nigel dabster Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 On the question of where the money comes from, I would agree with Dabster that it mostly comes from the parents however, it doesn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 Unfortunately Ross is the very lucky exception, there are very few riders who get anything like the sponsorship he gets. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don’t think Ross is a 'lucky exception' Nigel. We are doing nothing special and anyone can do the same especially as you guys have an excellent product that is Alexz Wigg, that’s the point I am making.Team Danby is only a handful of people just like most of the other teams. We haven’t even scratched the surface as yet. It’s out there if you go looking for it. It can take a lot of hard work but it is out there to be had, believe me On the 125 thing, the US culture as Ishy says above plus the huge distances to travel etc means there is no quick fix. Getting some money into the sport would help and I can only repeat what I said above. I have seen it with other sports in the US like the Ryder Cup in Golf. When you guys get to kick some european butt you sing about it for years and then there becomes an upswell of support and interest in the sport. I very strongly believe that getting your best youth rider and making him a world champion is your fastrack to success. that Pat Smage can ride a bit you know IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsaqam Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 I think you're right Atom. It would take hard work and perseverance to line up sponsorship to send our best over to Europe. But there is alot of money over here. I also couldn't agree more that an American winning the WTC would do more than anything else to rapidly grow trials in the US. Some don't believe that it would make a difference but I sure do. We don't like mediocrity over here very much..... except in our politicians it seems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nigel dabster Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 (edited) Unfortunately Ross is the very lucky exception, there are very few riders who get anything like the sponsorship he gets. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I don Edited April 17, 2006 by Nigel Dabster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 Dabster - I've stuck a CD in my camera bag that Ben Morphett's Grandfather sent me. I'll show you it in America. It's very well put together and great to give to any potential sponsors. I'm sure between us we could put something together for Alexz (and Ross, Ian) that would look slick and be sent out to potential sponsors. I'm taking plenty photos of both of them. There's some video too already with more to come. The basics are there. We can build on that for both riders and do some decent promotion for both - and any other youth rider I'm currently covering. I have tons of stuff that could be used. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 Please don't lecture me on hard work I spent alot of time and trouble trying to sort some sponsorship big and small for Alexz and it all came to nowt. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Who am I to lecture you? I certainly wasn't lecturing you, I was generalising in the hope that other upcoming youths would take a look at outside sponsoring thats all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the artist formerly known as ish Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Reet we have it dialed, the 125 is the best bike for an American youth to become a challenger to the Euro youth, as stated there is plenty of sponsorship $$ out there. Couple of things you need to fill me in on though, WHO!! is going to go out and get that $$$ and who is going to ride the 125 ? also not seen one post by any American youth stating that they want a 125 US national championship. All I see, is a bunch of old gits, saying what they think is best for some other fellows kid. A US world champ will soon put things right though, walk down a busy London street and ask 100 people who Beckham is, and who Lampkin is, trials is ten times more popular over there than here, so 1 or 2 may know of Lampkin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsaqam Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 A US world champion sure wouldn't hurt though would it? Of course trials will never be as popular as the NFL but heck, it'd be great if it were as popular as monster truck racing, or FMX! If trials had as much sponsor support as FMX the product would be so much bigger and better exposed. Indoor trials has the biggest potential for growth in the US because events could be staged in nearly every minor league ballpark or soccer pitch across the nation. The action is exciting and with the parallel runoffs you get some head to head action. I for one would like to see the effect that a US world champ would have on the popularity of trials as a whole over here. Hopefully I won't have to wait too long. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 It's possible to make it to the WTC with the current natc standards/situation. It's just harder for us than the europeans and whoever(hopefully more than one makes it) steps up and makes it to that level, will probably be that much better a rider for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinner Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Ok Lane I'll Bite on this one. Do you an Debbie pay retail for your Bikes? To be quite honest does anybody in the US pay retail? Until the importers demand a dealer network that doesn't consist of garage dealers trials will remain as it is a small niche market. Don't get me wrong I like trials and trials people the way they are now, friendly and helpful. So do we keep the status quo or take a more professional approach? I don't have an answer just more questions but i do know that Trials in the US could be stopped at anytime the EPA see's fit! If the importers have no new bikes to sell trials will eventually die. And by the way I am in favor of supporting 125's for the kids, my son is on one and will stay on one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dman Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 I wish our currency didn't suck so bad right now. $6,000+ for a bike is starting to get ridiculous... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Spinner, Debbie's bike is the machine she rode at the 2004 Trials De Nations for Team USA. She did not pay retail for it but would you expect any rider representing the United States of America on the offical world championship team to pay retail? I believe she paid a little more than importer cost and slightly less than dealer cost for it. She did not get a new bike for 05! She buys her own parts and gear, I believe she pays retail? I've never asked! RYP and Sherco has been very good to her and we are very thankful. Without their help and the help of Dale at GASGAS we would not have been able to return to Europe for the women's world championship or the TDNs she has done. My bike is a 2002 model I paid $2000.00 for from a private party. I buy my parts from RYP, not sure if I'm paying retail or he gives me some sort of discount, I've never asked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Reet we have it dialed, the 125 is the best bike for an American youth to become a challenger to the Euro youth, as stated there is plenty of sponsorship $$ out there.Couple of things you need to fill me in on though, WHO!! is going to go out and get that $$$ and who is going to ride the 125 ? also not seen one post by any American youth stating that they want a 125 US national championship. All I see, is a bunch of old gits, saying what they think is best for some other fellows kid. A US world champ will soon put things right though, walk down a busy London street and ask 100 people who Beckham is, and who Lampkin is, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mich lin Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Adam, that's a great post! Working in Hollywood I'm with loads of world famous sports figures like Jorden the basketball star, Tony Hawk the X-Games star, Phil Mickelson the Masters winning golfer and others. Who's beeckman by the way? I know Dougie Lampkin but never heard of Beckmen, is he a cricket star? Where the athletes like Tony Hawk have made their fortune has been in the tie in's like video games. Tony was flat broke, then the first X-Games came along, the studio decided to make him the star of that show and he's been doing really well since then. Almost blind luck but hey luck comes to those who are prepared. His biggest income comes from his name being on his own video games, his own sportswear line of clothing and to a smaller extent the sale of his signiture skateboard line. The MX stars have also cashed in on the video game market simply because it can be packaged as cool, so it sells. Of course the games also need to be fun to play but that has nothing to do with the athletes or the sport, it's the programers that make that happen! There is nothing in your post I disagree with, give the parents, kids and the sport a chance to become cool. Then it can be marketed by the Pros who smell the oppertunity to earn some money. In that respect American trials has really hindered the sport worldwide in my opinion. Most of the marketing oppertunities are in the United States! Because USA trials is a hidden sport that is supported by older riders at the US NATC championship it cannot be marketed in say a video game foremat to kids. There are no cool stars like Tony Hawk or Ricky Carmicheal to promote or cash in on! Now if the United States produced a trialsport that could be marketed and cashed in on by the big corperations, trials worldwide would benifit. As long as the USA refuses to create a cool sport that can be marketed by the advertizing and game people the sport worldwide suffers and will remain tight in terms of outside sponsors. As much as I like Clive, the 40 year old national trials champion of the USA and the best sportsmen rider in the NATC series. He is not marketable to the video game world! Neither is Geoff Aaron but a modern day Bernie Schriber riding against Raga, Fugi, Lampkin would be. Getting America back into the game would help everyone worldwide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsaqam Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Great posts Atom and Lane! I've been saying much the same thing since I started posting here. If we were to produce a World Champion the sport just might take off over here. To me it definitely has the "cool" factor and the "wow" factor it just doesn't have the "star power" right now. As Lane has said time and again, the NATC has provided the framework to produce the best elderly riders in the World. That's great, I'm an elderly newcomer to the sport and I'm glad they care about folks my age. But, I think that alot more could be done to support and promote our youngsters. I think that an American World Champion should be the highest goal of NATC. Not to beat Geoff Aaron, but to beat Raga, Lampkin, and Sanz. This sport deserves a chance to grow and make some money for all those who've worked so hard for so long. BTW Lane, David Beckham is a British football (soccer) star who married one of the Spice Girls I believe. He's always in the tabloids over there. Any chance of Pat Smage, or Ron Commo III marrying a famous singer or actress? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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