on this video:
So @chrismac how about Asa Vermette this weekend in a no-name race in Tennessee ? Should he have been racing ?
I get why somebody might be mildly irritated by the whole RedBull self promotion and hype machine, but only mildly. I can't fathom why anyone would make it a cross to burden like Chrismac does!
As yet another example, Marine Cabirou broke a vertebrae training over winter 2021.
You can't let Vermette into the elusive preseason club just yet, the Tennessee National is a C1 race. Hopefully as he's a youngster, we'll still get to see him light up the tracks sometime this year.
That section looks a hell of a lot steeper than it did on the live feed!
It always happens at Hardline that people don't appreciate just how difficult the track is in between the gigantic features. The Welsh one looks extremely difficult in between the jumps, especially up top with all the off camber slabs which are always soaking wet.
I read that hardline has ended both Kade and Goldstones seasons before they even started. Healing vibes to them both
You read wrong. Kade wasn't even at Hardline.
Jackson's crash wasn't on one of the big features, so I wouldn't say is Hardline specific (unlike Dave Mcmillan for example). Injuries can happen when you're riding bikes fast down a hill.
Time to drop the little Red Bull vendetta, it's making you look a bit silly.
edit - both Kade and Jackson have thanked Red Bull for their part in the surgery. There's not many other sponsors that get recognition like this.
It’s no cross to burden. I just get a bit rilled by this whole RedBull are the saviours of the sport, are only doing this to help the sport, and can do no wrong attitude that many, but by no means all, seem to have. That and the over hype to cover up that most of the best aren’t there.
@Mark, it’s hardly unusual for sponsored athletes to thank their sponsors.
I can't think of any other examples where sponsors are thanked for going the extra mile to assist injured riders. Happy to be shown otherwise.
As i already said, no one is saying Red Bull are holier than thou, but I don't see anyone doing anything better... Their WC coverage was better than what replaced it. They are title sponsor of the leading freeride and slopestlye events. They are the sponsor riders strive for.
I just get a bit rilled by this
In your case "a bit" is doing a lot of work in that sentence.
I can’t think of any other examples where sponsors are thanked for going the extra mile to assist injured riders.
Pretty sure they are known in the moto world for giving brilliant support to their injured riders too.
