one big offshore family
01-07-2002, 12:58 PM
#24
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Mediaman,
Well, it would have made sense if you hadn't made another post of a corporate nature, followed by this post, which says that you're just an informed individual, not a spokesperson. Your actions contradict what you wrote.
But no one else seems to care, so ... whatever.
Well, it would have made sense if you hadn't made another post of a corporate nature, followed by this post, which says that you're just an informed individual, not a spokesperson. Your actions contradict what you wrote.
But no one else seems to care, so ... whatever.
01-07-2002, 01:37 PM
#26
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mediaman,
welcome...i am not involved in powerboat racing whatsoever(occasional poker run)and i have noticed as outside observer that you are totally right about all the infighting...reminds me of CART and IRL. i really don't think it will ever get any better until there is a person that can unify the sport for the better. Good luck!
32fever hit it... as for why you will never "see the fire" for boat racing...its not something you can do locally or even regionally in alot of cases. i like car racing because i can go on any saturday night to a local race to watch or even be involed. i can be involed and competitive for less than my lifetime income(unlike powerboating). i guess what i'm babblin bout is...until you can get boat racing to "relate" to the average joe it not going to be anything other than something to watch on speedvision.
welcome...i am not involved in powerboat racing whatsoever(occasional poker run)and i have noticed as outside observer that you are totally right about all the infighting...reminds me of CART and IRL. i really don't think it will ever get any better until there is a person that can unify the sport for the better. Good luck!
32fever hit it... as for why you will never "see the fire" for boat racing...its not something you can do locally or even regionally in alot of cases. i like car racing because i can go on any saturday night to a local race to watch or even be involed. i can be involed and competitive for less than my lifetime income(unlike powerboating). i guess what i'm babblin bout is...until you can get boat racing to "relate" to the average joe it not going to be anything other than something to watch on speedvision.
01-08-2002, 01:07 AM
#28
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Boatwrecker
Yeah, good point. Who cares, but since you made the point, I feel I owe you a better explanation. Maybe I'm trying to walk a thin line between personally being a dedicated fan of performance boating without having to come up with carefully phrased comments as the editor (or corporate spokesperson) of a magazine. I kinda like the loose flavor of some of the postings, and I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to make my comments as an individual. But at the same time, you're right, I guess I am also dedicated to the magazine I edit, which since I edited its first issue, I have done my best (with lotsa help, by the way) to help promote the growth of our sport, and will continue to do so. That's my reason for doing my job. Yes, personally I will use the magazine in the best way I know how to make certain the spirit of offshore performance boating thrives. That's why I posted the second message for race teams. But corporate whatever.I am sincere about all of this. And I also welcome any suggestions you or others might have about how the magazine can help.
Yeah, good point. Who cares, but since you made the point, I feel I owe you a better explanation. Maybe I'm trying to walk a thin line between personally being a dedicated fan of performance boating without having to come up with carefully phrased comments as the editor (or corporate spokesperson) of a magazine. I kinda like the loose flavor of some of the postings, and I don't want to miss out on the opportunity to make my comments as an individual. But at the same time, you're right, I guess I am also dedicated to the magazine I edit, which since I edited its first issue, I have done my best (with lotsa help, by the way) to help promote the growth of our sport, and will continue to do so. That's my reason for doing my job. Yes, personally I will use the magazine in the best way I know how to make certain the spirit of offshore performance boating thrives. That's why I posted the second message for race teams. But corporate whatever.I am sincere about all of this. And I also welcome any suggestions you or others might have about how the magazine can help.
01-08-2002, 04:45 AM
#30
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Mediaman,
Its nice to see someone in a position to have an affect on offshore racing taking an interest in the concerns of the average boater/offshore race fan. Like you, I am somewhat distressed at some of the post that appear on this board. However, this is an interactive format in which everyone has the opportunity to voice their opinion. So, I try to filter out the BS and take notice of the good information presented here. The recent posts of support for Steve David and his personal qualities are reassuring. John Crouse on the otherhand appears to have a personal thing going against APBA and Mike A. in particular. I have never met or spoken to either of these individuals, but base my observations on posts from both men and plausable information avaliable from other sources including posts on this board.
You asked for input about the way things are going for offshore racing. As usual things are changing, some for the good, some not so good. However, overall I feel that change in itself is good for the sport and everyone involved. Adoption of new ideas that promote fairness, saftey, and betterment of the sport and community are good for everyone.
There has been much discusion about the new RSVP/FORCE movement which I feel has really missed the point. I am fortunate in that I have the opportunity to spend a lot of time in Southwest Florida where I have the chance to talk to a lot of people, both boaters and non-boaters. As a fan and spectator of offshore races, I have been able to attend offshore races in Flordia, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Alabama over the past six years. I have watched the races from just about every vantage point there is.
It's the people who put on the races that really amaze me. Most of the on-site preperation and race day work is performed by volunteers. They sell T shirts, man the gates, park cars, shuttle water bottles to other workers, and any other grudge work that needs to be done. Wihout the support of the volunteers, there would not be an offshore race. Most of these people don't own a boat and have no idea who is in the running for the championship or who won the last race. They are there to raise money for their community based charity and doing their part to put on a show fo the rest of us. They won't go home with a trophy, corporate sponsorship or anything else. They might be lucky enough to get a free T shirt and a cold soggy sandwich for lunch.
The volunteers bring out their personal boats and act as saftey and patrol boats burning their own gas. They are the first ones out in the morning and the last ones in after the races are over. The volunteers get very little credit and don't put a penny in their pocket for their effort.
Whenever a community can muster a work force willing to tackle an event like an offshore race, it is a something to be cherished. They do it for the cause, not the races. For many of these charities, putting on an offshore race it the biggest fund raising event of the year. As spectators, sanctioning bodies, racers, and promoters we owe it to these volunteers and the charities they support to keep the racing events in their communities as long as they are willing to give us their time and personal support. Without them we would still be standing at the docks waving goodby as the race boats head out for some distant destination where another group would be waiting to see who survived the race. There would not be offshore racing as we have come to know and love it.
When I first heard about RSVP/FORCE, I thought to myself "OK, here comes another money grabbing bunch of ego-maniacs trying to do their own thing for a profit". After talking to the residents of the communities where they plan to continue holding offshore races, I've altered my orginal position. I'm not positive that there isn't an alternitive agenda lurking in the background, but I'm sure that the events they are planning will be supported by volunteers for community based charities who will provide the free labor and support necessary for the races to go on. Hopefully, these charities will recieve an infusion of funds to make it worth their efforts. If for no other reason, we the spectators, racers, sanctioning bodies, and promoters should suppport plans to continue holding races dropped by APBA, SBI, or any other organization who is unable to maintain the continuity of the racing event for whatever reason.
The stated purpose of the RSVP/FORCE through post on this forum is not to become a sanctioning body. However, it appears that it is inevitable that they will have to develop rules for races not sanctioned by either APBA or SBI. I suspect that it in developing these alternate rules it will be necessary to blend the rules of APBA and SBI in order to attract race teams from both APBA and SBI. If these blended rules are more appealing to the majority of the racers, APBA and SBI beware.
It would be my suggestion to both the APBA and SBI sanctioning officials to cooperate with the new RSVP/FORCE agenda, if for no other reason than to protect your own much covented rules. As technology changes, the current rules of both APBA and SBI will become outdated and obsolete. It appears that as this process of obsolecence occurs, the group with the the most relevent rules (in this case RSVP/FORCE)will be in the best position to dominate the sanctioning of future racing events.
Yes, things are changing...some for the good of offshore racing, some not.
Sincerely,
Ken Doyle
Its nice to see someone in a position to have an affect on offshore racing taking an interest in the concerns of the average boater/offshore race fan. Like you, I am somewhat distressed at some of the post that appear on this board. However, this is an interactive format in which everyone has the opportunity to voice their opinion. So, I try to filter out the BS and take notice of the good information presented here. The recent posts of support for Steve David and his personal qualities are reassuring. John Crouse on the otherhand appears to have a personal thing going against APBA and Mike A. in particular. I have never met or spoken to either of these individuals, but base my observations on posts from both men and plausable information avaliable from other sources including posts on this board.
You asked for input about the way things are going for offshore racing. As usual things are changing, some for the good, some not so good. However, overall I feel that change in itself is good for the sport and everyone involved. Adoption of new ideas that promote fairness, saftey, and betterment of the sport and community are good for everyone.
There has been much discusion about the new RSVP/FORCE movement which I feel has really missed the point. I am fortunate in that I have the opportunity to spend a lot of time in Southwest Florida where I have the chance to talk to a lot of people, both boaters and non-boaters. As a fan and spectator of offshore races, I have been able to attend offshore races in Flordia, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Alabama over the past six years. I have watched the races from just about every vantage point there is.
It's the people who put on the races that really amaze me. Most of the on-site preperation and race day work is performed by volunteers. They sell T shirts, man the gates, park cars, shuttle water bottles to other workers, and any other grudge work that needs to be done. Wihout the support of the volunteers, there would not be an offshore race. Most of these people don't own a boat and have no idea who is in the running for the championship or who won the last race. They are there to raise money for their community based charity and doing their part to put on a show fo the rest of us. They won't go home with a trophy, corporate sponsorship or anything else. They might be lucky enough to get a free T shirt and a cold soggy sandwich for lunch.
The volunteers bring out their personal boats and act as saftey and patrol boats burning their own gas. They are the first ones out in the morning and the last ones in after the races are over. The volunteers get very little credit and don't put a penny in their pocket for their effort.
Whenever a community can muster a work force willing to tackle an event like an offshore race, it is a something to be cherished. They do it for the cause, not the races. For many of these charities, putting on an offshore race it the biggest fund raising event of the year. As spectators, sanctioning bodies, racers, and promoters we owe it to these volunteers and the charities they support to keep the racing events in their communities as long as they are willing to give us their time and personal support. Without them we would still be standing at the docks waving goodby as the race boats head out for some distant destination where another group would be waiting to see who survived the race. There would not be offshore racing as we have come to know and love it.
When I first heard about RSVP/FORCE, I thought to myself "OK, here comes another money grabbing bunch of ego-maniacs trying to do their own thing for a profit". After talking to the residents of the communities where they plan to continue holding offshore races, I've altered my orginal position. I'm not positive that there isn't an alternitive agenda lurking in the background, but I'm sure that the events they are planning will be supported by volunteers for community based charities who will provide the free labor and support necessary for the races to go on. Hopefully, these charities will recieve an infusion of funds to make it worth their efforts. If for no other reason, we the spectators, racers, sanctioning bodies, and promoters should suppport plans to continue holding races dropped by APBA, SBI, or any other organization who is unable to maintain the continuity of the racing event for whatever reason.
The stated purpose of the RSVP/FORCE through post on this forum is not to become a sanctioning body. However, it appears that it is inevitable that they will have to develop rules for races not sanctioned by either APBA or SBI. I suspect that it in developing these alternate rules it will be necessary to blend the rules of APBA and SBI in order to attract race teams from both APBA and SBI. If these blended rules are more appealing to the majority of the racers, APBA and SBI beware.
It would be my suggestion to both the APBA and SBI sanctioning officials to cooperate with the new RSVP/FORCE agenda, if for no other reason than to protect your own much covented rules. As technology changes, the current rules of both APBA and SBI will become outdated and obsolete. It appears that as this process of obsolecence occurs, the group with the the most relevent rules (in this case RSVP/FORCE)will be in the best position to dominate the sanctioning of future racing events.
Yes, things are changing...some for the good of offshore racing, some not.
Sincerely,
Ken Doyle
