Anthony, I’m pretty sure that you have either posted or told me in person that Norba courses were becoming more tame as far as technicality goes.  I thought you even said that this was being done to increase speed.   I seem remember you saying that if you want a course to be technical ride it faster or something along those lines.  Correct me if I am putting words into your mouth, I may have you mixed up with someone else.    I have read something similar in some bike magazine.  It is been a while since I seen or heard anything on this, but I am pretty sure that I have heard and read this.

The log Rico mentions is just one example of this.  The funny thing about that log crossing Rico mentions is that in 06 the people putting on the race wanted it to be removed, I was told then that it was dangerous.   I was surprised that they did not remove it in 06.  The I pre-rode Duffield the Saturday of race weekend in 07 and surprise surprise the log crossing was gone.  Since I have been  racing/riding which started in 05 logs or other obstacles have been removed from Duffield  and other venues in the area almost every time a race is held.  Someone last year wanted the little rocks in the front of Waverly removed, and than recently the big bump on the Hogans reroute was removed because partly because of concern for the race.  

I understand that trails change, and that you can’t always please everybody.  Trails being changed and rerouted is part of MTBing. If this is going to happen it should be for the right reasons, not just for an event.  The removal of obstacles by the race director or people on their own for the sake of the race sucks, it should not be happening.  I brought it up in hopes that bringing the issue to the fore front well help prevent it from happening.  Every year people complain about it,  I decided to say something.   This is not the only place I will be bringing it up, I will talk to other trail leaders and the land managers as well.

See post above, accidental double post

I do think flow is important, I think we have plenty of trails that have great flow.  So I am not advocating changing that, I'm advocating that we do not have alot of technical trails and that the technical trails we do have should be kept technical.

When trees fall at Waverly I ask people and examine rather or not they are messing up the flow.  If it is in an already slow section of trail, they are left were they fell.  If is a fast section they are cut out.  I have even posted on kymba to get input.  If a tree fell on the autobond, it would be taken, or the imba down hill, for example.

I have done cross country racing, I know it is very challenging, I'm not trying to knock it in general or say that it is easy.  I will say that a course devoid of any technical challenge aside from how fast you can ride is boring.  With that being said I would not want to ride the duffield that you describe from 1996 either.  I like variety, and seems most others do to.