Slave
12-01-2008, 08:29 AM
I've had so many people tell me their thoughts abouts this years National Champs I thought I'd post up my thoughts regarding the significance of this event.
Okay, I admit it - I've got a BMX background. I started racing MTB 4x in the 90's, have some good pics from the Thredbo tracks riding a Mongoose NX with Rock Shock Indy forks.
But one of the major differences for me between 4x and BMX is the recognition you get when you do well at the State or National level.
When you win a BMX state title you wear that achievement on your number plate for the rest of the year. You also strive to do well at the National Champs because of this.
In BMX you start racing with a registration number. For years I raced BMX with the number 562. When I was ranked 1st in Victoria on a BMX (1985) every single race I entered afterwards my race number was 1v (v for Victoria) - you were awarded a trophy but most importantly a number plate. I was proud; I'd deserved the right to wear #1 as my personal race number. Everywhere I raced I wore #1.
When I won a Veterans 4x Australian title I was awarded a small gold medallion, no mention of the year or the category on the medallion. Every race I entered from then on I was awarded some random number as my race number.
In short winning an Australian veterans 4x title meant close to nothing to me. Last year I stood on the podium in 3rd place and a week after the Nationals everyone had forgotten the race results.
What I’m getting at is I’d like to see the National MTB Champs have some significance. Something that lasts longer than one week after the race meeting finishes.
Disclaimer here, I’m sure the National Champs are important for the Elite riders.
Because the BMX National Champs give you the opportunity to race for your race number they become very important. Everyone makes sure they attend. It’s an important race. It’s big, people attend regardless. They would sell their worldly belongings to be a part of it. Not only that, but to get to the BMX Nats you need to have supported your club and State organizations by racing. This extract is from the Canberra BMX Club December 2007 newsletter:
“If you are thinking of competing in the NSW State Championships in 2008 then you have to qualify. Qualification for the 2008 NSW State Championships includes a requirement to compete in at least three (3) of the 2008 NSW Southern Region Championships and six (6) club and / or open meetings”.
And…
“Please note if you are contemplating doing the National Championships then you must have competed in the 2007 ACT Championships”
This means that the BMX organisation does not have to cater for weekend warriors at the National Champs. It makes the BMX Nationals important. It gives it relevance.
The DH side of this years MTB National Champs to me is an extra long, extra expensive club race.
In fairness, I did get a nice plaque for placing in the National 4x series, and I won a nice green Series Leader plate – not sure if you can actually ride with these Series Leader plates though, I’ve seen no correspondence on those plates. It didn’t say what class I was leading – and just had some random number on it anyway.
We are lucky enough to have a couple of World ranked BMX riders in the ACT, and when you see them on their bikes you know by looking at their number plates that they deserve respect, as their number plates indicate their world ranking.
Anyway, some BMX plate rules. From www.actbmx.com.au:
u) At all events a competitor must at all times ride with the racing number and/or letter combination which has: -
i) been allocated to them by their club: or
ii) been allocated to them by their National or State Association; or
iii) been allocated to them through successful competition at any of the immediately preceding Titles: World, Pacific Oceanic, National, State Age Titles, Regional Championships; or
iv) been allocated where there may have been a duplication of racing numbers at any event by the Race Director.
v) Use of Number Zero on a Number Plate – 0 – 00 Zero or double zero is not a numeral and 1-8 are reserved.
v) The only riders who will be entitled to race with a racing number between 1 – 8 (inclusive) shall be those riders referred to in Section 18(u)(iii) and no club or Race Director shall allocate numbers within that numerical group. Title holders as detailed in Section 18 (u) (iii) shall identify their Title with the use of the following letters immediately after the number: -
W – World
PO - Pacific Oceanic
A – Australia
ACT - Aust Capital Territory
N - New South Wales
NT - Northern Territory
Q - Queensland
SA - South Australia
T – Tasmania
V – Victoria
WA - Western Australia
Okay, I admit it - I've got a BMX background. I started racing MTB 4x in the 90's, have some good pics from the Thredbo tracks riding a Mongoose NX with Rock Shock Indy forks.
But one of the major differences for me between 4x and BMX is the recognition you get when you do well at the State or National level.
When you win a BMX state title you wear that achievement on your number plate for the rest of the year. You also strive to do well at the National Champs because of this.
In BMX you start racing with a registration number. For years I raced BMX with the number 562. When I was ranked 1st in Victoria on a BMX (1985) every single race I entered afterwards my race number was 1v (v for Victoria) - you were awarded a trophy but most importantly a number plate. I was proud; I'd deserved the right to wear #1 as my personal race number. Everywhere I raced I wore #1.
When I won a Veterans 4x Australian title I was awarded a small gold medallion, no mention of the year or the category on the medallion. Every race I entered from then on I was awarded some random number as my race number.
In short winning an Australian veterans 4x title meant close to nothing to me. Last year I stood on the podium in 3rd place and a week after the Nationals everyone had forgotten the race results.
What I’m getting at is I’d like to see the National MTB Champs have some significance. Something that lasts longer than one week after the race meeting finishes.
Disclaimer here, I’m sure the National Champs are important for the Elite riders.
Because the BMX National Champs give you the opportunity to race for your race number they become very important. Everyone makes sure they attend. It’s an important race. It’s big, people attend regardless. They would sell their worldly belongings to be a part of it. Not only that, but to get to the BMX Nats you need to have supported your club and State organizations by racing. This extract is from the Canberra BMX Club December 2007 newsletter:
“If you are thinking of competing in the NSW State Championships in 2008 then you have to qualify. Qualification for the 2008 NSW State Championships includes a requirement to compete in at least three (3) of the 2008 NSW Southern Region Championships and six (6) club and / or open meetings”.
And…
“Please note if you are contemplating doing the National Championships then you must have competed in the 2007 ACT Championships”
This means that the BMX organisation does not have to cater for weekend warriors at the National Champs. It makes the BMX Nationals important. It gives it relevance.
The DH side of this years MTB National Champs to me is an extra long, extra expensive club race.
In fairness, I did get a nice plaque for placing in the National 4x series, and I won a nice green Series Leader plate – not sure if you can actually ride with these Series Leader plates though, I’ve seen no correspondence on those plates. It didn’t say what class I was leading – and just had some random number on it anyway.
We are lucky enough to have a couple of World ranked BMX riders in the ACT, and when you see them on their bikes you know by looking at their number plates that they deserve respect, as their number plates indicate their world ranking.
Anyway, some BMX plate rules. From www.actbmx.com.au:
u) At all events a competitor must at all times ride with the racing number and/or letter combination which has: -
i) been allocated to them by their club: or
ii) been allocated to them by their National or State Association; or
iii) been allocated to them through successful competition at any of the immediately preceding Titles: World, Pacific Oceanic, National, State Age Titles, Regional Championships; or
iv) been allocated where there may have been a duplication of racing numbers at any event by the Race Director.
v) Use of Number Zero on a Number Plate – 0 – 00 Zero or double zero is not a numeral and 1-8 are reserved.
v) The only riders who will be entitled to race with a racing number between 1 – 8 (inclusive) shall be those riders referred to in Section 18(u)(iii) and no club or Race Director shall allocate numbers within that numerical group. Title holders as detailed in Section 18 (u) (iii) shall identify their Title with the use of the following letters immediately after the number: -
W – World
PO - Pacific Oceanic
A – Australia
ACT - Aust Capital Territory
N - New South Wales
NT - Northern Territory
Q - Queensland
SA - South Australia
T – Tasmania
V – Victoria
WA - Western Australia