One thing people seem to have not grasped fully is that the EWS have essential "dumbed down" the sharp end of the race series to facilitate...
One thing people seem to have not grasped fully is that the EWS have essential "dumbed down" the sharp end of the race series to facilitate TV production.
The Pro-stage is all about TV, a stage that most often finishes near the paddock or a town, short enough to have multiple cameras placed on it and practiced once raced twice. So essential the pro stage idea was added to the racing to make TV. Like WRC has it's Power stage. Video the pro stage on Saturday, make a small live or Re-live show and then tell the story of the Sunday morning racing via social media. After that the races race the Pro-Stage again to finish the racing day and this like World Cup DH could be televised.
Obviously, course holds, schedule changes are just as likely for EWS as WCDH, but maybe harder to manage for EWS?
The possibility to televise and tell the EWS story is there and maybe this is why ESO want DH and EWS at the same venues? So they can use the DH/XCO TV equipment to televise EWS? As they know the viewing figures will not be there for EWS on it's own?
Sadly the addition of this Pro Stage ideas as really diluted what was once a physical and technically hard discipline. Now it's more of a riding not physical challenge. With 3 days to do a total of only ~2,500-3,000m of climbing and one stage you race twice, so the hours on the bike, the number of stages to learn etc... is greatly reduced compared to 2014-2018 seasons.
The racing is still great, but the visuals are poor compared to WCDH speeds and sadly for EWS it's always gonna be compared to DH.
What actually happens to EWS coverage and participation at the elite level now that ESO own DH, XCO and EWS is going to be interesting to see,
Also seems to be a lot less climbing and more use of shuttles/lifts for liaison stages in recent years? I think back to the crazy Whistler Crankzilla EWS years ago. That was excessive, but as a fan it was cool to see the top athletes put in crazy race runs while fatigued, like TOTW down through RDS at race pace is just crazy let alone having to pedal 2500m+.
One thing people seem to have not grasped fully is that the EWS have essential "dumbed down" the sharp end of the race series to facilitate...
One thing people seem to have not grasped fully is that the EWS have essential "dumbed down" the sharp end of the race series to facilitate TV production.
The Pro-stage is all about TV, a stage that most often finishes near the paddock or a town, short enough to have multiple cameras placed on it and practiced once raced twice. So essential the pro stage idea was added to the racing to make TV. Like WRC has it's Power stage. Video the pro stage on Saturday, make a small live or Re-live show and then tell the story of the Sunday morning racing via social media. After that the races race the Pro-Stage again to finish the racing day and this like World Cup DH could be televised.
Obviously, course holds, schedule changes are just as likely for EWS as WCDH, but maybe harder to manage for EWS?
The possibility to televise and tell the EWS story is there and maybe this is why ESO want DH and EWS at the same venues? So they can use the DH/XCO TV equipment to televise EWS? As they know the viewing figures will not be there for EWS on it's own?
Sadly the addition of this Pro Stage ideas as really diluted what was once a physical and technically hard discipline. Now it's more of a riding not physical challenge. With 3 days to do a total of only ~2,500-3,000m of climbing and one stage you race twice, so the hours on the bike, the number of stages to learn etc... is greatly reduced compared to 2014-2018 seasons.
The racing is still great, but the visuals are poor compared to WCDH speeds and sadly for EWS it's always gonna be compared to DH.
What actually happens to EWS coverage and participation at the elite level now that ESO own DH, XCO and EWS is going to be interesting to see,
Also seems to be a lot less climbing and more use of shuttles/lifts for liaison stages in recent years? I think back to the crazy Whistler...
Also seems to be a lot less climbing and more use of shuttles/lifts for liaison stages in recent years? I think back to the crazy Whistler Crankzilla EWS years ago. That was excessive, but as a fan it was cool to see the top athletes put in crazy race runs while fatigued, like TOTW down through RDS at race pace is just crazy let alone having to pedal 2500m+.
I also remember back in the day, in France, enduro races were much longer and often on 2 days. There were very little shuttling and no practice. Like the tribe 10000 (for 10000m of vertical drop).
I guess it doesn't suit the media coverage and the way enduro is going nowadays.
Really miss your post race slide shows with interviews from Sven, Borris ect. Felt like that was some of the best insight into racing we had...
Really miss your post race slide shows with interviews from Sven, Borris ect. Felt like that was some of the best insight into racing we had.
Wish they went with a freeski world tour type of event/filming. Run the race and film it all Saturday, release to public Sunday with a well edited race video to watch with commentary.
THIS!
Sorry for the slight off-topic, but I miss those so much too!
I will agree with others - I miss Sven, Boris, etc getting the interviews. That's the thing that kept me coming back. Loved those, and loved the color. Could just be a podcast honestly and skip all the photos (though I love the photos)...
I will agree with others - I miss Sven, Boris, etc getting the interviews. That's the thing that kept me coming back. Loved those, and loved...
I will agree with others - I miss Sven, Boris, etc getting the interviews. That's the thing that kept me coming back. Loved those, and loved the color. Could just be a podcast honestly and skip all the photos (though I love the photos)...
Oh well, something done and dusted I suppose...
They're still doing photos and some interviews for some races, on misspentsummers.com.
Bit of bike setup talk in here: https://youtu.be/WwW8tQqTsRs
It isn't my best work but I will get the hang of it for this format.
Shakedown day could be a chance for me to get some of the extra content that you guys would like.
The interviews on race day would be sweet but I don't want to impose on the guys if they aren't comfortable having that kind of stuff published. I feel like them talking to me is a bit more personal than talking to the media guys. And honestly, Jack gets some really good footage of that stuff. His race day videos are pretty dang good...
Bit of bike setup talk in here: https://youtu.be/WwW8tQqTsRs
It isn't my best work but I will get the hang of it for this format.
Shakedown day...
Bit of bike setup talk in here: https://youtu.be/WwW8tQqTsRs
It isn't my best work but I will get the hang of it for this format.
Shakedown day could be a chance for me to get some of the extra content that you guys would like.
The interviews on race day would be sweet but I don't want to impose on the guys if they aren't comfortable having that kind of stuff published. I feel like them talking to me is a bit more personal than talking to the media guys. And honestly, Jack gets some really good footage of that stuff. His race day videos are pretty dang good...
Bit of bike setup talk in here: https://youtu.be/WwW8tQqTsRs
It isn't my best work but I will get the hang of it for this format.
Shakedown day...
Bit of bike setup talk in here: https://youtu.be/WwW8tQqTsRs
It isn't my best work but I will get the hang of it for this format.
Shakedown day could be a chance for me to get some of the extra content that you guys would like.
The interviews on race day would be sweet but I don't want to impose on the guys if they aren't comfortable having that kind of stuff published. I feel like them talking to me is a bit more personal than talking to the media guys. And honestly, Jack gets some really good footage of that stuff. His race day videos are pretty dang good...
You sir are doing the lords work.
Absolutely fantastic coverage, more than any viewer could ask for. Seriously, I love this more "intimate" style of coverage with all its little details about the venue and the track and the insights into your and your teams' journey at the races.
You and Jack Moir have basically made the EWS interesting for me again. And while we're at it, big shoutout to Jank Files as well. Love that show! Please keep it going
@sspomer Why are we not getting the Sven, and Boris slideshows and interviews here in the EWS and even the DH coverage. Seems like the ever scrolling photos page seems to be lacking as well. Is there a reason for that? I know they are both out there covering races. Are they putting Vital on the back burner? Dan Hearn is now shooting for EWS exclusively I believe, and he is missed too.
As a fan of DH and EWS I love photos, and video, but I also love the story of racers, teams, photographers/videographers, venue, and even the fans. I want to see more of those things. Show me the tricky sections that everyone is puzzling over, did a privateer do something that we haven't seen before, show me the sections that we are not going to see in the Red Bull coverage of a DH race like the sections after the restaurant drop at Mont-Sainte-Anne where the race is lost or won. The multiple rock gardens of Mont-Sainte-Anne and make me understand how anyone can get through them at race speed. That is what I want.
EWS has potential for sure. It feels like racing we all could do at much slower speeds. I can pretend to do an EWS stage at my local trail that lasts for 10 seconds versus 5-10 minutes at the EWS venues. If I were the EWS, focus on the personalities that are in the sport. That is what will sell it.
@don - this has been covered before in the forum, but short answer - very little interest (views) in that type of content. ews shows went away two or three year ago now i think? i know you hardcore fans loved the slideshow format, but there aren't a lot of you diehards willing to work so hard to look at the content these days (instagram attention spans are hard to overcome?) not everything we do here is about view counts (if it was, we'd just post press releases about new bike racks or tubeless valves), but the slideshows were just too much cost and work for the return anymore. sven and boris are doing rad stuff with misspent summers still if you want to see their photos.
I guess it doesn't suit the media coverage and the way enduro is going nowadays.
Sorry for the slight off-topic, but I miss those so much too!
Oh well, something done and dusted I suppose...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiZWI-6XZS0
It isn't my best work but I will get the hang of it for this format.
Shakedown day could be a chance for me to get some of the extra content that you guys would like.
The interviews on race day would be sweet but I don't want to impose on the guys if they aren't comfortable having that kind of stuff published. I feel like them talking to me is a bit more personal than talking to the media guys. And honestly, Jack gets some really good footage of that stuff. His race day videos are pretty dang good...
Saw it yesterday and thought back to this thread
Absolutely fantastic coverage, more than any viewer could ask for. Seriously, I love this more "intimate" style of coverage with all its little details about the venue and the track and the insights into your and your teams' journey at the races.
You and Jack Moir have basically made the EWS interesting for me again. And while we're at it, big shoutout to Jank Files as well. Love that show! Please keep it going
As a fan of DH and EWS I love photos, and video, but I also love the story of racers, teams, photographers/videographers, venue, and even the fans. I want to see more of those things. Show me the tricky sections that everyone is puzzling over, did a privateer do something that we haven't seen before, show me the sections that we are not going to see in the Red Bull coverage of a DH race like the sections after the restaurant drop at Mont-Sainte-Anne where the race is lost or won. The multiple rock gardens of Mont-Sainte-Anne and make me understand how anyone can get through them at race speed. That is what I want.
EWS has potential for sure. It feels like racing we all could do at much slower speeds. I can pretend to do an EWS stage at my local trail that lasts for 10 seconds versus 5-10 minutes at the EWS venues. If I were the EWS, focus on the personalities that are in the sport. That is what will sell it.
All the best,
Don "BostonDon" DeMoss
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