I didn't read everybody's responses but I'll add two things:
I spoke with my wife and she felt that pay should be based on participation, ie 100 men x $100 top finisher gets 75% of 10k. 9 women x $100 top finisher gets 75% of $900. I agree.
#2, downhillmike promoted a race last year that paid 3 deep in every category, men and women and beginners, for a total purse of 10k. 6 people had preregistered the weekend before the race and it ended up cancelled. Perhaps, if instead of paying the beginner cat 3 women's 3rd place finisher $25, he had paid the top men's pro $5k or even 7.5k, people would have showed up. Instead, attendance was lost to the worst promoted series that summer, the grand prix of something something (who took website advice from Hadley).
The takehome message is that it will not grow the sport, regardless of whether it's right.
I spoke with my wife and she felt that pay should be based on participation, ie 100 men x $100 top finisher gets 75% of 10k. 9 women x $100 top finisher gets 75% of $900. I agree.
#2, downhillmike promoted a race last year that paid 3 deep in every category, men and women and beginners, for a total purse of 10k. 6 people had preregistered the weekend before the race and it ended up cancelled. Perhaps, if instead of paying the beginner cat 3 women's 3rd place finisher $25, he had paid the top men's pro $5k or even 7.5k, people would have showed up. Instead, attendance was lost to the worst promoted series that summer, the grand prix of something something (who took website advice from Hadley).
The takehome message is that it will not grow the sport, regardless of whether it's right.
