Woodbine entrance 2
Woodbine entrance 1
Taylor Kidd
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Road Biking's Image Problem
Over the last few weeks since the beginning of Lance Gate as some call it. We have seen lots of mudslinging and he did and they said commentary. Books have and will be written as people try to convince themselves and others that what they did and are doing is right. And riders will hope that this great Performance Enhancing Drug scandal of 2012 will make the public image of road cycling better.
Yet the problem of how Joe Public views road cycling is much greater then that. At least half of that is how road cycling is shown to North America by the media here. When it comes to endurance sport other then the Olympics only other time we see road cycling is the Tour. So all people see is a small number of high performance cyclist's doing something that seems so abnormal to them. You never see a 2 hour December NBC sports show covering a Grandfondo. So all these doping incidents further their view that road cycling/racing is just a gathering of drug taking freaks.
Now if you look at the Ironman which thanks to NBC has a whole different perception. Unlike the 80's you see less pro level racing and more everyman. Then they show all the regular people who are doing it... the Hoyts, Sarah Renertson, Rudy, Lisa Bentley racing the world's best with MS, Marc Herreman's, and the list is endless. And of course the Denizens of The Dark those who no matter what just won't quit to get to the pier by midnight.
And despite Nina Kraft, Kelli Guest, and Mike Vine to name a few getting caught doping. People see that there is more to it the sport then the doping. It becomes little more then a speed bump in people's perception. Now imagine the change of perception if a 2 hour broadcast of a Grandfondo was like that. Not only pro's but you see guy's like Phil Chew doing it and other everyman. Show Chansen pulling his son around the course . Gaurantee you that public perception will change because they see that there is more then just the tour and the Olympics.
Until we see a broadcasting shift in a different direction the perception of Joe Public will not improve.
Yet the problem of how Joe Public views road cycling is much greater then that. At least half of that is how road cycling is shown to North America by the media here. When it comes to endurance sport other then the Olympics only other time we see road cycling is the Tour. So all people see is a small number of high performance cyclist's doing something that seems so abnormal to them. You never see a 2 hour December NBC sports show covering a Grandfondo. So all these doping incidents further their view that road cycling/racing is just a gathering of drug taking freaks.
Now if you look at the Ironman which thanks to NBC has a whole different perception. Unlike the 80's you see less pro level racing and more everyman. Then they show all the regular people who are doing it... the Hoyts, Sarah Renertson, Rudy, Lisa Bentley racing the world's best with MS, Marc Herreman's, and the list is endless. And of course the Denizens of The Dark those who no matter what just won't quit to get to the pier by midnight.
And despite Nina Kraft, Kelli Guest, and Mike Vine to name a few getting caught doping. People see that there is more to it the sport then the doping. It becomes little more then a speed bump in people's perception. Now imagine the change of perception if a 2 hour broadcast of a Grandfondo was like that. Not only pro's but you see guy's like Phil Chew doing it and other everyman. Show Chansen pulling his son around the course . Gaurantee you that public perception will change because they see that there is more then just the tour and the Olympics.
Until we see a broadcasting shift in a different direction the perception of Joe Public will not improve.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Thanksgiving vulture of Hydro
Set out to the Hydro line to explore a bit. I do admit a bit of boredom was part of it as well as a desire to see if there was trail potential. I say this as I think that Kingston needs more trails. Just not in Collins Bay system as I think to many people are in there. And That leads to conflicts which isn't fun.
To bad this wasn't BC mountains where one could drink it.
And mud season begins.
Should be interesting to see how much this rises in the next little while.
Doesn't look it but it's now a swamp again further down.
Hmm.. wonder what this connects to? End result nothing.
Someone abandoned their beehives.
Found over grown Quad track. Which will become a trail.
Future part of the trail.
On the way out waved to the man in the tractor.
Got the cell call from home that dinner was nearly ready. Shortcut across the field.
Turkey Vulture must have heard my fuel reserves fading.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Expansionism
On Saturday headed out to the Hydroline with the mission of looking into a new developmemt in the last 3 weeks. That being the sudden appearance of fencing on a ATV track. Which according to the sign has been done by the golf course.
Yet according to this handy nifty electronic voodoo device shows that the golf course is at least 500m or more away. So what is going on?
Looks like ATV track almost.
With blue trail markers nailed to the trees.
More fencing and it appears some have been poaching.
I hope this isn't a case of the golf course expanding under the radar. As from a brief google there was not much found. Part of me is suspect as it would be incredibly easy in this case to try to push the property line past where it actually is.
Further down the line the Turkey Vultures where out. Appropriate considering my mood.
The hydroline ATV track in fact does connect to Creekford as I suspected.
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