Could NORBA be any worse?

[angelo_caduto86]

Every year I wonder when NORBA is going to get it's act together, every year they don't...is there anyone that has examples where they oganization does something right? Here are some observations from last weekend's Mt. Snow Race.

how smart can the organization be?

* For a summer sport, they give their officials black shirts.

* Olympic development teams for non-Olympic sport (dual slalom and trials). If they are going to spend money on athletes, why not the nude olympic team.

* During the trials competition there was a crowd of 50 spectators following the competitors, but then the announcers started yelling about the swag they were going to give away...spectators go to the free swag area area..the pro trials competitors finish out without anybody but family watching.

* The announcers at the event only seem to care about the pros, all other athletes were fodder for ridicule.

* At Saturday's award ceremony they announced all the XC events, all the season point leaders and after the crowd walked away, they decided to announce the trials competitors.

* The highlight in announcing was how the announcer was standing 20 feet from the beginning of the mountain pro and couldn't recognize half the top 10 finishers and wasn't smart enough to write down numbers next to their names so they could just i.d. them from their plate number. Fortunately there were a couple spectators there to tell the announcer who was racing. After a complete season you would think they would begin to recognize the racers.

* I am sure the NORBA people thank some volunteers, but I have never seen it happen.

* It only took NORBA half an hour to figure out the backets for 32 racers in Mt. X.

bleech

I do admire Shimano's Kids race, I would assume that it succeeds because NORBA has nothing to do with it.

[scout]

It isn't just NORBA but USCF and the entire USA Cycling Organization. The best races I do are the ones that are not sanctioned by either group. Every starter gets a finish time and place, all the way down to last and in some road races entrants wear a computer chip around the ankle for accuracy of finish place and time. If you are not 1st, 2nd, 3rd in USCF races you may as well forget getting a finishing time. They have the most disorganized way of scoring races. At best it is a guy with a clip board trying to write down numbers. What a joke. This is their idea of a race official. They should stick to pro and elite level racing and stop trying to control every race in the country. Examples of well run non-sanctioned events are the Grandview Firehouse Fifty and the Chequamagon Fat Tire Festival. The Grandview is in it's 23rd year and had over 700 entrants this year. The Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival is 20 years old and they are so popular they have registration by lottery, with a 2500 person limit. This was filled before last years race was even over. When was the last time you went to a NORBA race with 2500 entrants?

[angelo_caduto86]

Mt. Snow or other NORBA championships might have that many, but the better question would be: "How often does NORBA have a race that people are happy enough to signup for next year?"

Personally I find it kind of sad, because I think they WANT to run things right, it just seems to be too much self-interest by the officials to make things fun for racers.

[angelo_caduto86]

I thought this would be a hot topic, but apparently no one on this message board cares one way or another about norba...I wonder if the same is true for the sport of Mt. Biking in general...

[scout]

I am not sure the majority of the Dirt Rag readers are into racing as much as they are riding. It seems the overall sport of MTB racing is in decline. Volvo-Cannondale team is defunct after this year and rumour has it that Giant will no longer be sponsering a team. Is the decline because of NORBA and the way it organizes races and overcharges its' members?

[angelo_caduto86]

The number of races, certainly is a NORBA problem and one they are to be faulted for.... I think I heard for the east coast there aren't many officials and that could be remedied, IF norba had official training seminars, which they don't.

On the other topic. One of the problems with Mt. Biking as a racing sport is the assumption that the industry could support itself. That is to say all teams would be sponsored by either a bike shop or a bike manufacturer. Most sports can not do this. For example: There is no louisville slugger stadium or spalding baseball stadium. Or closer to the sport, it's USPS that sponsors Lance and Co., not Trek. Trek is a minor sponsor. In auto racing the drivers are sponsored by products other than automobiles. Volvo-Cannodale probably has more to do with Volvo than Cannodale.

NORBA's mismanagement may have to do with not many team sponsors, but it isn't the sole reason.

My guess, one of the reason for fading interest in Mt. Biking is the portrayal of it as an extreme sport. You have to have Full Suspension, so you can ride the rock garden...Dad and Mom looks at the rock garden and says: "I'm buying the kids a basketball." Every year NORBA and UCI have decided that a race course has to be death-defying.

But if you are right about Racing and Dirt Rag, then it is a good thing they are reviewing places to ride...and would be better suited at not analysing bikes by their ability to be race vehicles.

[Blatz]

Who needs NORBA? I say to hell with NORBA. I`ve never raced in a NORBA race. I don`t need to. Here in the Midwest you can race every other weekend with great competetion and great organization and pay $20 to $25 bucks( a little more for the 24 hour and the 40 mile point to point races) and never pay NORBA. For the Wors races in Wisconsin you have the option to pay a NORBA fee if you want points. Lets face it the majority of racers are the Cit, Sport, and Comp people. What can NORBA really do for us? I think NORBA should think of themselfs as the Major Leauges of North American MTB. They should only put on races for Pros and Eleite. But they make $$$ off the backs of the average racer to support NORBA. And all I hear is problems. Give me grassroots races, 24 or 12 hour races any day. I`ll never pay NORBA, I don`t need to.

[angelo_caduto86]

I hate to say this, but

ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?

That is if you tolerate NORBA you are hurting all of racing, since it is the National Governing body for the sport

Norba makes all of its money off the poor slobs that work five days a week. That average joes. They sell you a membership and them have expenses/charges to run a sanctioned race....the elite and pro guys might pay more to be members, but they are a drop in the bucket when it comes to running the organization...and you know what is sad?!?!?! they don't care about the average guy. (I guess you know that).

What the average NORBA member sould do is sit down and write a letter right now to Norba, telling them how they are screwed.

Take Mt. Snow, most all the practise runs for (expert, sport and beginner) DH were during the week. Which means, even if you competed in Saturday morning you had to take days off work to practise. What is funny is they don't charge to see the races so they don't make any more money by having the pro's compete during prime time.

Now if you wanted to be an olympia...you are screwed, you aren't getting on the U.S. team no matter how fast you are or how many Wors races you win.

[Blatz]

What I was saying is, I could care less if NORBA existed or not. I thought I made that clear. NORBA has nothing to do with any of my racing fun.To hell with NORBA. Sorry for the misunderstanding. How about a round of some ice cold Leinies Red or Big Butt for all NORBA haters. You can tell I`m from the Midwest

[angelo_caduto86]

Had some Leinies when I was up in Cable (great beer to match great trails)

didn't sample Big Butt...how are those babies...?


o back on topic...I understand what you are saying, but the trouble is when you are a a NGB, you get federal dollars to waste on staff and special NORBA fleece jackets. (The one thing I can say is that it makes Bobsledding look respectable.) And if you ever want to aspire to the national or international level, you are making a mistake just tolerating N-zero-RBA.

[Blatz]

Big Butt is their Double Bock. It was discontinued for a short while, but thank god it will be back next March. Thanks for the insight by the way.

[angelo_caduto86]

I don't know why Wisconsin doesn't get more play as a place to ride...Sure Cable is a ways to go to ride (and one of the times I was up there the black flies too about a pint of my blood, but I replaced it with beer), but there is a place called Tigerville (I think) that wasn't to far. I am pretty sure there are some good trails in LaCrosse..

But (like PA) Wisconsin is a beer state

[Blatz]

Actually the best kept secret in the Midwest for MTB is the U P. They have everything from 100s of miles of XC, to Northshore riding. If you get a chance, check out the Ore to Shore race next August or just head to the Marquett area and hook up with a local to ride with. Some of the friendliest people you`ll ever want to meet.

[angelo_caduto86]

where is this...?4

I was going to ride up by the Sault Ste Marie area, but ran out of time...and had been driving for 24 hours....too tired