Northern California Downhill Skateboarding Association

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.

Eddy:

I think you and Gary have found the solution!!!

Please include Canada in with the organization - North American versus USA - for it would be beneificial to have a combined slalom unity across the border.

One last thing to add to your list - FUN!!!

Races need to be fun, while being competitive - give the organizers freedom in determining their race!!

Just my 2 cents Canadian

Rob

I like it as an idea. funny, because I was thinking of something similar while driving to work this morning. I can only compare it to other sports I've been involved in on this level, so here goes. This is only for comparison and idea-generating purposes, not saying how it should run.

In snowboarding, we have the FIS/USSA governing all the World Cup level events and rankings, then the USASA as a "feeder" series for the young ones, and a "fun but competitive" series for the older folks. The USASA uses age groups because we have so many people (1500+ at Nationals), has an "Open" (non age group) class, but no Pro level class - that is for the World Cup, Nor/Am, etc. events. You must qualify for Nationals by racing in your regional events all year, then Nationals is held as the last event of the year. Canadians may compete and win, but must do so at events here in the USA. Dues are $80 per year, and events run about $50 per race ($80-100 for two-event days). USASA Nats are around $350 for the entry fee. USASA as an organization has ONE paid position that I know of - the Director. Each regional series director(s) gets a small amount of pay from the series income. Things need to be a LOT more organized to pull something like this off, and be ready for some unhapiness NO MATTER WHAT you do to make it weel-run and fair. This takes some of the "fun" out of it for some people, but I always had a blast competing in USASA events when all was said and done.

I'm happy to discuss this with anybody any time - i know a lot abnout what works and what doesn't in these scenarios.

-RF

I like the idea of North American. I like Candians. Some of them talk kinda funny, but other than that, they're pretty nice. And fast, eh?

Yes!
Good idea....power in numbers, in that confederation would be good for all North American Slalomers.
Sharing intelligence and knowledge, and kind of stitch together the smaller races into
a cohesive continental quilt, with established, large, races.
There are many manufacturers of slalom equipment in North America.
Europeans seem to be pretty loyal to their own continental manufacturers.
So why couldn't an organized group of North American slalomers go to lobby sponsors
for support of a North American Series?
Wouldn't that be more effective than individual race organizers asking, hat in hand?
Mexico is also North America, is any slalom scene there at all?

Lisa - I like that you used the word "confederation". Whadaya think Eddie? Can we be a confederation instead of an association? It kinda kills the mnemonic you and Gary came up with, but "confederation" sounds cooler to me.

I don't mean to make light of what this is all about. A name is only a name. Now back to the serious discussion.

listen.i am not sure of how to do this,but i do like the idea of a smaller ,manageable,location specific org.there are differences in style and expectation of discipline between here and other continents.Euro gs is not as big as our gs and our hs and ts is not as technical and tight as euro expectations.Yes,there should be a world championship,but a North american org would be more realistic for now and a euro specific org and aussie and south american etcetera.Then the issa could focus on a world championship and protocol without having to worry or sanction all the grassroots events worldwide and try to find some continuity in the process.
i am not an expert on this by no means.I look at COSS on a smaller scale what they have accomplished just focusing on their scene and they essentially acheived world domination.C

Sorry! my comments are just a form of agreement with your idea.
I have a hard time putting thoughts into words sometimes.
A national organization could serve its own interests by
incubating smaller local scenes, thereby making smaller competitions more "traceable" and providing
the North American Pro/Am Slalom Association (Confederation ) with viable "World Beaters"
Disorganization is Dilution.

In regards to the COSS segment of my post,to clarify,they are netter organized,more disciplined and supportive of each other,more so than anywhere else in the world from what I have seen and heard.Most every racer I know wants to learn how to go faster or bigger,it's called progression.C

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.