What's your opinion ?

[mmjs]

Just a few thing I have been thinking about toward some trials events and would like to know what other riders think toward the following-
1---PRE ENTERING- I personally dont like to idea of having to pre enter for all event . I was just wondering how many more people would show up on the day knowing they can enter on Sunday and not get hit with a extra $20.00. Some people might have bike problems and then get it fixed in time and can show up on the day , or maybe you might make a split decision on Saturday night and load your bike and head off Sunday, or if you are an early bird, wake up first thing Sunday morning and the sun is shining and the birds are cheeping and you load your bike and drive to the sit,knowing you can enter on the day and not pay and extra entry fee.

2---SCORE CARDS- If score cards are an issue on the day, maybe all riders can be issued with a race number ( like MX ) for the year eg.. JOHN SMITH, use his last name inital S and alicate a number from 1-100, so on the score card at every event he enters it will have S14. Than print out a A-Z page and every club has the same sheets.

3---TROPHIES- If organising trophies for the event is an issue, maybe it's time that the BIG KIDS (Seniors) dont get trophies for the events and the money can go towards the Juniors classes as they are the up and coming riders . I believe that a kid would be excited about getting a 3FT trophy or maybe place down to 6th. The kids are the future for this sport.
As for the Senior riders, maybe you can have a end of year trophy with the combined scores for the interclub events and have a trophy for 1st to 10th.

Thats all I have to say for now, so leave a feedback and maybe we can get this sport up and running again.

[PGKJB001]

Well, I can't fault the sentiment of wanting to enhance Moto Trials in Australia, but...

I am a big fan of pre-entries. Those organising a trial have lots to do & anything that can be done before the day of the event helps to make the day run more smoothly. I can't see a problem with the organisers refunding entry fees to a rider who rings to notify that he/she can't make the event due to changed circumstances. The easiest way to refund an entry fee is to tear up the cheque that has not yet been banked. I'm not sure that waking up on the morning of the trial and not hearing the birds chirping would or should qualify as 'changed circumstances'!

A more reasonable late entry fee would be in the order of $100. If those running the trial can organise well in advance an event permit, landowner permission for access to the site, setting of sections, observers & licenced officials etc etc, then surely a rider can get his or her entry in the week before the event.

Pre-entries allow score-cards to be prepared before the event without requiring the extra admin effort of maintaining multiple copies of a master list of potential riders that needs to be updated each time a new rider enters a trial.

I too have thought that most adult riders don't really *need* more trophies gathering dust, but as a competetive sport Moto Trials does need the ceremony of celebrating winners - especially as the popularity of the sport grows and publicity reaches further into the wider community.

Some other suggestions for helping to grow the sport:
- Do all you can to make the event organisers life as easy as possible - they are all volunteers and burnout is a significant threat
- Bring along riders new to Moto Trials and shepherd them through a couple of events on the clubman line - they will have a ball
- Particularly target any ex riders from other motorcycling disciplines who have kids. Moto Trials is the most family-freindly of the motorcycle disciplines
- Do what you can to develop talent in the Junior riders - from this group will come the future publicists and ambassadors for the sport
- Develop a national series that sees the elite riders competing against each other perhaps five or six times a year, at sites around the country with TV and mainstream bike-magazine coverage.

That last one is a bit 'out there', but wouldn't it be great!

Good topic - let's see the ideas flow

Regards

PGK