A New Sport Has Born

[greeves]

That is the information. RFEM in the anual meeting last Friday 11th. December, decided to introduce openfree fules in the Spanish Championships. They will also allow this rules in any other particular trial that decides to use it.

In my opinion a new sport has just born in Spain.

Good luck!!!!

[perce]

http://www.zonatrial.net/video1.asp?video=video/23.flv I use Firefox so I couldn't watch the vid, worryingly though I could see the poll, Open free does seem to have a following down there, I'm at a loss to know why.

[ishy]

http://www.zonatrial.net/video1.asp?video=video/23.flv I use Firefox so I couldn't watch the vid, worryingly though I could see the poll, Open free does seem to have a following down there, I'm at a loss to know why.

I can see how it has a following for riders that want to ride events like the Spanish championship, because it allows them to avoid parts of the section they feel may be dangerous or too difficult for them, without failing the whole section, they just don't get the bonus points for that gate.

Has I have said before this type of event could be the answer to attendance problems at that level, and open it up to more riders, the best will still win.

If the system works in Spain, will other countries go with the gate trial format for championships ?

Then maybe traditional trials can be left to get on with paddleing up't beck hole

[greeves]

The webmaster of a French page has written the next about openfree rules:

http://www.planetetrial.com/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=14030

The translation roughly is:

"The fact that the Spanish federation decided that the 2010 championship in Spain will run under openfree rules can have dangerous consequences for the trial in general.

Before the stalwarts of this formula feel angry after reading me, I must say I have raced under openfree rules some times and personally I enjoyed it. Well, my intention is not to denigrate openfree, but encourage us to ask the right questions.

The fact that openfree rules will completely replace traditional rules in the Spanish championships is from my point of view (and probably in others point of view) a really bad idea.

In France we are running two different championships, one under traditional rules, and the other under openfree rules. But this is not what they will do in Spain, where openfree will completely replace traditional rules.

In this case, as we say in France, we are undressing Paul to dress John with his clothes. In this case the RFME is undressing the traditional trial to dress openfree, and despite all the qualities of this discipline, we are not sure that this really can improve or develop our sport.

Despite the laudable efforts of Bernard Estripeau to develop his idea, we must recognize that openfree trials have very few entries in France although the parallel championship with this rules started already 3 years ago.

Some already see the openfree rules in the WTC very soon, which would be good in addition of a parallel traditional rules championship. It is our duty to call the attention about the risk of killing trials to the detriment of openfree, what a majority of us do not want.

I was present at the time of the trial committee meeting of the French Federation (FFM) 3 years ago when they introduced openfree, with the idea of helping our sport and encouraging more and new people to practice it. At the moment this target has not been achieved in France. So I say loud and clear:

Edited December 18, 2009 by Greeves