I spent the weekend at the Redbull Rampage ( www.redbullrampage.com ) watching some insane athletes pull off some amazing stunts and just plain stupid cliff jumps on mountain bikes. It was a very cool and well run event. I was impressed and will go back to watch next year.

This got me thinking.....
The judging was by a panel similar to figureskating or gymnastics. The guy that took the most insane line, but had trouble did not score as well as the guy that took a difficult line, but cleaned it. The started with 24 riders on the first day and cut that in half for the second.

So my idea, what if we did something similar in an area like 3 peaks/Cedar City. Give a team a larger area to pick from with only outside bounderies. Some Just from one end to the other, and some up, turn around, and come down. Maybe 5-6 obstacles like this a day.

Put 3 judges where the can view the whole obstacle, spectator POV.
Score would be based on points for
1. driving skill, how clean/smooth
2. the difficulty of the line picked
3. how well the team work together
4. creativity/different line from others
5. style
For the second day cut the pack and obstacles in half (but, increase difficulty) and use 6 judges per obstacle.

Yes, it would be subjective, but so are many sports. Criteria could be set up. Standard deductions for tools, strap, winch, etc, DQ if over time.

Some new problems would be created, but the arguments with judges over cones, boundries etc would not be an issue. The judges score is just that, their opinion on how you did, no room for argument.

What do you think?
Ideas?

Marc

Cross posted on rockymountain extreme
http://www.rockymountainextreme.com/showthread.php?p=83711#post83711

Great Idea, but Something similuar is already in the works.

:D

Rich

I don't want to start something like this, just would like to compete in it.
I'll leave organizing to guys like you Rich.
It would be cool to see you do something along these lines.
Let me know when/where!!

Who's to say whats hard for what vehicle?

Dump bump is hard for a sammy but a toy can walk up it without chirping a tire. If all vehicles were the same then this would be cool.

Yeah but as more and more comp buggy's start to look the same then the field starts even itself out as far as vehicles go. Then...its on the teams.

I like the subjectivity of the judges, it could account for the differances in vehicles. If the judges are experienced drivers, they would understand vehicle differances and judge based on a line taken that was doable for that vehicle and how well it was done.

Again, just thinking out loud.

This sounds like a good little extra for comps. Freestyle wheeling run at the end of each day. Style points for coolest roll !!!

You are using an open mind and are onto something that will happen, just a little different than you suggest...this is "one" new direction this sport will be heading...
2004 is gonna be a great year!

Personally, I have never been a fan of having judges give a rating of how THEY feel you did. To me, what seperates a sport from an exhibition is the presence of clearly defined scoring system where the competitor controls his/her own fate, and not an objective opinion of how a judge sitting at a scorers desk perceived how a competitor performed.

For example... I absolutely LOVE the Olympics. Great time of year... particularly, t he Winter Olympics. The Ski Jumping is one of my favorites. However, why do they have to give "style points" for how a guy lands? Isn't it awesome enough that some bloke can point his ski's down a hill and jump the length of a football field? Why is it necessary to have "style" points?

Originally posted by jeepinchad
exhibition
Chad, this is an accurate comment you have made and I've pulled one word out to get people thinking. Is there anything wrong with having competitions AND exhibitions? There are plenty of competitions out there...wouldn't it be fun to go out and put on a SHOW.
Still, I know how the Red Bull Rampage works and it is a decent balance. There is no other way to determine a winner than by having subjectivity in a "One-Up" style of event. If you set up a points system beforehand, and gave certain points to each line, then the judge setting up the line would still be subjective and plainly, everybody would take the highest points line to try to win. That means LESS variety in the lines they attempt, LESS variety in the skills demonstrated, and in the end, LESS of a show.
Our sport has grown ready to have a few offshoots into the show mode. It won't be everybodies preference, but it will be exactly what others would prefer to do. Some will attend these events...some will not.

For the record... I would attend. Not against them, that's for sure.

Last season at one of our events, there was a hill climb that nobody made... a bonus hill. As the crowd was leaving, a couple competitors were looking at the hill and salivating. So I went up to one of them and said, "Go for it". His eyes lit up, the crowd gathered round and cheered louder than they had all weekend... especially when he made it. :-)

Defiintely room for exhibitions.

cool :bounce: :bounce2:

I know it's OT but was Tyler "Super T" Klassen competing this year?

I know its not the same but ProRock has something similar. Wide cones leaving the lines up to the driver/spotters and implementing "option" gates for more points.