Another season is in the books, and another IJSBA World Finals is done as well. After hearing about the unfortunate turn of events in Pro Freestyle, Team Twangled was happy to have not invested the resources or time into this years festivities. While it was unfortunate to have so many travel so far only to be disqualified, I hope it may set the tone to finally have some important issues addressed. After all, this is not the first time riders have cheated in events held in the U.S. Just a few years back many Pro riders from overseas protested the world finals after having these rules not enforced by the IJSBA in the previous year.
It seems as though it isn’t about what the rules are, but more like who is following the rules and when will they be enforced. I noticed that the Rickter ski was not disqualified on Friday during the amateur contest, but only on Sunday for the Pro contest. What would happen if this were NASCAR? One also has to wonder about those E.M.E. hulls used in previous years. Were they to spec length? The FACTS will never be disclosed.
Truth is, some riders have been using illegal hulls for more than 10 years at National and World events held here. It is not that these riders don’t know the rules. All PRO riders are well informed intelligent people. It is more about the realization that these riders just don’t know when the rules will be enforced. I personally have witnessed one rider utilize a completely illegal hull; while other riders get harassed for modifications done within the scope of the rules. There is a PRO Freestyle precompetition tech inspection. But arguably the people in charge of this inspection are better suited for race inspection than for freestyle inspection. Freestyle is a niche sport and as I surf through the net reading some of the grossly out of place comments made by standers by and wanna be freestyle riders, I have to wonder how many actually understand anything about the sport. Having been participating in the competition side of the sport since 1993, and Pro since 1999, competing on legitimate National Tours and in world class events, I can say that I have seen just about everything. One thing is clear, freestyle is and always has been an after thought for U.S. promoters; and this is unfortunate. I can’t help but feel that if it had been better organized and better handled, the sport of flat water freestyle would have multiple pro and amateur classes with varying kinds of watercraft and tricks that many could enjoy. Countries like Japan, Brazil and Russia seemed to have figured this out. Freestyle is a fun sport that I think many could enjoy. From wrenching, to traveling, to practicing, it is a sport that I have seen build unity among families, friends and competitors alike. However; when people start to cheat, that comradery dissolves and all of the great things about a sport dissolve with it. Let us remember, there is no gold at the end of the First Place rainbow. For this sport to have value it is more of a perception of attain a life experience. That is why I have whole-heartedly encouraged my teammate Greg to continue competing. It thrills me to see his barrel rolls getting bigger and going bottom to bottom. After all, the longer he can do it (he turned 51 on Sunday Happy Birthday bro), the longer I hope to be doing it. To me, he and this sport are a beacon of hope for never getting too old to enjoy life.
I understand where the Bun freestyle team was coming from. They make hulls and if they had known that other competitors were going to be using a shorter than legal hull, they too would have brought their shorter hulls. Instead Bun chose to spend money and create hulls that fit within the rules and the guidelines of the contest. This is the kind of effort that build sportsmanship and breeds true competition. Riders like Lenzi and the Bun team seem to be fewer and farther between these days, but hats off to them for riding with some dignity and standing up for what is RIGHT, even though they knew the backlash.
Comments are closed.