Gravity Check
2021 here we come. Surely the news can only get better after the stomach-turning dumpster fire of 2020. Calendars are filling up fast for events across the divided states with every man and his dog looking to attract competitors to the “return of racing”. So, what might that look like? And what might happen in the Aussie MTB Scene in 2021? Here’s my top 4 things I wish would happen in 2021.
#4 THINGS GET BETTER WITH AUSCYCLING
Let’s hope that the new overlords from AusCycling help the sport in Australia grow to what we all know it could and should be. Mountain Bike Australia (MTBA) had a mixed innings governing our beloved sport. I’ve seen the good and the bad from MTBA. Often when listening to stories from others about MTBA, they have listed their licence number as proof they are speaking from experience. With a chronological number effectively time stamping your arrival into the racing side of the sport, the stories almost always begin with, "I’m number 2000+, so I’ve been around the sport a while and I know…" The highest number I’ve heard is 160,000. The lowest number I’ve heard is 1200, meaning only 1199 had signed up prior to that guy. Anything below 1000 and still active must be rare, but what about sub 250? They must have seen some things? Well its not often I admit this, but I’m in that group, and I’ve seen some things…
#3 SUB COMMITTEES GET BANNED
As cycling booms across the nation local cycling clubs are being asked to carry way more load than previously. The rise of bike parks is seen by local governments as an economic development, not a social service. More visitors mean more money. Not so long ago clubs were formed to help coordinate individuals who had the time and motivation to get their hands dirty and make something for their local community, not the tourist trade. Without fully opening a big ol’ can of worms, anyone who sits on a committee, or sub-committee should be carrying out the majority of the work, not the least. Sub-committees are by design used to tell people what to do. Unless your sub-committee is meeting with brush-cutters, shovels and chainsaws, it’s probably not needed.
#2 SOMEONE BUYS A CHAIRLIFT
Surely with all the government spending on trails and trail related infrastructure by now we would have a dedicated chair lift for bikes somewhere in Australia. Years ago Whistler started making more money in summer than in winter, so you don’t have to go far for a case study on the practicalities of making it happen. The staggering amount of money that has been spent so far in Australia on trails, surely, we could spend 5% of that and get a chair lift? During the Boxing Day test in Melbourne there were ads across the board for mountain biking in Tassie! Imagine the cost of running an ad during day 1 of the Boxing Day test. That alone could buy half a dozen seats and a few poles!
#1 WE CAN PIN A NUMBER ON
We get to go racing again in Australia! Fair enough races have had to be postponed or cancelled, but it’s 2021 now and after watching every other sport in Australia come up with a safe way to carry on, surely mountain biking can get back underway with some form of national racing. Let’s be honest, it was sketchy at best racing nationally before Covid struck, with a national racing series that was crumbling to pieces. But hey, it’s time for optimism! 2021 is the time to remove the stone of shame and attach the stone of triumph!