Podcast: Johan and Ritz on GSX and BMX SX in General Options

[MikeCarruth]

(IMG:http://www.bmxnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/johan_ritz.jpg)

Just posted a comprehensive Podcast with Johan Lindstrom and Tom Ritzenthaler of GSX Events and Elite Trax.

Lots of great ground covered in the show, including:

- The darkest days of the NBL collapse
- The New GSX Partner: Stratesphere, Inc.
- The GSX "vision" for BMX Supercross, long-term
- Does BMX Supercross help, hurt or have no effect on Classic BMX Racing?
- Will we see dramatic increases in prize purses
- On Gerrit Does and GSX Critics

...and plenty more

Listen Now on BMXnews.com

Come on back for the discussion, once you're done.


Enjoy!

M

[g-mo]

Did Ritz dare the riders to strike.....Interesting.

[bmxchick69]

Oh my!

[g-mo]

I like the idea of protecting the top riders from elimination.

[MikeCarruth]

Here are three "Deleted Scenes" from the Podcast. I couldn't fit them in to the main show for time purposes, but thought they might be of interest:

Talking about the rumored Supercross riders committee that had first formed at the 2011 UCI Worlds in Copenhagen.

Listen to Deleted Scene One Now



Talking about the possibility of inviting Dirt Jumpers to race with present-day SX stars in a one-off event. We also discuss the pair's position on clips vs. flat pedals in modern BMX Racing

Listen to Deleted Scene Two Now


Ritz addresses a question on how he handles criticism of his trackbuilding work. Johan chimes in to talk about the resistance and criticism they met when introducing features that are now commonplace, such as the large start ramp.

Listen to Deleted Scene Three Now


Enjoy!


M

[reedhamilton]

Great stuff Mike.

The comment about 14 and 15 year old Dutch riders now mastering the Papendal track in 30 minutes really surprised me.

Next years Papendal World Cup should be even better than this years - can't wait.

[s4lnj]

i hate when they compare themselves to ama supercross and say that ams can't ride those tracks or even outdoors.

at budds creeek, ams ride the same track as the pros, anyone that has watched the ama supercross finals in vegas knows that they run the ktm peewee 50cc race during intermission

[mister2dt]

Bug difference in running the 50's and running c or b class on sx tracks. Thy do it in Daytona, but they mellow the track out after the pro race to make it safe for am's.

They did away with am sx for that very reason. Too many am riders getting serious injuries on full blown sx tracks. I used to race them, thy are not for am's period. I completely agree with the comparison.

[Brett Middaugh]

No offense to these fellers but I just don't see this helping out grassroots BMX at all and without that, you have nothing.

[mister2dt]

I can see where they are going with it. Trying to brand the Pro racers and give them identity to the general public, star power as they said. Similar to the rise in soccer in the 90's to present. Soccer used to be the sport for "pansies" that didnt want to get hit hard on the football field or sucked at baseball and basketball. But, by branding u.s. soccer players as stars and marketing them as such, soccer caught on and now its a super sport for youth.

It can work, if given the right tools to build a brand with. Mike Day action figures, its a start. Could only get bigger or it could bust. Depends on how we, the grassroots, support it.