2012 Annual Report
WORS
WISCONSIN OFF ROAD SERIES
WORS have events averaged more than 8,000 entrants per year for the last 22 years. Photo by Jared Brodjeski.
America’s largest state mountain bike racing series
“Wisconsin sure knows how to put on a Mountain Bike race.” Georgia Gould, 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist
Established in 1992, WORS is one of the longest running and largest mountain bike racing series in the world. WORS has promoted and staged over 230 mountain bike races. Over the last 21 years, WORS races have averaged over six hundred entrants per event. Every year, WORS events attract more than 8000 entrants and an estimated 10,000 spectators from across the Upper Midwest. SERIES RACERS Over 800 WORS racers per year register for the Overall Series. Racers who register their annual Series number declare their intention to compete in six or more events during that year to earn their Overall score.
WORS COMMUNITY WORS is America’s most successful grassroots mountain biking organization because WORS events are oriented toward the recreational mountain bike racer. Through the years, WORS events have evolved from one-day races into weekend social events. Over sixty-five percent of WORS participants compete at WORS in Sport and Citizen categories. In recognition of our deep and abiding friendships through teams, families and local communities, WORS has declared 2013 the Year of Community. REGIONAL POWERHOUSE With twelve distinct venues throughout Wisconsin, the WORS Series draws participants from
Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa and other Midwestern states. Every year, proceeds from WORS events support the maintenance and expansion of numerous existing trail systems. WORS also supports trail building the oldfashioned way - with sweat equity. Most important, WORS actively supports successful programs to increase the participation of Juniors and Women. “YEAR OF THE JUNIOR” WORS declared 2012 "The Year of the Junior"and hosted nearly 2700 junior entrants - a 30% increase. A strong emphasis on Junior club formation and development are planned for the WORS 2013 Season through WORS Interscholastic Cycling.
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Regional and national WORS Participants
breadth and depth
Focus on Juniors One of our fastest-growing Categories at WORS is Juniors 17 and under. In 2012 alone, WORS hosted over 2600 competitors under 18. When Juniors race at WORS, parents and siblings are not far behind, building lasting relationships.
Red dots are WORS Participants ages 18 and over, while the blue dots overlayed onto the map are Juniors 17 and under. Juniors are a small but growing part of the WORS family.
WORS entrants travel across Wisconsin to races located throughout the state. Many come from outside Wisconsin. In fact, more than a quarter of WORS Series Racers call a state other than Wisconsin home.
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
A message from the director Don Edberg Dear Sponsors, Racers, and Fans, The twenty-first edition of WORS yielded many successes. Despite battling inclement weather at both ends of the schedule, the 2012 WORS Series enjoyed strong numbers, yet again. We welcomed increased entrants for 2012, even as compared to a strong 2011 season.
I am humbled by the endorsements and enthusiastic praise WORS continues to receive from racers, spectators, press, sponsors and the bicycle industry with regard to the quality of our events. The fun, competitive environment that we have been able to create is in a large part due to our local race directors and their organizing committees. Their “WORS is a great resourcefulness and group of people imagination have been that make racing paramount in the historical fun and exciting”. achievements of our series.
T.J.Woodruff, Pro Mountain Biker, Momentum Endurance Coaching, former WORS Junior competitor.
WORS designated 2012 as the “Year of the Junior” and saw excellent growth in the number of young riders participating, thereby advancing our mission to grow participation in mountain bike racing as a fun recreational activity to be enjoyed by as many people as
possible. At the other end of the spectrum, we saw our BelGioioso Elite racers enjoy unprecedented success on the national level. Their achievements continue to bring national recognition to our series, and to the outstanding companies and individuals that support us. The enthusiasm of our participants for recreation and fitness through WORS racing continues to inspire us. As such, our 2013 season will focus on “Community.” From the family and social experience to the benefits to the hosting communities of each race, we look forward to building on the great rider and spectator experience that comes with participation in WORS. After 21 years, our core goals remain unchanged: WORS strives to create fun, competitive mountain biking events for as many people as possible. We meet the challenge of continued leadership in mountain
“ Our 2013 season will focus on community. From the family and social experience, to the benefits for communities that host each race, we look forward to building on the great rider and spectator experience that comes with participation in WORS.” bike event organization with a new venture in 2013 - WORS Interscholastic Cycling, Inc. The mission of WORS Interscholastic Cycling is to facilitate the establishment of schoolbased mountain bike clubs in communities throughout the Upper Midwest. WORS will support this new non-profit organization with our current resources and expertise, and spearhead fund raising efforts to support its development and staffing. On a personal note, a friend and I have helped to establish a club at a local high school and are enjoying the tremendous satisfaction that comes from helping in the personal and athletic development of the student athlete we work with. I encourage others to follow suit. Our plans to host our fourth USA Cycling Pro XCT, the 2013 Subaru Cup - an international calendar event - are well underway. The Subaru Cup continues to gain momentum as one of the premiere mountain bike competitions in all of North America. With the generous support of our sponsorship partners, we have plans to make the Subaru Cup bigger and better than ever! Recognition and respect for our series and competitors continues to grow through the national press, social media, and word of mouth - making it possible for WORS to maximize our partnership with both new and existing sponsors. Our goal is to offer an event experience befitting the quality of our sponsorsʼ products - world class by every standard. I am extremely grateful to all those who have contributed to our success. As WORS continues into its third decade, I look forward to broadening our reach and making the relationships we have established through the years even stronger. Sincerely, Don Edberg Director, Wisconsin Off Road Series
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
“Mountain bike racing, especially WORS racing, is not just for the highly trained and talented. It is a great physical activity that can add to your health and quality of life. WORS is as much about fun, shared experiences and making new friends as it is about the racing. WORS is open to all and welcomes new female and male participants of all ages and athletic abilities.” From the WORS Mission Statement Photo by Jared Brodjeski
WORS by the numbers Focus on amateur excellence Sport and Citizen categories at WORS are designed for recreational enthusiasts and entry level cyclists. Our lasting commitment at WORS is to provide safe, fun, highly-organized competition for racers at every level. At WORS, our commitment to amateur racing is founded on our passion to share a great experience of mountain bike racing with as many people as
possible. This passion has helped WORS to become America’s largest, and one of the world’s most long-running mountain bike racing series. By never losing sight of the importance of high-quality amateur competition, WORS has created a unique opportunity for our sponsorship partners to reach beyond the more specialized demographic of other racing series and connect with individuals, families and communities of outdoor and active recreation enthusiasts.
2010 - 2012 WORS entrants by age group 2,337 5,276
1,962
2,256
7,184
12 & under 19-29 40-49
13-17 30-39 50+
6,282
2012 women
2012 men 784 634 We care about our numbers!
Sixty-five percent of WORS racers compete in our Citizen and Sport categories. Junior competitors at WORS are equal or greater in number than those who participate in youthspecific leagues elsewhere in the nation. Women’s participation is steadily increasing, especially among Junior competitors.
Photo by Jared Brodjeski
194 1,372
234 305
737
101 1,998
222 1,941
419
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Regional and national leadership As we enter our third decade, WORS is among the longestrunning mountain bike racing series in the world, and may be the largest series in history by participant numbers. In North America, WORS garners significant recognition among racers, media and race organizers. This increase in regional and national recognition for WORS has been a natural outgrowth of our affiliation with USA Cycling, which began in 2004.
Iowa 165
2010 - 2012 Illinois 3,645
WORS entrants by home state
Other 696
Wisconsin
WORS Director, Don Edberg now 19,798 serves on the mountain bike committee which advises the USA Cycling Board of Directors. This group is composed of race directors, industry representatives, team managers, olympic athletes and race officials and is charged with a mission to guide, service, and promote mountain biking as a competitive sport and recreational activity.
Minnesota 1,147 Michigan 331
improve the experience of all USA Cycling members. In addition, Edberg helped to develop the USA Cycling Pro XCT format, which has allowed an event like the Subaru Cup Pro XCT. Bringing his experiences with WORS to the task of national development, Edberg continues to advocate for a vision of outstanding mountain bike race events Don Edberg’s involvement at USA Cycling has that combine the highest level of competition with allowed him to contribute his experience and vision the participation and enthusiasm of amateurs at all for amateur racing at the national level, and work to ages and ability levels.
Cover star
Great photos of racers at the WORS Subaru Cup have been regularly highlighted by USA Cycling and national cycling media.
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Praise for the WORS Subaru Cup Pro XCT, presented by Trek
Judy Freeman captured her first Pro XCT win at the 2012 Subaru Cup, while Monique Pua Mata (#1, left) rode to her first Pro XCT Overall with a third place finish in Wisconsin.
The WORS Subaru Cup Pro XCT will return for it’s fourth year in 2013. The event in Wisconsin has become a favorite of racers and media:
“The Subaru Cup in Mt. Morris, Wis. looks to be one of the calendar’s most exciting race experiences. Part of the well-established Wisconsin Off Road Series (WORS), the Subaru Cup is traditionally crawling with thousands of enthusiastic fans.”
USA Cycling
“ The course was even more fun than I remembered, and I think I can safely say that the Mt. Morris course is my favorite race course!” “Wisconsin sure knows how to put on a Mountain Bike race.” Georgia Gould, Luna Pro Team and US Olympian “Great racing this weekend! Favorite race of the season, can’t wait to come back next year!” Max Plaxton, Specialized Racing USA “Keeping with the repeat theme, the WORS crew dished up an action packed
weekend yet again at the Mount Morris Subaru Cup.” Adam Craig, Robobank/Giant “Many of the riders compared the course to a World Cup course, both in length, and with the punchy climbs and vocal crowds.” Dave McElwaine, cyclingnews.com “It was the best crowd ever even with the hecklers," said Gould. "The whole course is World Cup caliber. There's plenty of passing, plenty of technical challenges, and plenty of fans. I think this might be my favorite course." Georgia Gould, Luna Pro Team, quoted by Dave McElwaine, cyclingnews.com “I like racing in Wisconsin. Thanks everyone for coming out and cheering this weekend. Best mtb race we do all year.” Ryan Trebon, LTS/Felt
More cowbell. The Subaru Cup is designed to give fans an incredible view of world class racing with easy access to EXPO area, Pro Team pits and multiple course features on every lap.
“Wisconsin and WORS put on a great event, I hope we go back next year. The course was fun and challenging, the spectators were awesome and the weather was good. I would say it's the coolest course on the PRO XCT circuit this year.” Todd Wells, Specialized Factory Racing “Awesome course and WORS does a fine job, it's exciting for everyone to
watch the big pros race and it is really great to have so many people out cheering for me. I really appreciate it so thanks.” Tristan Schouten, Pabst/Felt/Mafia “The Wisconsin MTB fans are awesome.” Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski, Subaru/Trek “All I can say was what an amazing weekend, thanks Don and the WORS crew for putting on such a smooth running, action packed event! With the super fun course and awesome fans I think this race really captures the spirit of MTB racing.” Chris Peariso, Adventure 212/Specialized
Camaraderie. Support for local racers at the Subaru Cup is on par with spectator enthusiasm for World Cup contenders, making the event a great experience for racers at every level.
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Come ride with us! WORS Women WORS Women is a social organization of women who race at WORS. Encouraged and supported by WORS, members encourage the participation and recognition of women and girls in mountain bike racing. We are especially enthused by a strong trend towards greater youth participation among girls under 12 at WORS! WORS actively seeks increased recognition for all of our women competitors, and especially for our BelGioioso Elite Series racers. Race reports submitted to regional and national media highlight the womenʼs race with equal coverage. WORS “The Wisconsin Off-Road awards equal payouts for Series is one of the most Elite men and women successful and the largest (based solely on participant mountain bike series in the numbers).
country. The spectators are dense, there’s energy, the fields are large (even the women’s), there are 12 races a year, and the entry fees are sub $30!” Chloe Forsman, Tokyo Joes.
WORS has a long and consistent history of supporting womenʼs racing. WORS organized a womenʼsonly Midwest Regional Race in 1993 - perhaps the worldʼs first? In 2012, WORS Women grew to over 320 members and subscribers. We hold an annual outreach event - the Lapham Peak Spring Fling. With the support of Trek Women, we organized a “Superfan” event during the Pro
WORS Women Building our sport
We encourage women of any age and ability level to come ride with us!
womenʼs event at the Subaru Cup, increasing spectator presence and recognition of female athletes throughout the Series. A future goal is to stage a womenʼs mass start event with the course clear for women only. The message is simple and clear - no matter what your age or ability level, WORS welcomes all women and girls to share in a great experience of mountain bike racing! WORS Women mission statement
We are a group of women who enjoy the sport of mountain biking in the upper midwest. Our goal is to encourage more women to share our sport. Some of us are racers, some of us just ride for fun and many of us are beginners just learning the sport. Come ride with us!
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
“Our son... grew up with WORS. He started racing at 5 in the kids races and 10 years later is racing Junior Open. We are at every race and are there for encouragement and support.” Steve and Amy Beach, of son Myles.
“WORS really gave me a place to develop a passion for the sport of mountain biking. Great people, excellent competition, and well run events all added to the appeal of mountain bike racing from the start for me back in '97. When it comes to bike racing, WORS feels like home to me.” T.J. Woodruff, Professional Mountain Bike Racer and coach, momentumendurance.com
WORS: fun for everyone! WORS Juniors & Families Races just for kids and juniors, easy access for families to on-site amenities, and a safe, fun environment make WORS events a favorite summer destination for many. For many juniors, the race weekend begins with the preride on Saturday afternoon. The course is open and marked after 12:00 PM, and the whole family can hit the trails at whatever pace they choose.
hand, if needed. Youth also participate in age-class racing at every ability level, from Citizen to Elite. For advanced Juniors, WORS offers the option to race during the Elite race for a shorter distance as a Junior Open competitor.
Great family values can be found at WORS venues, with an easy and economical dinner often served on-site. For beginners, WORS offers a Saturday afternoon “Learn Camping is a popular option, or the hotel pool might to Race” clinic that is popular with first time racers, young beckon. Sunday can begin with an on-site breakfast, or a smoothie from WORS Sponsor the Muddy Cup Cafe. and old alike. WORS strongly supports junior racing by encouraging For our youngest WORS racers, the everyone-is-ayouth participation in well-organized, safe, fun winner Kidʼs Race is a great option where parent competition for riders of all ages. participation is allowed and encouraged. The Citizen Junior racers have a specially-designed course all to themselves as the first race of every WORS event. A dedicated sweep team follows the race to lend a helping
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
• Over 97% of racers surveyed plan to race again at WORS in the upcoming season. • Over 60% have participated at WORS for 3 or more consecutive years. • Over 20% have participated for more than 8 years. • More than 25% of Series racers have raced 8 or more events per year for 5 years. • More than 50% of WORS racers have a spouse or partner who also participates. • Nearly 30% of WORS racers surveyed in 2011 have children who have raced at WORS. • Nearly 6% of WORS racers have parents who race at WORS, while 25% say a parent has attended with them. • Over 16% have raced with siblings.
WORS Community lasting friendships
100 75
WORS is more than racing. Over the years, WORS has become a community of friends and families who gather together every-other weekend, all summer long. The great majority of WORS participants attend season after season, bringing their husbands and wives, children, parents and siblings to WORS events. At WORS races, we see old friends, and make new ones. % of current WORS participants reporting family-member participation
Attended Raced
Kid(s) Parent(s) Sibling(s) 15
30
45
50 25 0
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011
Above: % of current WORS participants who raced in past years
Junior (under 12)
Spouse or partner
0
Participated Raced the Series
60
Citizen 23%
First-timer Pro Right: Racing Cat 1 categories 9% reported by Comp WORS survey 13% respondents
Sport 52%
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
Return on investment Influencers and motivated buyers The social nature of WORS events means that WORS racers are influenced, and are influential, in making purchase decisions. Active WORS participants are more likely to upgrade their bike and components on a yearly basis, and will spend more money on a bike purchase, than the average mountain bike enthusiast. They are also likely to influence the purchase decisions of friends.
Over 65% of WORS racers surveyed plan to buy a new bike within the next year. • Over 8% plan to spend $500-$1000. • Over 17% plan to spend $1000-$2000. • Over 23% plan to spend $2000-$3500. • Over 16% plan to spend $3500-$5000. • Over 6% plan to spend more than $5000. • Fewer than 2% of WORS racers plan to spend less than $500 on a new bike.
“I bought a bike for myself or a member of my family in:”
Less than 10% of WORS racers are currently riding a “stock” bike. Over 90% have upgraded components, and the majority or respondents upgrade tires, bar, saddle, grips and wheels.
70
70 59
35
50 40
members lead the WORS Learn to Race Clinic at each event, answer questions, and offer help 27 24 18 throughout the weekend. The Team sets up a 0 display of bikes and tires at every event, and a 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 mechanic is present in the venue area % of respondents throughout the weekend. Since beginning to participate in the WORS Series in 2010, sales of full-suspension mountain bikes by the Trek WORS racers form opinions and Stores has increased many-fold. Although relationships based on Sponsor participation. A recent example of good ROI based on WORS based in Madison, new sales tracked to Team engagement have originated from throughout Series engagement comes from the Trek the region. Stores of Madison Racing Team. Team
Sponsor response Over a wide range of product categories, WORS racers demonstrate familiarity and positive responses to WORS sponsors. Sponsors with Sponsors with consistent product consistent presence presence product at WORS events at WORS are events especially are especially likely to be supported likely to be “As much as possible supported “As because much as of possible WORS”, e.g. because of Subaru, the WORS”, e.g.Muddy Cup Cafe, Subaru, the Muddy BelGioioso, Cup Cafe, Trek Trekand and Bontrager. Bontrager.
“For our WORS Sponsors - have you tried or purchased their products? Title Sponsor - Subaru Bike Sponsor - Trek Category Sponsor - BelGioioso Category Sponsor & On-Site Vendor Category Sponsor (Trainers) Category Sponsor (Components) Presenting Sponsor (Nutirition) Product Sponsor (Apparel) Product Sponsor (Components) On-Site Vendor (Food & beverages) 0
18
36
“Yes” “Yes because of WORS” “As much as possible because of WORS”
54
72
90
% of respondents
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
WORS and social media Building relationships The WORS website has been state-of-the-art since the early years and registers over 1,000,000 visits annually. WORS also reaches out to our community through additional channels of communication. The WORS social media plan keeps us in touch with our contacts, Fans and subscribers for maximum impact and value to our racers. WORS is a community of friends who love to ride bikes and talk about riding bikes. We are happy to work with our sponsorship partners to create special promotions through our social media networks. When WORS introduces a sponsor to our racers, we introduce them as a friend.
Total racers per year 10,000
7,900
7,893
7,786
7,917
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
714
695
725
2010
2011
2012
5,000 2,500 0
Average racers per event 800
658
658
649
660
2006
2007
2008
2009
600 400 200 0
The WORS website, Facebook, Twitter and email newsletters are a great way for racers to keep up with America’s largest mountain bike racing series.
The WORS Photo Contest, begun in 2009, attracts hundreds or thousands of individual photo entries after each WORS event. In the past, we have posted finalists at our Flickr photo sharing site. On Flickr, our photo contests register over 2,000 unique page visits each day and spike to over 12,000 visits in the days immediately following each event. In 2012, we moved the Photo Contest to Facebook, and Albums quickly became some of our most high-profile and viral content.
WORS Facebook, Twitter and YouTube
Fans of the WORS Facebook page contribute to over 3,000 impressions per post.
8,357
7,500
WORS Photo Contest
WORS Facebook Page
9,129
8,573
The WORS Facebook page, which has been regularly maintained since February 2010, currently has over 3,200 “likes” and yields an average of more than 1,000 impressions per un-sponsored post. The number of regular visitors, interactions and impressions continues to grow at a steady rate.
WORS also maintains a social network for photographs of WORS events at Flickr, and videos of postrace interviews and “racer-cam” footage from WORS events at Vimeo and YouTube. The @TeamWORS twitter has a smaller following of largely tech-savvy younger professionals, and a more cycling-oriented content and audience.
WORS ANNUAL REPORT 2012
WORS Sponsors
Our Foundation of Greatness
WORS Major Sponsor - Subaru
WORS has found great companies to partner with. Their support and WORS work for them is the foundation of our success.
Love, it’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru. WORS loves Subaru and works hard to makes sure those who attend WORS events know it and have titled our premier national event, the Subaru Cup for our major sponsor.
Wisconsin-based Trek Bicycles is one of the world’s largest - and best - bicycle companies. The Trek !"#$%&'()**(+,(-.$(/012+34(5+6$(70( WORS, and Trek the presenting sponsor of the Subaru Cup.
Official Mobile Service of WORS Element Mobile, !"#$%&'#!()%*&$+&',-)',./&& 0"#$%& +#%1$2#& .)2,./& & & 0"#$%& 3$++$)'& $+& !)& 4)%#1#%& 2)''#2!& 5)6%& .$4#7& ($!")6!& #1#%& 2)38.$2,-'9& $!/& & :& 8);$63& .#1#.& +8)'+)%7& Comp Category Sponsor - Bontrager <.#3#'!&=)>$.#&*##8+&?@AB&2)''#2!#;/
The exclusive wheel and tire of WORS and also the sponsor of the Subaru Cup’s Nitro Amphitheater’s Bontrager Boulder.
SRAM - The presenting sponsor of the !"83%"(9"#(:;#%$<3(!.7%-(=%326(+>(?*)?@
Capital Brewery - The presenting sponsor of the Subaru Cup Outback Super D in ?*)?@
Sport Category Sponsor Hayes Disc Brakes 0"#& ,'2")%& )4& !"#& C,5#+& F$252.#& 9%)687& C,5#+& E$+2& F%,*#+& !"#& 8);$63G2,!#9)%5& +8)'+)%&)4&?@AB&B8)%!&B#%$#+//
Citizen Category Sponsor- Kinetic H%)1$;$'9& !"#& I$'#-2& (,%3J68& ,%#,& ,!& ?@AB& #1#'!+7& I$'#-2& $+& !"#& 8);$63G 2,!#9)%5&+8)'+)%&)4&?@AB&K$-L#'&B#%$#+/
Elite Category Sponsor- BelGioioso C#,;D6,%!#%#;& $'& !"#& +3,..& !)('& )4& E#'3,%*7& ?$+2)'+$'7& !"#5& ",1#& >##'& ?@AB& !)8& 2,!#9)%5& +8)'+)%& 4)%& !"$%!##'& 5#,%+/&&
WORS Product Sponsors