New and Experienced Promoters Meeting

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Date:  Saturday, February 6, 2016
Time:  6- 8 PM
Location: Portland Bicycle Studio

Items to be discussed:

– Developing a procedure and/or committee for resolving date conflicts.
– Benefit of having one or two people manage the calendar being first point of contact for race permits and racer questions.
– Best practices for creating a sustainable financial race budget.
– Differences between races and events.
– Elite Junior Field for Cyclocross races.
– Changing the cross categories for women to either the same as the men’s or at minimum changing the 45+  to  50+
-Moving 60+ to another time slot and perhaps dropping unicycles.

OBRA Rules Meeting 1/16/16

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Thank you to Chris King and Sierra Nevada
for hosting our Annual Awards Party

CK_bearing_onlysierra_nevada

Rules Meeting

The meeting was brought to order at 1 PM on 1/16/2016 at Chris King.

Executive Director Kenji Sugahara and Marketing and Junior Development Manager Joel Fletcher gave a brief overview of the status of OBRA and anticipated trends in the marketplace.  Other topics included discussions with USA Cycling about reciprocity and other issues.

A straw vote was taken on whether the representatives would be amenable to spending OBRA funds to help cover drug testing costs.  The representatives overwhelmingly supported the concept.

Seth May’s proposal on safety (3.6) was not passed.

Brian List proposed the following rule change instead:

3.6 Safety

A race official may remove or disqualify a rider if the rider or the rider’s equipment appears to present a danger to the rider or to others before, during, or after an event.

Brian List made a motion to approve the rule change.  Brad Ross seconded.  The motion was then passed.

The representatives then discussed Mike Murray’s proposal on Masters Women Racing under section 6.6.2- see below. Brian List made a motion to approve.  Brad Ross seconded the motion.  The motion failed on the vote.

The representatives then discussed the proposed cross categories under section 6.4.  (see below).  Kevin Blair made a motion to approve the rule change.  Brad Ross seconded.  The motion passed.

John Wilson then discussed some of the rule changes proposed for junior racing in OBRA.

The representatives then discussed the proposal to modify 6.5.2.  See below.  The representatives modified the proposal to the following language:

JUNIORS may be any age range between a racing age of 9 and a racing age of 18.  Youth is defined as riders under the racing age of 9.

JUNIORS with a racing age of 9 may only race in Cyclocross events and may only be permitted to rider in Junior categories per rule 6.6.4.

Kevin Blair made a motion to approve.  Meg Mautner seconded the motion.  The motion passed.

Steven Beardsley then made the following proposal to prohibit junior racers from racing in Category 1 Cyclocross races.

Junior riders may not race in Category 1 cyclocross races longer than 50 minutes except when a junior field is not provided.

Brad Ross made the motion, Brian Abers seconded.  The motion did not pass.

Board Members

Rule Proposals

Congratulations to Glen Gann on his re-election to the board.  Congratulations to Steven Beardsley on his election to the board.

Proposed by Seth May- add section

3.6 Safety

3.6.1 Prior to race start

Any rider whose equipment is unsafe shall not start an event unless the equipment is made safe and demonstrated to be safe to a race official.

Riders who pose an inordinate danger to themselves or others shall not start an event.

3.6.2 During racing

In the case of incidents during a race, the race official may remove a rider from the event if:

· They perceive the rider unfit to continue; or

· They perceive the rider to be an inordinate danger to themselves or other riders; or

· They perceive rider’s equipment is no longer safe

The race official will remove a rider if the rider’s helmet has visible cracking or the rider has obvious symptoms of a head injury.

Seth May: Based on the training (on head injuries), it seems clear and appropriate that officials should pull riders suspected of having a concussion even if the rider does not want to be pulled.

Judgments of this nature must often be made by Assistant Referees since, in most cases, it will be impossibly to consult with the CR prior to making the call. It is also an irreversible call (removal from competition), since the rider cannot appeal the decision prior to it being enforced. Although this is not a penalty and is really a rider safety issue, it will feel like a penalty a racer who disagree with being pulled.

From reviewing the rules, I’m not sure that pulling riders for theirs and others safety (as opposed to a rule violation) is well supported.

Proposed by Mike Murray:

6.6.2 Women

Women may enter any race for which they are eligible by age, category, and any performance requirements and may enter categorized races for men that are up to one category lower than their women’s category, or in the case of category 1 women, up to two categories lower.

Delete below

Category 1/2 master women can race with master men up to 10 years older and Category 3/4 master women can race with master men up to 20 years older.

Mike Murray: The edited portion of this rule, to my knowledge, has never been used. It is overly complicated and doesn’t really open up more racing for women especially given the provisions of the non-edited portion of the rule.

Proposed by John Wilson, Candi Murray and Kenji Sugahara:

Change 6.4 to:

6.4 Cyclocross Categories (move from alphabetical to numerical standard))

Category 1 (Existing A riders)
Category 2 (Existing B riders)
Category 3 (Existing C riders)
Category 4 (Existing Beginner riders)
Category 5 (New Beginners starting 2016)

Kenji Sugahara: To help make it easier to race between OBRA and other organizations.

Proposed by John Wilson, Candi Murray and Kenji Sugahara:

Change 6.5.2 to allow racers as young as 9.

Current:

6.5.2 Age graded races Age graded races are defined at the discretion of the race organizer subject to the following:

MASTERS may be any age range 30 or older. If no age range is stated on the Entry Form/Race Announcement the default age will be 40 and older.

JUNIORS may be any age range between 10 and 18 Youth is defined as riders under the age of 10.

6.6.4 Juniors Juniors with an actual age of 11 and under are not permitted to be racing on a cyclocross course at the same time and on the same course as adults.

Youth riders may enter only youth races and may not be mixed with other categories. Youth races can only be held on closed courses.

Fields which define a range with an upper and lower limit may only include racers that fall within that range. For example a 46 year old may not race with the 35-44 year-olds group. If a race has a 35+ and a 45+ field, then a 46 year old is allowed to race in either group (or
both groups if the groups race at different times)

To:

6.5.2 Age graded races

· Age graded races are defined at the discretion of the race organizer subject to the following:

· MASTERS may be any age range 30 or older. If no age range is stated on the Entry Form/Race Announcement the default age will be 40
and older.

· JUNIORS may be any age range between an actual age of 9 and a racing age of 18.

· JUNIORS with an actual age of 9 may only race in Cyclocross events and may only be permitted to ride in Junior only categories per rule 6.6.4.

· Youth is defined as riders under the actual age of 9. Youth riders may enter only youth races and may not be mixed with other categories. Youth races can only be held on closed courses.

Fields which define a range with an upper and lower limit may only include racers that fall within that range. For example a 46 year old may not race with the 35-44 year-olds group. If a race has a 35+ and a 45+ field, then a 46 year old is allowed to race in either group (or both groups if the groups race at different times)

John Wilson: To expand the junior age bracket to get more kids involved.