hillcross

[birddog]

I was looking at the entries this year too thinking the same thing Matt. I think people are getting sick of two things – not getting paid, and nothing ever changing. Counting up the entries in sport at each venue I don’t know if there are enough people to even start a baseball team. It takes beginner and sport racers to get to have more semi pro and pro racers. If there aren’t people starting racing, who is going to continue racing? Matt might remember pre race introductions and post race interviews, the spectator races, the autograph sessions, etc etc etc. I think this is because to compete in any of these classes, you almost need a mod sled. I started racing on a 1998 ZR 600 - - - - stock sled - - - nobody starting out can either afford or obtain a “race” sled just to “try” out the sport. So we have already limited ourselves to a small class of existing racers. Multiply that by adding a billion classes and the costs just keep going up and up.

I know that several people have suggested improvements and changes to the sport (how about starting on time for one?) that just seem to go by the way side. I would like to see one day events with Sunday being a “freestyle” day. How about calling out each racer and having a play down ? Have each class of racers go head to head on Sunday for true bragging rights…winner goes on, loser gets to watch. I would be willing to compile a list of “suggestions” and get in touch with wally directly this summer. I will keep your names confidential and forward that list on with some serious discussion about the “World Series of Hillcross” send it to brokenbonesracing@hotmail.com

It will be interesting to see what the fan base looks like at the Ridge this weekend…$15 to get in when the waterskips are $0 might tell us the fate of our sport. Remember everything either evolves or becomes extinct…

 

[whitemxzx440]

If you think about it though, Giant's Ridge is one of the better deals. $15 for the weekend is as cheap as any of the races get, and it is also a full access lift ticket if you ski or snowboard. At Cascade it was another $5 to take the chairlift up the hill once. I think it was $20 or $25 at the door too. No skiing/snowboarding unless you wanted to pay lots or hike. At least usually that's how it is at the ridge.

 

[waterskipper]

also this weekend theres a snocross going on in duluth(CJ Ramsted Memorial) so which race is gunna pull more racers and spectators? also like birddog said the waterskipping taking place at trout river on lake vermilion draws quite the crowd. i use to be out there every weekend until last year when i started racing hillcross and there could be anywhere from 250 people up to 600 people at times at the waterskips. Also hopefully the TV show helps promote hillcross like Matt mentioned earlier. I also like your idea kevin of getting all the racing done saterday and a practice, freestyle screw around day on sunday so if people have a long ride home the dont get home till midnight or later and if they wanna stay to tune there sled, practice for the next race then they could. Yes its hard to get a good check back in the semipro classes when there rarely over 10 entries per class.

 

[CitationSS]

You guys all have hit on the things that have been discussed for the past 8 years. The only difference today is that entries in all classes are down in the 10 or less category for the first time this decade. Ouch....

 

[birddog]

you making an appearance this weekend Paul?

 

[CitationSS]

By Paul you must mean ElanSS? Haven't seen or heard a thing from him on here in a long time... I did hear however that he is going to miss some hillclimbs cause he is putting nitrous on the sled and its not done yet.

 

[neverenoughsnow]

i think that the current owners of hill/snow-cross have lead to the demise of the sport. i did race hillcross, but races were a cluster**** . other guys have voiced that all snow racing be under one association, i agree. oh,yeah, if i had to go another season of those guys running the races, well you know. races never start on time, if they had any info right it was a blessing, didnt know the rules, and it didnt matter in there big picture. all they cared about was themselves and not the sport. yeah, i was in the top 10 , but all they cared about is how good they looked. so if all snow racing was under one roof , with us voting on our reps who support the sport, seems like our sport would advance. our government is full of fatcats but i will do my part to keep them out of my sport and my life.

 

[birddog]

Yeah...Elan / Citation ... same thing...

FYI - the new broken bones racing shirts are in and will be for sale at Giants Ridge!

 

[searchandrescue]

Here's a class that could draw a huge group or racers. How about a mountian sled class. How many guys in minnesota have a mountain sled in the garage that heads west 2 or 3 times a year? Most of the sleds could make it up the hill. The riders, like myself, would need a over 35 year old classs. I would think about running my sled up. I know if I did it, I could get 3 or 4 of my riding buddies to run also. Something to think about Wally.

 

[theslednutz.com]

stock 146 summits...runnin semi pro 800

 

[searchandrescue]

So, what you're saying is "step up".

 

[theslednutz.com]

if you want....all i am sayin is it can be done. I just do it for fun and im addicted to snowmobiling haha.....it is definitely hard on the rails though.....

 

[waterskipper]

how many rails u guyes gone through this year wade? u gunna get a race sle for next season possible? also there are about id say between5-10 mountains slads that race each weekend, there are ages classes, 25 plus, 30 plus, 35, plus, and 40 plus.

 

[Irace]

Sounds like hillcross is going thru same problems as sno-x:
Entries down
Riders input not being implemented
Lack of payout

Probably alot of same reasons:
Getting too expensive: travel, hotels, meals, cost of "race" sleds
Not listening to rider input
Payout: sounds like you guys are getting paid just not as much as previous years- I know of several sno-x racers who didn't get a check at all this year and some were waiting for last years still

There has been some great input on a couple threads here aboout what's happening with sno-x. Sounds like things need to change for both venues or they'll both die out.

 

[theslednutz.com]

how many rails u guyes gone through this year wade? u gunna get a race sle for next season possible? also there are about id say between5-10 mountains slads that race each weekend, there are ages classes, 25 plus, 30 plus, 35, plus, and 40 plus.

I have gone through just one set...last weekend it was all chain problems. Yea if the funds are there I will definitely be getting a race sled, probabyl a 137" though! All about how many sponosors i can get and how much i make this summer.