| [When she wrote the following text Kim Perkins had just won for the 3rd time
the race mentioned at the beginning.]
Recently, someone on the Athens-to-Atlanta mailing list suggested ending cross-drafting at that event, citing safety concerns. Others chimed in to say it would make for a fairer contest if all the women had to skate together. That is, of course, nonsense. I have yet to hear one valid argument as to how separating the genders would make such a race safer or better for anybody. It's just a different kind of game. I've discussed this thread with several female pro skaters, who were all fuming because there is a such a basic lack of understanding about the dynamics of women's racing. I have never heard of any accidents caused by pro women interfering in the pro men's pack. The 2 or 3 girls who can keep up with the lead pack are all very experienced skaters -- if anything, at Athens I've been more worried in the early miles about the over-muscled male "newbies" in the pack, many of whom kick back and don't match strokes and don't know how to pass or handle a downhill in a pack. It's also a misperception that women "sit in" and don't pull when they are with the guys. Plenty of times I've been in the position of hanging on by a thread and therefore not leading much and/or leading slowly -- just like half the guys in the pack. But just as often, the women are the ones doing most of the work! This year at A2A it was Kim Ames whipping the 10 guys in the pack guys to go faster, leading the charge up the hills, and even going out solo for a couple of miles. Kelly Martinez made a big impression this year leading the men's pro pack at the Festival de la Santé. Another argument is that "most" races don't allow cross-drafting, so therefore that "must be better." That, too, is dead wrong. Over the years, without specifically seeking them out, the majority of the races I have been in have allowed cross-drafting in all categories. This is a given in a hilly or point-to-point race, because tough terrain strings people out and lapping won't be a problem. It's also a good idea for flat races that don't offer the kind of prize money that would bring out large numbers of pro skaters, or for races that -- for whatever reason -- attract far more men than women. Races that currently do allow cross-drafting: the Cactus Classic marathon, the Texas Road Rash marathon, the entire NoCal Dan Burger 50k Series, the Napa Valley Inline Marathon, all the races in Los Angeles except for Long Beach (where there are so many pro skaters, it's practically half the field), the Silver Strand Half Marathon, the Big Granite marathon, the River Roll, Festival de la Santé, and a wide variety of others over the years. Many European races separate men and women at the start, but allow women to skate with men once they've been dropped from the pro women's pack. Does banning cross-drafting make for a "fairer" test of strength? Absolutely not!!! Anyone who suggests that it does is simply unfamiliar with the realities and special tactics of women's pro racing, especially American-style racing. Because women are so outnumbered (in every race I've ever been in), the men play a pivotal role. Let me emphasize that: even when women are separated from the men, in every race the men are a factor in the women's race. Hate to break the news to guys in Advanced who are psyched about catching the pro women's pack -- but the leaders of the pro women's pack keep the pace well below their capacity, and wait for you. Then, when the road is full of male skaters (and chaos), the smart women jump out (sometimes into the men's pack for an illegal moment, for which I've never seen anyone DQ'ed) and make a break, knowing that some of the field will panic or get caught in traffic and be unable to follow. This is how the main breaks were made this year at Long Beach and the NYC 100K; I even did it myself (without any illegal drafting, of course) in the masters pack at Northshore. In another variation, if the advanced men's pack is especially big a female team will keep the women's pack sitting right behind them. This is what happened at Long Beach in 2003. In that race, one woman had broken away out front; her teammates protected her by making the rest us poke along at the men's pace, leaving no room for breaks or sprints. Later, heavy male traffic at the finish line stymied plenty of female contenders. Even in the Swiss Inline One Eleven -- the closest thing in Europe to A2A, but with 1600 participants and a separate pro women's start -- the women use the guys to their advantage: if traffic or a speed-change makes you lose the lead pack, you can get a bunch of guys to haul you back up and thus stay in the game. I saw this happen, and it's totally legal -- but not "fair." In the United States, women's gender-separate racing rewards teamwork and quick pickup, but not endurance. In the small packs, if you go out hard by yourself you will not find too many with the guts to come with you. A small group of 2 or 3 would be hard pressed to hold off a pack of 15, even with teammates to block for them. Instead, the game is to go slow, block and stymie, and jockey for position for the final 300 meters, with just a couple of fairly brief but hard sprints in between to thin the pack. There is nearly no reward for just putting your head down and giving it all you've got, for unless you manage to break away (rare), the girls behind will just work together to stay close and outsprint you at the end. In Europe, there are often appointed rabbits whose job is to keep the pace high. Without them, no one wants to lead or hammer -- there is no incentive to skate 'til you puke. That's partly why the same women who race 1:14 marathons in France end up doing 1:23 marathons here. But with cross-drafting, the guys serve as the rabbits! Given the incentive of getting a gap on the other women, and without the disincentive of having to skate double-digit miles alone, it finally pays to give it all you've got. It ends up being a much harder race for all the pro women, a much truer picture of your real physical strength, and therefore much more rewarding. To come out on top, regardless of whether she can draft anyone in range or only other women, the female winner has to be strong, smart and experienced. Cross-drafting isn't "better" or "worse" than separating the genders -- it just makes for a different kind of race: one that rewards guts over guile, a race that can be as fun an experience for the back-of-the-pack female pro as it is for the winner. Kim Perkins |