Wyn touches on how he believes the sport won’t actually get better for the riders with more money coming into the sport, he compares it with Moto GP and motocross, where the athletes are put under far more pressure with the larger amount of expectation on their shoulders.
For the full episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnxPKf2xDZY&t=1337s
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wynmasters/
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I am a huge fan of both but they are just not the same and money will change it inevitably. At a SX race you may be lucky to see some of the riders in the pits or get a photo. At Snowshoe I had a drink and talked to Dean in the pits after the race for 20 minutes, I bought Laurie Greenland a drink because they wouldn't take his Visa, I shotgunned a beer with Ed Masters and thats just why downhill is so cool.
P.S. can we get a petition to UCI to make Snowshoe the final round again that first year was unmatched 🤣
I agree that DH MTB and MX are totally different. Yeah they are both on 2 wheels and very exciting, but they can't be equated. Moto is elbow to elbow racing, DH is the riders vs the course. Maybe if there was a comparison between how roadies, the XC riders, and MX riders get along with one another then it could be a more "equal".
DH is rad because the highest level athletes can just hop on the same chair as a weekend wheelier and strike up a super casual conversation.
MTB is the best
Thats a great point. I think the reason downhill and the mtb community is my favourite is seeing the level of stoke everyone has for each other even at the highest level. I guess throwing more prize money in would change that. Hopefully your sponsors look after you enough
The prize money is pathetic, so an increase of some kind would be good. The influx of any money should be invested in the future, privateers and youth.
I've followed MX since I raced as a kid back in the 70's. MX/SX has captured more mainstream attention recently and become more corporatized for sure. But there are still guys out there like Josh Hill who seem to have a pretty good time. He races in the US (qualified for SMX playoffs) and abroad (WSX and Aussie SX series), freerides, does the occasional hillclimb and makes lots of videos. Seems pretty relaxed and grounded…maybe the Wyn Masters of moto?
Mountainbiking is growing at a tremendous pace.
Racing elite DH on a factory supported team for low pay is way better than any corporate cubicle job for any amount of money.
It'll destroy the atmosphere, but, like everything else, it is inevitable!😠
You left out that a World Cup hopeful possibly slept on that couch for the race….which would never happen in moto.
You guys don't physically "race" each other though. There's so much drama in moto because of that aspect I think. The parents thing is weird though, that probly comes as a result of the money.
No money so you stay good friends
If more money came in, but it was equitably managed, so programs like Wyn's privateer program spread the money out among promising riders, then perhaps the dh esprit de corps can be maintained. 🎉🏆🍾
The time trial aspect of dh and skiing vs the group races of moto GP and motocross is the big difference.
This is so true, the sportsmanship is what makes the sport
Your videos are so engaging, I always look forward to the next one.
From what I’ve seen travelling to world cups recently in Europe with my son and also competing myself in skateboarding at an elite level when I was younger DH mtb and vert/bowl/street skateboarding have a similar camaraderie and healthy respect between riders. Both are very low paid for the average pro compared to other sports. I reckon more prize money and better industry support is definitely warranted for DH riders without a doubt.
maybe it'd be helpful if there was a way for UCI to limit who is in a 'team' – if there are lots of non racing staff, that money isn't getting spent on a riders salary. I see so many people out there on the track walks who aren't the guys or girls racing it…
Such a lovely point about Andreas Kolb and his pleasure for Charlie Hatton.He then was the same for Benoit this w/e.It's a sport that is just full of genuinely gorgeous well grounded people.
They tried “trickle down” economics in the UK and it fucked the economy. Warner want to make profit, and don’t care about anything else.
There IS money in mtb, but it ends up with very very few (non-athletes). And the deal with Discovery has strengthened that trend even more. Shareholders benefit from the performance of athletes. This is the sour truth. The athletes are screwed and the few exploit their passion for MTB.
What are the general income ranges here we’re talking, I saw Aaron Gwinn’s house and he looks like he is living well. I don’t see that as “no money”.
The friendliness and stoke amongst the riders makes this sport special. I hated the way Ric kept referring to the "tension" between Finn and Loic during Saturday's race. I think it's part of Discovery's game plan to fan the flames of any situation where they think they can create (or fabricate) drama. It fits in with the model for their "reality" shows where there's so much fabricated bullshit.
Look at how many racers were happy for Benoit to win the last race, that’s why downhill racing is the best sport on the planet. People are genuinely happy for others to do well even if it means they aren’t winning a race.
Racing bar to bar VS against the time also contributes to heat up rivalries. I'm sure also XC riders sometimes hate each other