Are We MTB Racing in 2020?
What a question…huh? I can’t even count how many people have asked me, ”Are we even going to have a race season this year?“ I wasn’t even sure if I would begin to write this blog post, but after contemplating, I was able to gather my thoughts. (The picture above is a mirror image of how I feel. The left 1/2 represents my excitement back in February. The right 1/2 represents how I feel today.)
I’m just as saddened about MTB racing, or the lack there of, as you. One of the best gifts I receive each year is the look of joy and appreciation on racers faces as they come across the finish line. Sometimes the smile on the person in last place, is a bigger smile than the person who crosses the line in first.
What Makes a MTB Race Fun?
In my humble opinion it’s the people. It’s the racers, spectators, and volunteers all in unison to make the event happen. It’s that inner feeling of community, and our search to find how deep we can dig, how far can we push. While I can’t speak for everyone, I love launching in a large group and fighting for position to get into the woods. I look forward to hearing my team mates and friends cheer for me and my fellow racers. I like seeing a friendly face at registration to help me quickly get signed up. But most of all I like the camaraderie of hanging with my friends after and sharing our race experiences.
What the Government, Lawyers, and Insurance Co Wants
We’ve been in touch with state and local officials, our attorney, and Insurance Co. as well as reading all of their guide lines. The conversations have been based around what can a race director do to facilitate a safe race for all. Some of the ideas tossed around have been spacing out the registration lines, and self registration. (I’m OK with that one.) No team tents. (That one sucks, but I could live with it.) No Spectators. (Hmmm.) Then the idea of no podiums came up to stop people from congregating. (UGH!) Launch in either small groups of 5 or so, or go to a time trial start and limiting the fields. (We already can race like this. It’s call Zwift.) And last, leaving immediately after your race. If you take away all those things, is it even a race any more?
The Answer to the Big Question
I’m all for keeping everyone safe. With that said, I can not ask people to pay for a sub par product. I take great pride in offering you the best possible race experience for your money. While I would love nothing more than to tell you we are racing the Challenger this year on June 20th, I would rather wait and give you the full race experience you have come to expect.
As of this post, the race is in a state of flux. Our official answer is, we should know more by June 1st. We are in the process of locking in the 2021 Challenger for Saturday June 19th, so please mark your calendar for the Saturday before Father’s Day each year. I’m trying to remain hopeful that there is still time for the restrictions to be lifted to hold the race as scheduled on June 20th of this year. At the same time, I also need to be realistic. After all, the race is in New Jersey.
Challenger Store
No blog post would be complete without a lil’ #ShamelessSelfPromotion. We are pleased to announce our new partnership with #Spreadshirt to sell Challenger Shirts, Hoodies, Long Sleeves, Tank Tops, Hats, and more in our on-line store. You can choose from over 45 different products. The color selections are plentiful. If you want the top quality shirts, get the “Fitted Cotton/Poly T-Shirt by Next Level”. Spreadshirt will print on the items in the color of your choice, then ship the products directly to you. We currently have 2 designs in the store, but look for more coming soon. Click here to start shopping?
Helmet Race Cam
To try to make you laugh, and bring a smile to your face, I have decided to upload all of my old helmet cam videos from years of previous races. It’s not much, but it’s something that could help you on rainy days, or sometimes if you just want a good laugh. You’ll get to see PLENTY of crashes, and hear my ramblings. I hope you enjoy them. You can subscribe to our YouTube Channel Here. [Please be patient as we upload the videos.]
There is no doubt, just trying to hold our race this year will be our greatest ‘Challenge’.