Hibernation
Time to go to ground. The season is over- at least the bike racing part of it. Having long ago decided to bail on cross nationals, Saturdays Ice Weasels race would be the final event for 2008. I even contemplated pulling the bike back out of the garage and racing- but with temperatures in the 20's that just wasn't going to happen. Instead I bundled up and took pictures and video while everyone else raced. Then we loaded up the truck with the course equipment and headed home. Sunday there was no alarm set and I slept in, then spent the day on the couch watching the live coverage of cross nationals provided by Cyclocross Magazine. I was rooting for Jon Page- but with a course custom tailored for Trebon, it was literally an uphill battle for everyone else. I missed not being there to see things in person, but then again, I was warm and comfy on the couch instead of standing in a grass field wearing 5 layers of clothing.
One thing about nationals I was glad to miss was yet more fistfights- both on the course and off. I don't know what's happening out there, but I have to say (again) that I'm really struggling with the direction that 'cross seems to be headed. For the first time in a long time I'm glad that I don't have to deal with bike racing and bike racers for a while. Earlier this year I emailed a long time friend and fellow old school cross racer about how the feelings I now get at cross races were the same feelings I used to get at punk shows back in the 80's. That the scene was dying from within- being co-opted by the very people we were fighting against.
The temptation of course is to simply pull the plug- to take my toys and go home. And in all honesty, it would be easy. When you work 14 hour days so that someone else can play for 40 minutes it doesn't take much to crack. Especially when your "customers" act like douchebags. There are plenty of other ways to make a living, almost all of which pay more for less work.
But the problem (or gift, depending on circumstance) of basing your profession on your passion, is that quitting isn't really an option unless that passion is truly dead. And while I'm unhappy with the direction we're headed, I'm not willing to climb out of the boat just yet. So it's probably good that the season is over now, while I'm cracked but not broken. I'll spend the next few months recharging and getting ready for next year. Then I'll start rowing again and see what I can do about changing our course.
In the mean time I'll leave you this:
posted by JD at
7:35 AM
4 Comments:
Ian might offer the same solution to aggro Cross racers which he once offered to a crowd of kids who were moshing way the hell too hard (probably because the big, dumb jocks had found out about punk shows):
"Why don't we bring back The Pogo?"
Pogoing is an excellent way to get bikes untangled.
Thanks again for supporting our silly little race.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Thanks for a thought-provoking post.
I really enjoy having you at the races -- so I hope the customers will be less douchey in 2009. :)
Don't let em get you down, JD. There's a couple of bad apples everywhere you go, but most people are cool even if they don't see eye to eye with you all the time.
The scene is always going to evolve, just like punk did and does. Two hecklers in KC not withstanding, there's probably still fewer d-bags on the 'cross scene than in most other things you could do.
See you in the spring,
Paul N
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