What are we doing wrong with our sport?

[SMRTIC]

This is ridiculous, but really makes you think. Please read this article all the way to the bottom.


Turkey callers hope to lure a national title this weekend
BY MIKE ORGAN ? GANNETT TENNESSEE ? February 19, 2009

NASHVILLE ? Billy Yargus has learned as much about turkey calling by watching the birds as he has by listening to them.

Yargus perfected his calling technique by paying attention to the manner in which turkeys utilize their diaphragm. In the process, he became the nation's best caller.


The Ewing, Mo., resident won first place in the 2008 National Wild Turkey Federation Grand National Calling Championships in Atlanta and will be at Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center Friday through Sunday for the 2009 championships.

"When a turkey is calling everything comes from their diaphragm," said Yargus, 45, who won a trophy, a championship ring and $5,000 for last year's victory in the Seniors Division.

"When you watch a turkey, an old hen call, you'll actually see when she's yelping or cutting that she's using so much of her air that her tail kind of quivers or even does a little jerking motion in the same rhythm as what she's got coming out.

"It took me a long time to learn to bring all of my air out of my diaphragm like a turkey does."

The calling contest, which will take place Friday through Sunday in the Governor's Ballroom, will be held in conjunction with the 33rd annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show.

Other divisions include Gobbling, Friction, Owl Hooting and Rare Breed. One of Yargus' stiffest competitors will be 2007 champion Shane Hendershot of Zanesville, Ohio.

"You cannot have a better teacher than a live turkey,'' Hendershot said. "There are videos that have actual footage of them, but the best way is just being in the woods and calling hens in and watching them and listening to them."

Yargus' keen calling skills have helped him to become a better turkey hunter, of course.

"It makes you more confident when you sound exactly like a turkey,'' Yargus said. "I used to, once I had a turkey coming, as long as they kept coming I didn't say anything. Nowadays I'll call when they're standing there if front of me at 15 or 20 yards."

Yargus knows he will have to call as well as he did last year and probably even better if he hopes to repeat as the national champion.

"The grand nationals are the most prestigious turkey calling contest that there is and the most sought after,'' Yargus said. "Definitely the very best of the very best will be there."

More than 45,000 spectators are expected to attend the competition.




OK, did you get that? 45,000 spectators for a freakin turkey calling contest! We have trouble getting much more than a thousand at the largest world cup events and these people are getting 45,000 people to come hear people gobble like a #$@%'n turkey. What we do is a million times more entertaining than this crap. Where are we screwing up with promoting what we do? Lets get this discussion going and figure something out. This is embarrasing!

[skateluger]

Turkey Callers don't:

trash the venue.
need to a closed road.
require extensive insurance coverage.
have a tiny participation demographic.
have to make their own gear.
have a tough time finding equipment.
have to explain what they do.
have a bad reputation.

I could go on....

Apple and Oranges.
This sport is for US more than the spectators.

[SMRTIC]

I agree that this is kind of an apples to oranges comparison, but then again not really. It all comes down to what people will go and see for entertainment.

"Turkey Callers don't:"

"trash the venue." - We don't know that. We are talking about a crowd predominately made up of beer swilling redneck types. You also cannot tell me that pro skateboarders don't get rowdy at a skate competition, and they have crowds, press, TV, and sponsors.

"need to a closed road." - Yes, but they still need a venue.

"require extensive insurance coverage." - True, not like ours.

"have a tiny participation demographic." - Will there be more competitors than we have at a world cup?

"have to make their own gear." - We don't have to, most choose to, and that isn't a negative point.

"have a tough time finding equipment." - If we promoted ourselves and the sport better, this might not be an issue.

"have to explain what they do." - Does that matter? Most people have to justify their hobbies to others that don't share the same interests.

"have a bad reputation." - That is our own fault and definitely within our control. Why do we let people get away with acting like the stereotypical jackass skatepunk. For every one of us who have watched something like that occur at a race and done nothing about it, we are guilty of enabling this behavior and the negative image associated with it. We should act like athletes and not assholes.

Your reply to this thread is great. It is causing the analytical thought processes to get started. If we can sit and isolate all of the things that hold the sport back, we can identify the ways to overcome them. It is simply the process of problem solving.

I can remember a time when you couldn't get a city to get behind putting in a skatepark and the insurance was ridiculous. Now even every little po-dunk town across the country has a public one. Surely we can get the sport to move forward in both the quality of events and public perception.

Who has ideas?

[matt]

This sport is for US more than the spectators

People seem to love NASCAR-cars going in circles for 100s of laps

If Luging is brought back to the X-games or we get ESPN exposure then there will be a surge in popularity.

[HIT MAN]

As a rider who started participating in 2002, I'll throw my two cents in. We missed the swell, that's all. The 8 years or so prior to my experience was a time of awakening to extreme sports. The public perceives sports like ours as a fad. Remember the X games with snow shovel racing or sky boarding?
It's all about the newest, more interesting thing. The core sports which have survived are the ones with a market share to sell with gear or connected sponsor product (example: red bull). I always wondered why our sport was dropped like a bad apple, well it's clear to me if it can't be in a stadium or arena where I can charge admission or sell a product, I need alot of sponsor money or entry fees to justify the cost of any certain sport's inclusion. Good luck in today's economy.
For the last 7 years I have watched the"organized" sport of street luge diminish little by little here in the states. I give great props to the guys and gals out there who still work hard to put on events. We all know by now it's a losing proposition (financially) most of the time.

Now with the increasing popularity of the standup division (young bucks) it's easy to see where downhill sports are going. After my trip to Maryhill for the 2008 World Championships the writing is on the wall. Over 140 entries in men's stand up (only 96 could race) and about 30 for streetluge where 32 could race. By sheer entry fees of 250.00 each do the math. As a race organizer which way are you gonna go? After losing money it must be nice to break even or come out ahead maybe. And the TV coverage by NBC for the event....standup only.
" We've done streetluge already." I believe is what was said.

In an effort to bring some positive comment here let me finish with this. I have had some of the best times of my life riding with some great people. I have been fortunate to meet some of you charcters at events, fun runs and even here in our "little hill" area of Florida. There is no dillusion of fame or fortune, just the good times to be had racing shoulder to shoulder with other people who find this sport great. I'm getting old now so my "racing career" as it is, will be coming to an end soon...............I think. That does not mean I won't come out to put the pressure on you though! I still love to ride!

No Regrets.

John

[matt]

How about giving big name sponsers like Red bull, Monster, or DC free ads at events. Nothing to lose for them and it might make them take a second look.

[SMRTIC]

Well Hitman, I see your perspective. I can't argue with the fad, timing, logistics, or several other of your points that were made. I can however speak of my own experiences in some arenas.

For starters, long before streetluge, I rode freestyle BMX. I did it for over 15 years and traveled the US going to competitions and even doing shows with teams. I was never a recognized name, but I rode with many of them. I can remember when that sport went from having 5 monthly magazines on the newstand and pro riders having lucrative sponsorships in the 6 figure range, to just about disappearing off of the planet. The sport went way underground for several years before reemerging at the X-Games. Before long, it had found a new audience and the popularity grew. Pro riders now have more than we ever dreamed of back then. It's hard to believe that others and myself once thought the sport was almost gone forever.

Another thing that I remember is helping hold downhill events with F-6 Racing. Our first event was Bainbridge 2001. There were about 20 or so lugers and only one stand-up guy at the race. It was Eli Smouse. We had him making demo runs down the hill since he had no one to race. In 2002 we held out first World Cup at Talimena. We had a full streetluge class and only about 3 or 4 stand-up guys representing the US and Austria. In 2003 we had 4 stand-up guys representing the US, Austria, South Africa, and Australia. Keep in mind that this was at a time when there were lots of stand-up racers, and it had already come and gone at the Gravity Games. Who'd have thought that just a few years later we would be expanding the brackets from 32 to 96 and still having people not qualifying.

Maybe the "swell" has passed, but that doesn't mean that there isn't another behind it. Stand-up is riding the swell now. As long as we stay in the water, then we have the chance to catch the next one. I know that alot of us aren't going to be around for that next one, but we can still lay the ground work for it.

We are only done when we accept that we are done.

[HIT MAN]

Well said Bill. I wasn't trying to put the nails in the box, on the contrary. Your point is well taken about being in the water for the next swell.

I don't believe we are done, I just see myself on the back side. I have seen some young guys coming into luge, I try to be helpful and encourage them as much as possible, as long as we can still get some guys together safely and with respect, it lives.

Hell, here in Florida, where we have to drive 2.5 hrs one way to ride very meager 1/4 mile runs, we still get together once a month to ride. It's maybe not as exciting as it was in the beginning but its the people that matter. Through the years they have come and gone but there is a core group that keeps coming out practically every month.

Really glad you brought this up though, gets me thinking about the future of the sport, and what can I contribute to it?

John
Florida Streetluge
Attracting the Sheriff since 1999

[skateluger]

Its about money, plain and simple.
You gotta think "What's in it for sponsors?" Its not there.

There are OVER 50 skateboard companies in USA alone.
Skate manufacturers morph into clothing lines which reflect a lifestyle that draw consumers who will pay for PRODUCT just to be a part of that life style.

Where's the product support for Street Luge? Where's the shoes, shirts, gear or even media. Look at any popular sport and you'll find products galore for participants AND fans. Turkey calling, for instance.. go to Bass Pro Shops - many, MANY turkey calling products. Go to ANY skatehop and show me the Street Luge gear. We are a nation of CONSUMERS. We make sport out of shopping for crissakes... If you can't buy it, how can you try it?
The gear/products for Street Luge are too far from the short sighted consumers' vision. I bet if you put could street luges in a Target or REI you'd see some changes.

Then, of course, you'll need a place to ride. Which we don't. The proliferation of Skateparks in America is a direct result of law changes affected by PEOPLE WITH MONEY. California recognized and promoted skateboarding, changing the liability laws so skateparks could be built simply because there are more skateboard manufacturers in that state than anywhere else in the world. And they want to make money. The rest of the nation followed because EVERY KID COULD BUY A SKATEBOARD in Walmart or Toy R Us. That and evey kid wanted to be Tony Hawk.

Money money money. Its all it takes. You wanna create the next swell... throw money at it, lots of money.

I ain't got any money but I still make 'luges, I still ride and still I encourage others to ride because I believe in what this sport has to offer.

[Big Steve]

Why is NASCAR more popular than say Rally Racing or Off Road Racing? Because you can watch it from grandstands and see it all live. Think of what it would take to project a street luge race in a similar manner. You'd need an Obama sized wallet to make it happen.

We can grow the sport one rider at a time. As I see it we need more races, like what IGSA did two years ago in So Cal. Closed roads, medics standing by, organization and a sancationing body. It was under that very organization that got us involved in the sport. I'd like to see it return to that level.

Standup is the growth of downhill for sure. Why don't we have a fun run and expose standup riders to classic luge?

[downhillhound]

"we need more races"

maybe Steve is on to something. more races expose the sport to a larger audience. larger audiences means more spectators. more spectators bring more sponsors. sponsors bring money. money attracts better racers. better racers mean better racing, which means more spectators.........and well you can see where this is going. just seems to me things need to start with more races. wouldn?t that be one place to start? who is working on that?

[Big Steve]

As I understand the situation the IGSA costs to conduct a race at Bonelli Park have gone up. I believe that racers are willing to pay the fees to cover the costs. The issue is manpower. Marcus and Bob take personal time off from their jobs to set the event up and take it all down. It is a very labor intensive effort. To many promises to help and not enough hands to do the work. The set up takes over 12 hours, typically and the tear down about half that. Pitching in to pick up a few things is great but they really need dedicated people who can donate a few hours of good honest hard work. Driving stakes or pulling stakes, rolling netting, picking up hay bales is physical labor and that is what is needed.
For far to long have we rolled up late, raced and left after awards leaving them to stay till after midnight cleaning the place up. Trust me the effort and labor is appreciated.

[sean c]

I'll say a huge problem is the number of races. To outsiders and potential sponsors IGSA has a very impressive looking worldwide race series...but the fact remains it's a very top heavy sport with little to no small events supporting it and growing the rider population.

I think part of the problem is us. The cheapest races for people to put on are half mile races with one to two turns that requires minimal hay and is easiest for spectators to see the majority of the action. But, it seems like most people don't want to travel to a small hill with two turns that they've already ridden twice before because the hill is too easy or bores them. The focus needs to be on the racing against each other and not making it down a challenging hill.

Bill you brought this up in a post a few years ago about putting on races in the middle of downtowns, yet the hills may not be the best. If i remember correctly people weren't too receptive of this.

Because of this when people organize events everyone wants to organize a world cup event and no one wants to organize a "regional" event. Part of this is because
1. everyone strives to have the best possible event
2. people want to race against the biggest names to see how they compare
3. the more racers you draw the better chance, you have to break even, yet your costs go up.

Another typical problem is that in the past, sponsors have been lied to about the amount of spectators that would be at an event and now they don't want to sponsor anything anymore.

here's just a few of the problems as i see it. hope i didn't babble too much.

sean c

[Big Steve]

Actually I know towns are always looking to promote unique events or to build upon an established event with a new twist. "In town" hills are usually not technical enough to draw street lugers out of the shadows for the event. As we all know racing with multiple classes takes the majority of the day. Limiting the classes to say Downhill and Street luge could speed up the day. All I'm saying is length of event (time wise) is important. Street have to be closed, traffic flow interrupted, etc. Reducing the impact is important from the organizers. All that takes will, determination, experience and multiple people to make it happen.

[ChrisMcB]

What is in it for the sponsors? Eyeballs. Do you know GoFast's ROI for Speed Days? I don't know the exact number, but it is STAGGERING!

Regional Events: Having regional events would be a start. Look at the number of outlaw events that have cropped up over the last year? Unfortunately they are outlaw events.

The IGSA World Cup Point is based on a pyramid scheme (and is copied from the snowboard point system) For WC there is supposed to be 2 Continentals, for wahc Continental at least two Nationals, and each National at least 2 Regionals. I don't know if the snowboard system has a continetal level, but they have about 100 regionals for each National...

More regionals helps people get points without having to spend a lot of money travelling. Unfortunately it costs money to put a race on, and without sponsorship the entry fee is high.

One of the problems with streetluge nowadays is people don't know about the sport, or know it still exists. People don't know how to get into it. And as far as races goes, the sport is dieing in America. There is what, one race scheduled in North America for 2009? Fewer than 30 Americans raced Luge last year.