Firestone Walker

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Some highlights:

1)  The course was super fast and a bit changed from last year to add some distance, some technical elements, and to slow riders down a bit as they approached a tricky single track section.  Last year we would storm into this particular section at speeds approaching 50+ mph, and then need to hammer the brakes in time to go up around a tree.  Not this year.  Two 180 degree turns were added after that "freeway" so you had to slow down, turn, crank, slow down, turn again, and then pedal hard on the approach to the tree, followed by a 5' fall-away, hip drop with a blind landing on a 40 degree sandy down slope.  At speed the vertical from lip to landing is some 10'. Killer.

This is by far one of my favorite courses to race on.  Very very pedally the first 300 meters, and then super gravity fast thereafter.  Many high banked turns, one through trees where it exits towards a big table top just before a series of additional doubles and banked turns leading to the big drop jump at the head of the finish line sprint.

2) Part of the XC course (Sunday XC race) ran down the DH course, so, of course, the XC riders were attempting to practice it, too, as the DHers were barreling down the course. The course had many many blind curves and jumps taken at high speeds.  Dangerous, stupid, and poorly thought out.  There was no attempt whatsoever to police it or to have differing practice times for the different disciplines.  A few times during my Friday and Saturday morning practice I startled myself and XC guys who, as is human nature, were perched at the top of a drop or blind curve just as I (and so many others) would appear out of nowhere at top speed in the approach causing some crashes and many lost years of life from fright for all those concerned. One need only THINK for a moment about it to know this was dangerous to all.

3) The race fees were raised to $45 this year.

4) Last year there were some 90 DHers, this year there were 200.  Last year there was one shuttle truck.  This year there was one shuttle truck.  Yes - it was a problem.  Why, with twice the preregistered racers (and fees) they couldn't spring for a 2nd truck baffles me. I have an opinion on the matter.

5) The wind last year, and again this year, kicked up to a steady 35 - 40 mph on the exposed ridge of the start and first 400 meters of the course.  Right after the upper 300 meter pedally section is a rock garden jump, followed by a big high-speed drop. The wind blew from left to right across the course.  When in the air, the bike would blow sideways as the wind took the wheels out from under you.  There were broken bones and much bloody carnage last year because of it, and it again happened this year (broken leg, hand, digits).  I never saw so many arms in slings and torn up elbows, shoulders, hips, and knees.  All because of the wind.  Every afternoon the wind kicks up, yet no one thought to modify the course, or to start the race in the calm morning hours.  Nope.  I tell you - I watched a dozen or more crashes on Friday afternoon and called it quits after that. 

I came back up at 4 pm (practice was from 10:30 - 6 pm), hoping the wind would have calmed down.  It didn't so decided I needed a contingency should it be windy come race day.  I tried hitting the rock jump fast and low, and even though I didn't sky it, I nearly crashed as my front wheel moved sideways from the wind.  I then skidded to the precipice of the drop, too fearful to go off of it.  I was truly scared.  The wind was really blowing. I went around that jump, and then enjoyed the lower section that was shielded from the wind.

5) On race day all DH racers were all REQUIRED to meet at the top of the mountain at 12:30 for a MANDATORY meeting and to sign a 2nd waiver, no matter your seed time.  So all 200 racers in waves took the sole shuttle to the top and waited for the meeting to start. And waited. And waited. In the sun and wind, with no shade or water or food provided.  There was never a 2nd waiver to sign.  My small water bottle was empty within 30 minutes.  I was there for 2 hours waiting for my start time. I was parched and hungry.  Some were there for 3 hours+, most of which were kids w/o there parents, as they and the cars and the food and the shade and the water were all at the bottom.  Dumb. Then, once at the bottom after our first run (it was a combined 2 run format), we had to catch a shuttle to the top to do a 2nd run.  The combined times is what determined your placing in your class.

6) During the "mandatory" meeting before the race, we were all greeted by one of the co-owners of the Firestone Walker Brewery who thanked us all for our participation, and invited us to join the festivities after race in the gala venue for beer and food.  Sounded great!

7) On race day I got there early to take a run down the course at race speed before the winds kicked up.  I railed the course and felt very confident, hitting all jumps and feely strong.  There was not nearly as much wind although I did not start until 2 pm. 

Well, there were no other "experts" in my age category, so I raced myself and (mentally) the younger age group below me (40 - 49).  I tried and tried to get some info from Team Big Bear about who was in my class, but in 2 days of trying, and promises of "I'll have it in an hour" or "try 1st thing in the morning" or " a couple more hours and we will know" I finally gave up.  I never learned until it was already an hour before the race start.  I approached every guy about my age to see if they were in my class, and none were. 

My first run was full of race-day mistakes that never materialized in my practice sessions.  First, when the bell sounded and I started down the course, I fumbled to get my left foot clipped into my pedal, loosing a second or two.  Then, while in the air over the rock jump, my other foot came out of the pedal causing me to land one-footed and getting a little wild on the landing.  The crowd let out a "Whoop!" as I nearly crashed on the landing.  That wasn't so bad except I had about 2 seconds to get straightened out and clipped in before sailing over the largest (and most dangerous) jump on the course, this at about 40 mph.  I JUST got clipped in as I shot off the lip (phew!) but as I landed, my shorts got hung up on my saddle and nearly caused me to crash....again - yikes! 

After a series of little high speed turns, some more smaller jumps, and some single-track around the flank of a hilly knob, there is a "freeway" section where speeds easily approach 50+ mph (am I being redundant?).  That is my favorite section, as I love the speed.  This is then followed by two tight 180 degree turns in opposite directions and in tight succession (yep - I am).  So you go from 50 to 2 mph, make a 180 degree banked turn, pedal a few hard strokes, then another 180 degree banked turn, followed by a 50 meter single-track sprint on a shaded side slope where you may get up to ~25 mph, and then fling yourself off a blind precipice to a sandy, steep downhill landing.  I love it!  At the base of this sandy downhill is a steeply banked turn taken at great speed and that exits with a jump between 2 trees (wheee!), followed by another BIG table-top jump, followed by 2 smaller double jumps, then a sprint up to a nice double with a landing into a banked turn, another double, and then the final big drop jump that leads to the finish line sprint.  Wow!  Such fun!!

I had a time of 1:36.1 on my first run which actually resulted in a tie for 1st place in the younger age group had I actually been racing with them.  My only goal for run 2 was to be error free and improve my time.  That I did, hitting a ~1:34.2, nearly 2 seconds faster.  That may not seem like much, but in downhill bike racing, 2 seconds is often an eternity, as that much time could make the difference between 1st and 6th place in some cases.

I would have ended up in 3rd place in the younger age group had I actually raced with them.  Had I had two runs like my 2nd, I would have taken 2nd place, not too bad when I consider the guy who took 1st looked like the classic chiseled, tanned, muscular athlete, and he was 10 years younger than me!  So I felt pretty good about it, all considered.

7) After my race, I loaded my gear, changed my clothes, and then drove across the large meadow to the venue, to get some food and a beer or two.  It was now 4:40 pm.  I had had no lunch, I was parched.  A beer and a burger sounded like a perfect cure.  So I get there and find out all the food is gone (and was at steeply elevated prices to boot), and the 8 oz beers were $3 a piece.  Nice.  Whatever. So I'm halfway through my 1st beer when they announce that the taps would be turned off at 5 pm.  Great.  And I'm thinking that there are still people racing DH at that moment. What about those poor souls?  Again - very poor organization.

That night, after the sparse awards ceremony (it was pretty sucky and inconsistent - 1st place Expert before me got a padded RockGardn DH jacket, the 1st place guy before him a full face DH helmet.  Me? A crumby little set of elbow pads. Nice.), I passed on the $10 pasta feed (which I had already paid for) at the brewery and opted instead to have dinner at a little Italian café in "downtown" Buellton and have a shower and early night's sleep. I was done wid dis place.

I was in bed by 7:30, watched TV for an hour, and then put out the lights.

Unless something changes, I won't go back to this event.

The course, however, ROCKED!!  No crashes at all.

Seery

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