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Ski Utah – Utah Premier is proposing a Bylaw Amendment to reduce the current number of men’s masters fields in the UCA from 4 to 3. We propose having A, B and 55+ fields. We propose the make up of the fields to be:

 

Masters A – 40+ cat 1, 2 & 3

Masters B – 35+ Cats 4 & 5

Masters 55+ Cats 1, 2, 3 & 4

 

Our objective is to have 3 good sized fields which offer competitive racing. Currently the 35+ A field has a very poor turn out and is most frequently combined with the 45+ field creating the “race together score separately” scenario.

 

We looked at numerous other options for dividing the masters and all require some type of compromise and all will upset someone – we settled on this option as it seemed to be the one which would impact the fewest while achieving the desired results.

 

Most would prefer to have maximum 10 yr increments between fields (a/b 30+, 40+, 50+ & 60+) as they do in California but we simply don’t have the numbers to support that. A 20 yr gap from 35 to 55 seems too large. A 15 yr gap from 40 – 55 while larger than many would prefer seems to be a doable compromise.

 

Raising the B field to 40+ is an option, but that would just push a large number of riders into the already large cat 4 & 5 fields so we suggest leaving it alone. Riders who upgrade to cat 3 who are 35-39 would have to race category.

 

Lowering the 55+ to 50+ is also an option, but the 55+ field seems to be rapidly growing and the age related physiologic changes seem to increase at a higher rate beyond 55 so we also suggest leaving this field alone.

 

Eliminating the 35+A & 45+ fields and creating a 40+A field is a compromise that would force a few back into racing their licensed categories, but as these are the youngest of our masters they are also the most suited to racing in their categories.

 

I think it looks like a great way to go. The only real downside is the 35+ cat 1, 2 or 3 racers. However, we haven't had many of those who wanted to race Masters in the past and, as the proposal mentions, they are very well suited to race their category. I guess if 35-40 year old pros can race in the grand tours, we should be able to race categories at that age too...

 

Since there are no other replies so far thought I would throw one out...

One of the goals of the Masters B class is to upgrate the cat 4 riders to the "A" (cat 3) group. 

If the A class starts at age 40, what happens to the riders who are 35-39 years old when they earn their cat 3 upgrade? I know the answer of course, they would have to race category.

This goes against the intent of making the Masters A fields bigger. Comments from Masters B riders??

Jeff Clawson

I'm not sure how the change would increase participation in the Masters A category.  Doesn''t the proposal exclude riders? 

I raced Masters B the last two years and loved it.  It was a great group of guys.  A half dozen or so of us, including me, have upgraded or will upgrade to Cat 3 for 2012.  Most are above 40.  I am not however.  I'm 36.  While I recognize racing in Masters A would put me up against Cat 1's and 2's, it would also allow me to keep racing with the guys I've been racing against for last 2 years. 

The propsal kills the continuity of progessing through the Master's ranks.  For the next four years, I'm back to racing kids and others who are passing through the 3's to get to the 2's. 

Racing Masters is like I have arrived somewhere.  I can finally focus on racing other old dudes and gauge my progress accordingly.  But with the change, you're saying I'm Masters as a Cat 4 or 5, but now as a Cat 3, I am not.  The proposal changes the arrival date for many riders five more years in the future.

Ben Towery

If they're good enough to upgrade, they're good enough for their category especially if they're under 40.  I'd say the system worked and congrats!

Ben, I wish you some good training this winter. If you are making the right healthy choices at 36 years of age you will do fine racing with the Cat 3 kids. At 36 you are not an old dude, have fun racing, because in about 10 years you might start feeling like an old dude.

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Andrew Lock

I have gray in my beard and don't know much texting shorthand so I sure feel "old".  My performance isn't the concern however.  I'm sure I'll have a tougher time with the Cat 1 and 2 Masters A guys than the young 3's.  Its the fact that I've been racing with a group of guys, who have all raced and progressed together as "masters" for the last few years in Masters B.  If the age groups change, that progress ends as the older guys race in a 40 + category.  Its a nice natural progression from B to A. 

Glad to see some discussion on this topic.

Claw, from my perspective funneling Masters B riders to the A field was a secondary or even tertiary goal when we voted this field into existence. Providing an entry point for masters age racers (our fastest growing demographic) where they did not have to ride with "crazy kids" who hold less value for life and limb, and reducing the size of overloaded cat 4 & 5 fields are what I saw as the primary objectives.

While it would be nice if the B's scored points and quickly upgraded to the A's, filling out that field, it just hasn't happened. After 3 years of B's we should have seen the ranks of the A's swell but that hasn't been the case. At Bear Lake last year there weren't even enough 35A's to fill the podium let alone populate a peloton - the 2 who did race were 43 and 51. Sanpete managed to fill the podium with 3 35A's and High Uintas manged 6 racers. 

It seems most 35-39 yr old cat 3's prefer to race category based on historic turn out (the field sizes at Master Nats bear that out). Personally I would like to see the current system stay in place if we could get all the fields to fill up a bit more, but racing with less than 10-15 gets old pretty quickly, it's much more fun with big fields. 

Perhaps quicker upgrades out of the B's would work, it seems there was some sandbagging in there - 3 podiums and you're out. But again I suspect most would move to the 3's instead of the A's and face some of the  cat 1&2 Beasts that lurk there.

-Shane 

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"Pain is temporary, quitting lasts forever"

As a racer who went through the Masters B to the Cat 3/Masters 35A, I would like to express my support for the Bylaw Amendment.  

I'll support anything that will help grow the size of the Masters field.  Luckily the 35A races I did were well attended (Antelope, Chalk creek, and Harvest Moon) and were pretty fun.  When 35A fields were looking small I did the 3s instead.  

Now if there was only a way to slow down the speed of this new A field.  :-)

Alex 

 

 

This is the best news I have read/heard of masters racing in Utah since I moved here. Although there will be a handful who are caught out in the newly created groups, the common goal is growth and development with the demographics we have now. This will stir it up in the catergorized fields by injecting new/returning riders and hopefully have an impact on the race outcomes and should see some new dynamics in the newly created 40+ races. Racing in Quebec (Monsieur A/B)uses this format and it seems to work and offer a solid racing experience for all. See you on the start line.

I live back MN now and we have 35+ and 50+ than 60+ works great 60+ usually ride with 50+ ,Just a thought.

Mark Skarpohl