Illiniwek Race Name Ideas

[Vittetoe761]

FORC Members-

FORC will be hosting a race at Illiniwek Forrest Preserve in April 2014, and are looking for input from the membership regarding the race name. We have a few ideas so far, but would appreciate your help!

1.) Illiniwek Intimidator
2.) Illiniwek Invasion
3.) Illiniwek's Revenge
4.) Illiniwek Charge

Post your proposed name(s), or support for someone else's name in this thread for it to be considered. The winning name will be announced at the January membership meeting, and the winning member may or may not receive a prize if they are present.

[dirtboy]

The Illini-Wreck
The Illiniwek Wreck
The Other Sylvan Stampede
No Bridge No Problem
The Bermination

[SugarShane]

I like the sylvan island stampede @ illiniwek!

[bleedfororbea]

I like something like Illini Wreck stampede or something or somthin like that

[DH001]

I think distancing this event from the Sylvan Island Stampede is critical. These are two completely different venues that happen to be occupying the same time slot for the moment. This will probably only be the case for a few years until the Sylvan bridge is replaced. Keeping the Sylvan Island Stampede "brand" intact will be more beneficial for us in the long run I think. Also, we don't want to mislead people into thinking this event will be anything like Sylvan Island because it will not (hills!).

Illini-Wreck does have a good ring to it. I do have some concerns about it being interpreted by non-mountain bikers in a negative light (ie encouraging participants to act in a reckless manner). This might not be the best message to be sending (even if unintended) given the environmental concerns that have been relayed to us by the land managers and some of the existing (untrue) perceptions mountain bikers are currently fighting.

I like Illiniwek Bermination the best of any ideas I have heard so far. It is more revealing of the trails and could be something that is used in the future if we want to do another race at the property. Varying spellings: Illiniwek A-Berm-ination, Illiniwek A-Berm-A-Nation, Illiniwek Abermination?

[Vittetoe761]

Illiniwek Abermination...could be called the A-Berm for short. I like it.

Keep the ideas coming!

[SweetSVT99]

I think distancing this event from the Sylvan Island Stampede is critical.

Agreed.

[Vittetoe761]

Anyone have any additional ideas?

[Surge]

Illiniwek Stampede - Rise of the Berminator

[BD83]

Catalina Wine Mixer?

[AG]

Perfect.

[Dirt]

Maybe a different point of view here. Take it for what it's worth...

My first reaction to this is to disagree with distancing it from the Stampede. If we're hoping for a great turnout, I think it's critical that we DO reference the Stampede. The Stampede is an event for many people and extremely recognizable. The Illiniwek Berminatoration is just another race event that I've never heard of, so I don't know that I really care to go (if I'm a casual midwestern rider/racer hearing about it). I'd rather you pull me in by advertising the Stampede then I find out how awesome Illiniwek is and will make TWO trips someday when the Stampede returns to the Island and Illiniwek (which I learned was awesome in the meantime) has its own event.

This isn't the same scenario but I think about how much steam we lost on our 2nd race when we moved from Sunderbruch (which everyone raved about after the first race) to Scott County Park the next year. I think the name recognition pulls people in. Then it's up to us to put on a great event so they commit to keep coming back. In that case it was "Sunderbruch" that riders from Cedar Rapids and Peoria were drawn in by. In this case, it will be "Stampede" that grabs people's attention. Keep in mind that a lot of the people who travel from IC, DSM, Ptown, Chicago, etc. are not aware that the bridge is closed. Will they even notice when we advertise a new race with a new name at a new trail spot or are they more likely to tune in and consider the trek when they see Sylvan Stampede in the name?

Taming of the Slough didn't keep the name because they couldn't think of a better one. They kept the name because they knew that people would recognize it and register again whether they realized the bridge was closed or not.

I'm beating the ever living hell out of this dead horse, but my opinion is getting stronger as I type this. If you want people to discover Illiniwek, you should draw them in with the Sylvan Stampede name. You can create a new event when the bridge is fixed and people have already fallen in love with Illiniwek.

I'd call it the Sylvan Stampede at Illiniwek Park or something similar.

Whatever we decide to call it, I can't wait to race that bad MOFO!

[Tigris99]

Ok just happened to catch this thread.

My 2cents for what it's worth after reading what is already here and listening alot to learn how things work.

I'm with dirt honestly on this one. Surge`s idea I actually really like. What I have heard is the stampede has made a name for itself with forc. Everyone knows it as beginning season race that's insane fun. I attended last season and had a blast. Only regret is I didn't ride a race. Ppl expect that of us now. Word will get out more and more that the island is closed atm. But it's not just the trails that make the stampede name, it's FORC!!! The people, the fun, the laughs and the awesome trails.

Illiniwek is like the secret treasure of FORC achievements. Sunder is well known and amazing but didn't give me the rush that Illiniwek did the first time out this last fall. Was kicking myself for not riding it this whole time. Something about flying down through the berms on the edge of outta control (take that with a grain of salt it's me so still slow compared to u ppl) that has me dying to get out there again. And I see the same excitement out of the rest of FORC and u all have ridden there alot.

So I think it makes a perfect "temporary replacement" for SIS. Make sure to only use "Stampede" so it shows we're not at SIS but will be associated with the great time ppl have come to expect for the first FORC race of the season. And working the berms into the name gives the ability to easily separate the 2 locations when the island reopens. Stampede isn't the island imo, it's how FORC kicks off the season.