Yeah, bikes have definitely become much more capable. Today’s XC bikes can easily keep up with trail bikes of yore. Rear suspension technology is leagues ahead and even fullys can be superlight (provided you can afford those).
Nevertheless, it does shift the skill requirements somewhat to the technical side. I hope they don’t push this too much farther, though.
Nowadays there are bikes on every point in the spectrum that ranges from road bikes to downhill mountain bikes bikes. Niner brought a full-suspension dropbar gravel bike to market, for example, Open’s WIDE is quite close to a fully rigid mountain bike (although you could probably fit a Lauf fork).
Why? Short of full-face helmets, tech makes it fun.
That’s easy: I can no longer picture myself getting around these courses. And that is where I draw a lot of enjoyment from in XC racing. Previously, I could have pictured myself doing these XC courses — obviously, I would be nowhere near as fast as the pros. Now no way. Ditto with e. g. road racing and hill climbing, those are activities I 100 % can and did do, which adds to the enjoyment.
Do I enjoy watching enduro racing? Yes, but from the very beginning this is something I wouldn’t want to do. I’m too risk averse. XC racing now is crossing the rubicon for me, it started out as an activity I could and would want to do, and now has become one I can’t do.
Does that make sense to you? (I know, humans are weird.)
I see your point and agree risk is a very personal standard. Although the World Cup XC courses are getting more intense, there will still be plenty of XC races available that are not trying to pass themselves off as Enduro so don’t give up on XC racing yet!
You can always upgrade your MTB skills with coaching either in person or on-line (eg Ryan Leech or @LeeMcCormack’s Online Schooll . Better skills increase your enjoyment of MTBing even if you never huck to flat off a boulder. The variety of trails means there is always a new challenge so the more confidence you gain through improved skills will carry over into more overall riding enjoyment.
I agree with you, and at the end of the day I am sure I will enjoy these races. I am even thinking of getting tickets for the event in 2020 (I live in Japan). Plus, all of this made XC bikes so much more capable that we actually all benefit from this. If the courses had remained relatively tame, I reckon we wouldn’t have seen the cambrian explosion of rear suspension designs as many riders would have stuck with hard tails.
There used to be a clear case to be made for hard tails, and nowadays the default advice is to go full suspension, unless you can’t afford it.
Sweet. That sounds like a day well spent. Happy riding.
I am doing it wrong. This looks nothing like the biking I do. 
Full course preview. Great looking track.
Thanks for the link.
Definitely not a road race on dirt.
Looks like it would be a fun trail ride, but there is no way I’d want to race on that. For the same reason I can’t bring myself to do enduro events. Even if I had the skills to be competitive (which I don’t), I just tend to take chances in races and I can get sloppy at times when racing at the limit. The consequences on some of those sections just seem too high. It will be fun for the spectators for sure.
Has anyone seen any FULL results for this event anywhere, i.e. ones that contain lap times rather than just finish times? Thanks!
In my opinion, I think they went too far with the course. This is no longer XC racing, and there will likely be some nasty injuries when they are all racing together elbow to elbow…
I think the features that keep getting shown over and over make it look harder than it is. Almost every video I’ve seen has included that drop, the rock garden, and that fast rhythm section. But these three features are only like 1 minute of a 10+ minute lap. The few bits of the rest of the course that I’ve seen looked much more typical. And almost all of the testimonials that I’ve read have been good reviews and they seem excited to ride it. I think it’s good that it is more challenging. It’s the best riders in the world at the pinnacle event. They should be pushed. I don’t want it to be just a cyclocross race on MTBs.
The features here are at least more crafted and controlled than the natural randomness that much of MSA has. I think massive boulders are making headlines but when it’s done it will be no more damaging to riders or bikes than MSA.