Hardline Tasmania

Morzine is stacked with MTBers yes… but not so many random families.

Cos Morzine is a dump. There are much nicer better alpine areas to go for a holiday (without MTBs)

YOu kinda missed the point. The point was/is, why are all the families happy to go Skiing but not MTBing.. They’re not Skiiers, they’re not MTBers, they’re just randoms. The town/resort isn’t important. But it seems that plenty of middle class richies want to be seen at ski locations, fitting in, keeping up with the Jones’s etc.. but not so much in the summer.

It’s because leisure skiing is old and established and has a glitzy image. It’s shiny and aspirational and it’s easy to do. It’s even easier to just get all dressed up and hit the bar. Maybe if James Bond went mountain biking it would be different.

MTB is full of lairy dirtbags who live in vans and have DIY haircuts. The only ‘regular civilians’ you seen on bikes in Alpine resorts are families who look lost and terrified and Colin from IT who’s getting a free ride in a helicopter after dismantling his collarbone.

If Ski Sunday with downhill skiing can be a thing why not bikes? Much more relatable for most people.

I was thinking that the time trial format of DH is what makes it harder to attract viewers that the mass start cycling disciplines, but alpine skiing on tv suggests otherwise. It is easier to cover, though. You get the whole run uninterrupted by trees

Which in turn leaves space for some very large inflatable advertisment opportunities from to to bottom, which isn’t the case for DH biking.

I was thinking that the time trial format of DH is what makes it harder to attract viewers

DH has great TV potential for this reason, as WB realised at one point.

The jury is still very much out on whether they’re gonna follow through on their stated intentions to grow the audience though.

The red bull track preview with Goldstone is nuts. The Baxters highway section is the s**t . So fast. Plus you get a good idea of the size of the features

Flipping heck.

Can’t believe anyone would watch that vid and say the course was underwhelming.

It’s nuts how he can just chat along to his GoPro while hitting those features.

It’s because leisure skiing is old and established and has a glitzy image. It’s shiny and aspirational and it’s easy to do. It’s even easier to just get all dressed up and hit the bar.

Thats very much the British view of it. where skiing means a weeks holiday, and if you want to do it as a family in school holidays, yes its probably pushing five figures.

If you live a drivable distance from a small resort with a few lifts, its a very different thing.

My ex girlfirend was from Maribor. they went after school and I think paid 1 euro a lift. they would get a couple of laps in before sunset. They treat is the same way we English would treat going down the park for a bit of a kick about.

The point was/is, why are all the families happy to go Skiing but not MTBing.. They’re not Skiiers, they’re not MTBers, they’re just randoms.

I think there are 3 main reasons

1. skiing has been part of mountain culture for way longer than bikes have existed, let alone mtb. There is a heritage and many decades for a leisure industry to grow up around it

2.  skiing is perceived as much more about family and family holidays. Skiing as been established for long enough for 3 generations to go on the slopes together. This isn’t the case with mountain biking. At best you are starting to get 2 generations who can ride together.

3. perceived risk. The perception is that if you fall skiing then you get covered in snow and that’s about it, and if you’re unlucky you break a leg. Mtb is seen as high risk and dangerous with far higher likelihood of hurting yourself from a minor fall and

skiing is perceived as much more about family and family holidays. Skiing as been established for long enough for 3 generations to go on the slopes together. This isn’t the case with mountain biking. At best you are starting to get 2 generations who can ride together.

again I’d say very dependent on your upbringing. If you were lucky enough to be taken as a kid, maybe even a whole family hiring a chalet for christmas, it would seem very family oriented.

I learnt as an adult and apart from once accidently going on french school holiday week I avoid the “family weeks” like the plague. Its very much a friends activity trip for me. I’m not going to say lads trip because neither age nor gender seems to fit in there.

DH has great TV potential for this reason, as WB realised at one point.

I agree that the time trial format is exciting, but for a wider audience the excitement of people racing head to head probably has more appeal.

YOu kinda missed the point. The point was/is, why are all the families happy to go Skiing but not MTBing.. They’re not Skiiers, they’re not MTBers, they’re just randoms. The town/resort isn’t important. But it seems that plenty of middle class richies want to be seen at ski locations, fitting in, keeping up with the Jones’s etc.. but not so much in the summer.

I know what you mean but I think that’s more a British thing. Austrian ski resorts are chocka in Summer with European families biking.

Having watched Goldstone’s preview I’m standing by my assertion that anyone who claims it’s just a bike park is talking out of their arse.

Obviously, off cambers traverses of slabby rock gardens are standard bike park fare, like blind downslope take offs.

Watched a heap of vids now. All the riders seem pretty excited – listen to BK rave about Baxter’s Highway!

Weather is looking nasty AF today though… supposed to change tomorrow, hope nothing is on fire at that point and especially that the dickheads at Forestry Tas don’t do anything stupid.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-02-22/tasmania-to-swelter-in-heatwave-amid-fire-danger/103494526?utm_source=abc_news_app&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_campaign=abc_news_app&utm_content=link

So the syndicate are now on Oneup bars,  have they ditched Burgtec along with Minnaar and his signature grips.

Austrian ski resorts are chocka in Summer with European families biking.

Last time I went to Verbier, the place was rammed with e-bikes for hire, and they were being used by everyone and their granny (literally in once case I saw)

im watching a lot of the vids but getting a bit tired of all the ‘performance bantz’ on the Youtube channels. Kind regards Grumpy Old Man

Gracey has hit the final gap.

The final gap – we know its big. The footage of BK hitting it looked big.

But nothing has made it sink in quite so much as the POV from Laurie, following Jackson off it – I know he’s a wee lad but look at the scale, how far down and away he is from Laurie as they are both mid air.

It is absolutely bonkers.

I know he’s a wee lad but look at the scale,
^^^^^^^^^^^^

I could be wrong here but pretty sure thats the road gap, final gap is bigger but not a step down

So the syndicate are now on Oneup bars, have they ditched Burgtec along with Minnaar and his signature grips.

OneUp was bough by PON a while ago so this move isn’t really a surprise.

what’s “performance bantz”?

Final drop, Final gap… semantics. Whatever we are calling it, its BIG!

what’s “performance bantz”?

All of the trackside chat between the riders on their vlogs. Kiwis, Poms and Aussies… what do you expect. It’s a bit tiresome but I think it’s a reflection of their giddy excitement/nerves too.

Temperature halves today and the course is potentially about to change just in time for seeding.

Can’t see anything about Bryceland, guessing he’s dropped out?

And is Goldstone going to whoop everyone’s butt again? The guy is just unreal to watch from a speed pov. Quite excited for this one, will be up to watch this.

Hang on, I’ve only just realised Bruni is missing too.
We don’t need Bryceland when Ronan Dunne is there 😀.

Classic Tasmanian weather today… feels like 7 but with a big risk of sunburn. Mrs Reeksy and I got burnt on a day like that walking Mt Field West once (the mountains you can see in the background behind the  final section of the HL track). Last time I was there at Christmas and there was still a bit of snow in the hollows.

Looked a bit more like Wales today…

This should be good for the track.

&snotrag

The final gap – we know its big. The footage of BK hitting it looked big.

But nothing has made it sink in quite so much as the POV from Laurie, following Jackson off it – I know he’s a wee lad but look at the scale, how far down and away he is from Laurie as they are both mid air.

It is absolutely bonkers.

Yeah, was a little underwhelmed with the early videos, but having seen the full track, it’s a more than worthy companion to the Welsh one.

22ºc and cloudy tomorrow. Perfect.
Camera batteries are charged & bag is packed. Better try and get some sleep.

Seeding … guessing the women didn’t end up getting full runs?

Bernard Kerr
GBR
George Brannigan
NZL
Jackson Goldstone
CAN
Gaetan Vige
FRA
Darcy Coutts
AUS
Matteo Inguez
FRA
Adam Brayton
GBR
Ronan Dunne
IRL
Laurie Greenland
GBR
Brook Macdonald
NZL
Kaos Seagrave
GBR
Sam Blenkinsop
NZL
Dan Booker
AUS
Sam Gale
NZL
Thibault Laly
FRA
Jim Monro
GBR
Vincent Tupin
FRA
Theo Erlangsen
RSA
Connor Fearon
AUS
Baxter Maiwald
AUS
Johny Salido
MEX
Thomas Genon
BEL
Matt Jones
GBR
Reed Boggs
USA
Remy Morton
AUS
Dennis Luffman
GBR

been enjoying the Matt Jones videos

such as:

Yeah, he’s twenty times the rider I am, and he’s still overwhelmed by it al and slower than just about everyone else. Levels.

That was an absolutely brilliant watch !!!

that Matt jones vid is crazy as he rides down without a track walk and hits the big cliff drop entirely blindly! He also brings some everyman energy to the track, albeit he’s a world class dirt jumper who’s just been hitting 110 feet gaps at darkfest

plus he isn’t a downhiller and makes a good point that you have to work harder for your speed and carry it through all the features. The fact that he manages it is incredible.

(plus his ‘bantz’ is more natural)

pretty sure Matt did that first big clif drop blind! bonkers.

track looks very long as well

Is Matt doing it because he kind of needs to keep his RB sponsorship?

Was good to see how an amazingly good rider was finding it hard.

Shame the women haven’t had a seeding, hope they all get the chance to just do the event

Track looks immense but I am nervous for the riders tomorrow, very little margin for error on a lot of those features. Hope I’m wrong and everyone gets down safely, Think Goldstone will smash it, and hopefully Tahnee will take it for the women.