U.S. Pro/Am Association

Lenny · 10-03-2009, 01:22 PM

TX Eddie, a few others and I are discussing organizing an association of U.S. racer organizers (and racers). Many details are still being worked out, but we wanted to start a thread to discuss it. Here 'tis.

Eddy Martinez · 10-03-2009, 01:44 PM

After being away from slalom a year and a half. I have awoken. I am a bit dissappointed. 1.With myself. 2.With the direction United States slalom is going. Since the resurrection of the sport that was pushed hard by Jack Smith and the FCR. With out them I think alot of us would not have a clue or the idea to start our grassroot slalom organization. I spoke with Gary Glasser of the COSS Boys. He and I want to form a slalom association for the USA.
1. The governing board would be made up of one spoke person from each contest organizer or group. We do not want outside forces to govern our contest.
2. There would be a ranking system for USA skaters. Yes the ISSA has a ranking system, but this would include USA skaters only.
3. We would still follow the guide lines set by the ISSA. They are the govening body. With out rules. We have anarchy. We do not want this.
4. Europe, Brazil have their own skating organization. We do not.
5. We would charge annual dues/fees of 25$ for the year. This would go to helping out the smaller Races e.g. Kentucky Cone Fest, Wiggle War etc and bring them up to par with the bigger races.
6. What is meant by help: Timing sytem that can be shared from one contest to another, cones, possibly ramps, insurance, creating a website to cover the all of the contest that are going on throughout the slalom season .
7. On the Friday of the contest. The Pros would hold a slalom clinic for all of the Amatuers that are competing on Sat and Sun.
8. There would be Masters, Pros, Amatuers, Womens, Amatuers A, B, and C Class. Junior class.
9. At the end of the season we would have our overall champions in each class.
10. If you raced Pro you would not be allowed to race Am.
11. So far as I said Gary Glasser, Tom Manglesdorf, Lenny Poage, Joe I and myself are throwing ideas around. Joe I said it best " We lack unity ". I agree.
12. We have no vested interest in this venture. There is no money to be made here. And what ever money we do make goes to helping our sport prosper.
13 We need a true USA Amatuer and Pro Champion.
14. Skaters from all countries are welcome to attend our contest, but your placing as well as other racers would go to the ISSA World Ranking. The placings of the USA racers would go the American Ranking system.
Throw your ideas at us, we need feedback more than anything. This venture would require alot of hard work, but I know we can pull this off. Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.

If you are an American Race Organizer Let's here from you. Jack Smith-Morro Bay, Richy and Maria Carasco-Pump Station. Pat Chewning, Gareth Roe-Gorge Games.

Shorty McSmalls · 10-03-2009, 01:51 PM

Great idea, I am all for this. I will contribute money and other resources for this to happen.

Eddy Martinez · 10-03-2009, 01:57 PM

That is the right ATTITUDE. Unity my slalom Brothers Unity. Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.

jeremyheuser · 10-03-2009, 02:01 PM

i second McSmalls on this one

snozzboarder55 · 10-03-2009, 02:09 PM

keep us posted on how you and your boys are getting things going, eddy. JeremyHeuser and I are trying to build the slalom scene out here in the Bay Area, California so anything we can do to help or any advise/guidance you can give us would be great.

i dont know where to start searching, but if we can get the links to the big National slalom organizations we can take bits and pieces from all of them and apply them to our new "American" organization as we (you eddy) see fit.

Eddy Martinez · 10-03-2009, 02:45 PM

sk8norcal it has been posted and it is on slalomskateboarder.com
Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws

mangels · 10-05-2009, 12:59 PM

I'm on board with it (no pun inended).

BumbleBee_43 · 10-06-2009, 12:57 PM

Me too!!!

Lenny let me know what i can do to help!

I especially like the clinic idea as I am new to the sport!

Eddy Martinez · 10-10-2009, 08:06 AM

Thank you for your ideas . Positive or negative. At least we know there are some individuals out there that care. The USA does need its own organization. And if we can pull this off. We now have a name and power comes in numbers. One man or group can control his small area of skaters. But a large unified group that is another story. No one can make a living of this sport. Just not happening. We need to unify and be a strong voice. So far we have the Support of Tom Manglesdorf-Wiggle War, Kentucky Cone Fest-Lenny Poage, Jack Smith-Morro Bay, Pat Chewning-Casscade, Myself-Texas Cold Fusion Sizzler. This is only a rought draft. Gary Glassed is working on a smoother presentation. You can hang on to what ever part of slalom you own in your area. But that is it. What comes after that. Progression is the key. We move forward brothers and sisters. Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.

Petary791 · 10-10-2009, 08:22 AM

Count me in, and I bet I can get all of Go Green in on this. I'm a little confused on the exact mission but from what I've gathered it makes sense.

sniffleless · 10-11-2009, 08:39 PM

You know you have my support. That's a given.
I'd be nice to have a sit down and really talk this out in real time. I'm sure this subject will come up at Dixie Cup.
As a would be organizer I'm very interested in this idea and any formation of any organization that comes out of this.

SweetCatarina · 10-12-2009, 09:45 PM

I like the idea of A B C not Pro/Open.
Everyone qualify together, then end up in one of the 3 groups.

tedzepplin · 10-13-2009, 06:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SweetCatarina

I like the idea of A B C not Pro Open.
Eveyone qualify together, then end up in one of the 3 groups.

I agree. That's how Antrim was this year for the hybrid race. The fast racers raced other fast racers and slower racers raced other slower racers rather than dividing racers up by age or cash prizes.

Eddy Martinez · 10-13-2009, 10:15 AM

Keep talking kids. Imagine attending a contest and several Pros are waiting there anxiously to share their slalom knowledge with you. A clinic. That would be so cool. Give back to the sport I say. One Pro has been sending me emails saying he charges for slalom clinics. Not here buddy. You are GIVING back to the community. It is better to GIVE than to receive. Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.

TM_Cruzer · 10-13-2009, 10:46 AM

That sounds like a great idea. Would it only govern slalom, or all types of racing, LDP, push, DH, etc?

sniffleless · 10-13-2009, 04:44 PM

Most of the smaller races I go to there usually aren't enough Pros to even do a bracket of their own. Sticking with just A,B,C etc brackets seems like the best idea. The fastest guys still get to race each other and allows for some wild card action.

What exactly defines a Pro slalom skater anyway?

Maybe not so much a Pro class but an Elite class. The Elite roster would be reflected by performance and placement in races for the previous season or something. That way the Elite racers would be required to race in many races and place consistently over the course of the season. Maybe have a set number of spots in the Elite class. That way you are not assured a spot. You could get knocked out if you skipped a lot of races that year or as newer skaters improve and come up the ranks. Your points standing would really mean something this way.

Just throwing out this idea off the top of my head here. Feel free to take that idea and run with it if you like. I only just not thought of this and I haven't got the whole idea worked out yet.

GPymp · 10-18-2009, 03:36 PM

Good afternoon fellow AMATURE skaters.

Thank you Eddy first for jumping on our discussion you and I had a couple of weeks back. And for taking some flack for it.
Thanks to those who already have posted their support, Joe I, Tom M, Lenny and Jeremy.

Lets go over this premise again, There really isn't one thats set yet.

Lets discuss the rules and regs'..oops there isn't any of those yet either really.

I just want to get a dialogue going with some small and medium venue/race organizers going and see if we/they/all of us can support this year round.

A grassroot slalom organization. A group that starts from the bottom up and not the top down. As I briefly spoke with Gary Fluitt ISSA boardmember this afternoon, he is encouraged by our thoughts. He too doesn't want to see slalom go back and forth with the tide. I think we can all agree that we/all need a "farm" system where the bottom amatures can feed faster skaters up all the while keeping those who are perpetually slow, in the sport. The idea is to keep the smaller organizers going by helping them with small financial needs. An idea also being thrown around is a small annual membership. Why? One of the ideas is to give back to Tom who had a timer just crap out. Or Lenny needs help in shipping fees for another 50 cones. etc etc.
Again, there are no real rules yet. No real premise, yet.

I want to make sure that the kid with one board and ten bucks can compete in a Poage Landing Days race. I want to make sure Sarah Ivey kicks Cat Youngs ass in 2010. The AMATURE slalom association will incourage women to participate by, another crazy idea, to pay for the lone woman racing in a US AMATURE sanctioned race. The race lets say is $20, so USSAA will pay all or part of the Sarah's entry fee. More girls/women show up, we will check the bank account and probably split it between all of them.

As for the big races..they will go on. The pro's will continue to race each other, all 20 of them. Some of us who want to participate in the "big show" will continue to do so. (I for one enjoy watching pro slalom)

I want a future USSAA member to race in a "big show" race because he was taught by some local organizer or a local pro such as a Karl Floitgraf and come away with a good time. That USSAA member didn't even know how to come down a ramp 6 months ago, but Lenny's and Jeremy's guys showed him/her how to. That kid learned how to set up and fix a timer system because, again so and so had one at the grassroot level and they all learned on it. It wasn't in some pro's garage only to brought out when the pro wanted to share.

And another idea, I want to be able to crown the best USSAA "A" skater or "B" and even "C" and "D" skater at the end of the year too.

Again, no rules and or real premise just an idea.

*Next, I will probably get a FB page up to throw all the ideas in a big hat and over the next weeks/months hammer out more ideas, concerns.

If we can get it to fly so be it. If we can't so be it. Just raising the awareness level one more notch.

Any questions? Of course there is...

Eddy Martinez · 10-18-2009, 03:57 PM

Thanks Gpymp. An organization, a group has power or influence. You can not approach corporate sponsors and say we are a loose group of skaters. Can we represent your product. First of all who are you?
Holding on to that small piece of slalom that belongs to the group you ride with, it is only local. We want to move forward. And I know alot of you have great ideas. Share them with us. Your Amigo Eddy Texas Outlaws.

SweetCatarina · 10-18-2009, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GPymp

Good afternoon fellow AMATURE skaters.

I want to make sure that the kid with one board and ten bucks can compete in a Poage Landing Days race. I want to make sure Sarah Ivey kicks Cat Youngs ass in 2010. The AMATURE slalom association will incourage women to participate by, another crazy idea, to pay for the lone woman racing in a US AMATURE sanctioned race. The race lets say is $20, so USSAA will pay all or part of the Sarah's entry fee. More girls/women show up, we will check the bank account and probably split it between all of them.

And as long as I have a job, and have a little extra money, I will help out whenever I can.
I think what you are talking about is a good idea on paper, but have a feeling we will still be talking about this for a very long time.
It is up to the ones that have an extra $5.00 or $10.00 or more, to step up and help.
Buy one less pack of cigarettes or one less 6 pack of beer. Throw some $$$ where it's needed.
Stop talking about it! Talking about it pisses me off!!! Talk is cheap!