Marthinus
May 2006
Understand where u coming from.......
SmTMay 2006
Surely anyone that close to being SABA Champ couldn't possibly be beaten by someone from a lower division?
If they do get beaten, then they don't deserve it!
scribble
May 2006
i completely agree with ian
it would be fun but can cauze some upsets
the younger oaks are not going to gain any points but how every knok out a potential saba champ
say 2 wp riders are in a wedge semi heat wit a kzn pro,
juniour makes shure that his friend gets waves and bones the other guy from getting any waves
thus the juniour doesnt have to worry about not making the heat cuz he doesnt gain any points in the long run
this shold be applied from the beginning not at the end
next yr chaps
Jared HoustonMay 2006yo..
agree with smt on this one..if pros are worried about gettin beatin by a junior then that says a lot about the level of riding in sa!
i understand where they are coming from but really thats like us juniors complaining about the boys?
much love..
jared
KellyMay 2006I've been on the SABA emails regarding this subject and the response has been overwhelmingly positive - apart from the feedback which was just sent from a few WP riders. And this is good to see how many are amped about implementing something which is going to help raise the standard.
WP themselves are backing the move along with all the other provinces. The only bit of negative feedback has been from you guys and I would say that if you are worried about being beaten by a younger rider or a girl then you either need to step up your game because you won't make it with that attitude or you need to move to a less competitive division like Mens.
SABA should be the highest level of competition in SA and the Pro division in my mind should include the best riders from within the country - I don't care if the guy is 12 or 40 or if a girl is good enough to compete but they should be in there. Karla just beat AT & Rylin at the latest CKZN trial busting a big reverse air so if you're worried about anything I'd be worried about ending up in Karla's heat.
Look at the bigger picture! This is about improving the standard of riding in SA, giving Juniors the opportunity to raise their level as these are the guys who potentially could move onto international events in the next few years --- and the guys in contention for the SABA Pro title are not going to be worried about Juniors or Men riding against them. If they're in contention for the SABA title then they are no doubt confident enough to go into a heat thinking they can beat these guys ... if they don't, then it may just be the other guy who wins the title.
Good luck to groms who do give the Pros a run for it!
On the points issue - points are only not being awarded for your 2nd division this year as this is the last contest. Next year if you compete in the division, you earn points for it.
Spy Dude
May 2006
yo badger, you should enter the masters division... maybe then ol mike and steve can get beaten....cos all this makes perfect sence.... a junior (age16) up against an aging ballie in the super master division (what out duppie) ya totally fair??? hahhahhaha, why not have one big division.... scrap all these discrinatory divisions that segregate us into age groups, like a free for all, boys, juniors, men, pros, woman, ballies.... all having a go at one another... eeeeekk Karla, ya she will kick me square in the nuts!! just my point of view and i dont even enter compos.....(and you cant make me, other than sasha's club contests and there i was upagainst 16yr olds but thats for shits and giggles, nothing serious)
have fun, this is a headache i dont want. Peace
Marthinus
May 2006
badger03 wrote:
i understand where they are coming from but really thats like us juniors complaining about the boys?
Now that u put it like that it sounds a whole lot different
Agree with u
altaylor
May 2006
Hey everyone
Just wanted to put a note in here on how this all came about- stoked though that it has created some dialogue- that's how ideas come out and things progress.
This idea of multiple divisions was not mine, it has just been suggested to me a few times by others that thought it would be cool to try out. Initially I was against the idea because I thought it would make for a bit of chaos with heats, riders being in back to back to back heats (potentially if a rider finaled in jnrs/pro/dk), but after putting the idea out to the SABA committee and a few other riders, and giving it some thought, it seemed like something worth trying.
Obviously the idea has to be structured- it is not a free for all, eg. Jnrs can't just go and compete in the mens- only pro and/or DK.
The idea is also that it will stimulate competition from both ends of the scale- those threatened by emerging talent will have to surf better, and the younger guys going up against more seasoned riders will have to surf better.
On the issue of upsetting the ratings in the last event of the year, yes that is a possibility, but that is the risk of change. If we tried this at the first event of 2007 and then abandoned it right after, it would also have an effect on the ratings. Anyway when I mentioned the idea to Steve Polinski and Wayne Craig, they were amped to make the wedge comp the guinea pig- since it is their event, SABA said go for it.
More importantly though, with a view to raising the standard of riding in SA- as some have already pointed out- if a Pro in the running for the SABA title is worried about having someone from mens or juniors coming in and screwing up his year, I think he has a problem. If that's how you think, you're going to be eaten alive if you ever compete at international level. At the moment I am working on a plan for SA to host its first ever world tour contest in 2007- and if SA bodyboarders want to be ready for something like that, we are all going to have to step up our game- the average SABA final would be like something two rounds before the quarter finals at int'l level. South Africa has some great talent, but we still lack depth as a country, so we should be embracing any opportunities or ideas that will push our performance level way forward. For Pro riders at least, the SABA tour should be a rung on the ladder to doing well on the world tour- not the top of the ladder itself. Being a SABA champ is good, but being a world title contender is better.
Anyway, proof will be in the pudding- we'll see how this goes down at the wedge comp- if the idea bombs out, that will be the end of it. If riders like it, we'll keep it, and my feeling is that the level of riding here will be accelerated because of it.
Alistair
Ian
May 2006
starting to grasp the concept better...sounds good, amped for it...just another question.. would the competion now run over all the days given to the contest...cause there will be ALOT more heats to run?
Let the good times roll...
etxe
May 2006
I already considered entering the debate earlier, but Ian's last question pushes me. Allowing people to ride several divisions will increase the number of heats and that is a concern to me. It might have negative effects:
- The way the contest works becomes much more difficult to understand, particularly for somebody new to our sport. It will be difficult to understand who is riding what?where? Think about the possibility of broadcasting a BBing event on internet, TV, etc and attracting some new public.
- Judges and totalisers are already hard to find (not always, but very often). It will be more problematic if we run more heats.
- Because of lack of time, we could be forced to have the pros or DK riding in small, mushy wave conditions, which does not help in promoting BBing as a spectacular and extreme sport. This is particularly relevent at the wedge or other spots that need some decent swell to start breaking.
Having said that, I hope we''ll have some serious swell as wedge is definitely a great wave for BBing.
KellyMay 2006 Time is definitely a factor and I would like to see that ONLY the top riders make use of this otherwise it is going to be to the detriment of the contest. i.e. shorter heats, less of a window to utilise good conditions which Olivier mentions.
The Wedge will be the guinea pig no doubt about it. I'm hoping that there isn't a rush of riders wanting to ride an extra division but this is definitely a good move if the right riders utilise it.
This is my opinion and I know it is not shared entirely by the entire SABA committee.
This was put in place for exceptional cases but I don't think it has been limited.
I don't think this it is difficult to understand that a 17 year old competed in Juniors and Pro and placed 1st in Juniors and 3rd in Pro.
The SABA committee has agreed on this along with the organisors who are all very keen for the positives which this can bring. The negatives will be if we have too many riders taking up this opportunity - note, you have to pay full entry fee for both divisions.
KellyMay 2006 I've added a poll at the top - the results will help the organisors anticipate how many will be taking up this second division so please do vote.
Chinnychinchin
May 2006
Hey Guys I don't do comps either way, but I think for OUR sport, Al is onto a sweet Idea. Lets be honest, I doubt very much if EVERYONE is suddenly going to compete like a juggenaut and enter every heat he/she can....if they do good luck cause they have the right gung ho attitude....I really can't see some kook entering the Pro division so the judges can marvel at his hand-drags to the beach or some weezer entering the DK so he can blow a few minds doing the kneelo.......if you have talent and ability then I say enter anything you can so you can one day hold the SA Flag high and proud on the Pipe podium.......it's also a good way to get the older divisions to step up the game plan.......Look at Andre Botha, I bet you more than a few ou's started doing push-up's and situps in the morning after he won pipe at 16years of age........
altaylor
May 2006
Just to answer a couple questions and comments quick:
One other forward thinking idea Wayne and Steve may try at the wedge comp is that if the waves are big and firing on one day of the event, they'll run the Pros that day all the way to the finals- which would hopefully give the best print and video coverage possible. I'm sure some junior heats would be thrown in there too.
WRT there being a whole lot more heats all of a sudden- travelling to SABA events is costly as is, so paying a full additional entry fee will make people think twice- I'd imagine only those with deep pockets/nice sponsors and or a good chance at doing really well, will bother to enter an extra division. Of course I might be wrong, but in the end it's all speculation, and we're going to have to wait and see what actually happens- but the wedge is a well run event, so I'm sure it'll come off nicely.
Al
jbs
May 2006
Wow i think that idea of running pro right thru if the surf is cooking is a sick idea. Not only is it good for the media side of things but it's also a definite bonus for the spectators to see the top guys going at it in good conditions.
Hope it works out!
Peter Lambert
May 2006
What about Pro's who now decide that because they have been coming third and forth in the past, ,that they will still compete in pro, but now also compete in the Mens? J do you want to add that one to your poll?
jbs
May 2006
from what i understand if pro is your division then you cant go down a division to mens, boys etc. Pro riders can only do pro and dk.
KellyMay 2006 Jared is right --- you can't ride Pro and then Mens as your 2nd.
You may be able to quit Pro and move to Mens though. Can't see there being a problem but you'd have to check with SABA.
sooz
May 2006
hey man, i take the point that the PRO riders should ride in the best conditions but I have always been of the opinion (and will probbaly get shot down for this, but its my opinion) that the Juniors actually bust out bigger and harder than the PRO's.
I reckon its cause the PRO's know they have to surf "conservatively" through each heat if they wanna get the $$$$ - so they less prone to taking chances with those moves that they can't make.
But the Juniors have nothing to lose in that sense and they always bust out hard and high. Watching Junior heats has always been more exciting than the PRO's to me (again, MY OPINION). They the ones who should be on TV; pushing the boundaries, with nothing to lose (except maybe points and product)... they really GO FOR IT.
I know there will be some PRO's out there who disagree, and I mean no disrespect, but from a spectator point of view, I reckon the Junior Division is where it is at. They making the future.
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