sponsorship

[Matt]

FWIW I think drag racing is the perfect sport for watching. Tractor pulling is also good.

Everyone knows that attending an F1 event you don't actually get to see much of the race - but it's perfectly suited to TV: watching the start, having a snooze in the lazyboy and wake up for the finish.

[Rebel Skier]

Originally Posted by Turnip1

Well ive gotta say, Ski Racing is a very niche sport with a small following. But as long as you guys enjoy what your doing, what does it matter.

yes you're right what does it matter if its enjoyable......the problem is the price-tag that comes with ski-racing. yes it is great fun, but not always, especially when you have to fork out all that money to race.

[Tony Davis]

Originally Posted by Matt

, having a snooze in the lazyboy .

Is that code for gay sex with Chaos?

[dodgy dave]

Originally Posted by Turnip1

Well ive gotta say, Ski Racing is a very niche sport with a small following. But as long as you guys enjoy what your doing, what does it matter.

Personally, id travel to see a powerboat race and id travel to see waterski jump, slalom or freestyle. But i wouldnt go out of my way to watch waterski racing, i just dont understand it!!! Its a bit like sidecar racing i guess, its neither one or the other.

But the important thing is that you all persue the sports that you like and enjoy the participation.

Good luck with obtaining sponsorship.

Oh, and the world needs "Media" like a hole in the head.

I don’t mean to speak out of place here, but this is a three man or woman team working together to keep the skier on the end of the line not just buoy to buoy or a 30 sec run.

We should all be supporting each other and trying to further water sports no matter what format it takes.

Deep Joy.

[dazza]

Originally Posted by speedskier

Time for some Brutal honesty.

The BBC covered the worlds in '79. It was fansastic.

Did it help?

No!

Why?

Water Ski Racing in it's current format is BORING to watch. It's a scientific fact that the majority of peoples attention span is 15 mins. Terefore lets have the races for 15 mins! We could have more than 1 per formula i.e 2 or 3 main and support.

Who likes skiing for an hour?



Come on lets get it moving!

They have bowling and BORING MIND NUMBING TENNIS on the TV

Oh and fishing! now i like fishing but there are a lot of Boring fishing programes on as well!

[wicked999]

it aint worth gettitng out of bed for a 15 min race

[Cookee]

Originally Posted by wicked999

it aint worth gettitng out of bed for a 15 min race

Thanks for your first contribution! FYI OCR run successful 20 minute heats - 3 heats and a longer final over a weekends racing - a great format with entertaining racing close to the shore!

[wicked999]

no problem but we ski race not boat race that the diffrence

[dazza]

Originally Posted by wicked999

no problem but we ski race not boat race that the diffrence

At least when you watch ski racing it can all been seen from the shore, when you watch powerboat racing you see the start and then wait for around an hour before they come back!

[dodgy dave]

time to walk a way. you need to participate to appreciate the hours of trianing the team dose to enable the skier and team to ski for up to one hour at speeds of for F3 70+ F2 80+ F1 100+ .have you ever tried going back wards at 80 + with every lurch of the boat trying to send you over the back still giving the poss of boats and skiers on up to 200 hundred meters of line behind the boat. dont knock it till you have tryed it'. deep joy.ps cant wait for the summer.

[dazza]

Originally Posted by dodgy dave

time to walk a way. you need to participate to appreciate the hours of trianing the team dose to enable the skier and team to ski for up to one hour at speeds of for F3 70+ F2 80+ F1 100+ .have you ever tried going back wards at 80 + with every lurch of the boat trying to send you over the back still giving the poss of boats and skiers on up to 200 hundred meters of line behind the boat. dont knock it till you have tryed it'. deep joy.ps cant wait for the summer.

I have come out of the boat once, went over the engine and into the water! this was at sunny hunny! it was so ruff the boat (driven my Martin of Power Products Marine) was going through the water rather an over the waves and as the water came over the bow it hit me and i was out! ended up in Hospital , they fought my neck was broken but lucky it wasn't! my dad also hooked his Phantom 21 in Scotland and i came out of the seat and hit the ski pole! i did enjoy my 10 years or so observing!!!

Ask me if i would do it again!!!

Well yes i would but only if Wayne Maunders makes a come back! which he said last year will never ever happen!!!

[OCRDA]

Originally Posted by dazza

At least when you watch ski racing it can all been seen from the shore, when you watch powerboat racing you see the start and then wait for around an hour before they come back!

So not been to a Powerboat Race for a while then !!

OCR lap in under 2 minutes often only 50m from shore, F1 lap in under a minute again very close to shore Even Class 1 are lapping in under 3 minutes again only metres from shore. agreed most of these are abroad but they are all now learning !!

Bob

[Jon Fuller]

Originally Posted by OCRDA

OCR lap in under 2 minutes often only 50m from shore, F1 lap in under a minute again very close to shore Even Class 1 are lapping in under 3 minutes again only metres from shore. Bob

Yeah, tragic innit.

maybe one of the reasons the entire british powerboat racing fleet would fit in a toilet cubicle these days.

Whilst everyone wants to please the sponsors & specators, 'round the cans' is sooooo boring, especially when those cans are 50 feet appart.

[OCRDA]

Originally Posted by Jon Fuller

Yeah, tragic innit.

maybe one of the reasons the entire british powerboat racing fleet would fit in a toilet cubicle these days.

Whilst everyone wants to please the sponsors & specators, 'round the cans' is sooooo boring, especially when those cans are 50 feet appart.

This comes back again to those that "Do" It & those that "Talk" About It !!

Don't knock it till you've tried it !!

Bob

[Jon Fuller]

I'm not knocking OCR, I'm knocking the fact that over a good few years now, the offshore classes have morphed into big boats doing OCR courses to please the sponsors and Spectators (ultimately in an attempt to improve the finances, and popularity of racing)

However, do we have sponsors queing up to finance teams? are the fleets bulging to point where race entries need capping?.......did it work?? No, the trend has continued, maybe even quickened. Just look how many people are showing interest in 'old style' races like the RB, or even the talked about CTC.

My take on those facts, is that someones been barking up the wrong tree in the persuit of kick starting racing back into life.

Having said all that, I don't have an answer to the problem, I'm just saying I don't think class 1 'OCR' is very cool, and I'm sure the likes of Steve Curtis would rather be racing round Guernsey, or to Torquay and back, than 500 x 300 metre laps in Plymouth sound.

There's no doubt that back when powerboating was populated by wealthy guys and 'their' wishes for the format formed the 'old style', without such influence from the now needed sponsors, who as it happens, don't seem too interested either way. (and don't quote Honda, or P1, coz they both have 'sugar daddies' to ensure the media coverage, that brings the sponsors. Neither class would survive a half season without the intravenous cash injection they get.) the race courses were 'Offshore' and 'Long distance' and not repetitive small circles in sheltered waters.

[all steamed up]

Originally Posted by dazza

I have come out of the boat once

Been there, done that

Boat hooked on Loch Earn, i started in the observers seat and ended up exiting the boat between the driver and the steering wheel, but i'm sure u remember that Dazza as we were racing against your boat at the time (1995 IIRC).

Come to think about it, that was what convinced me to go back to the skiing

[dazza]

Originally Posted by all steamed up

Been there, done that

Boat hooked on Loch Earn, i started in the observers seat and ended up exiting the boat between the driver and the steering wheel, but i'm sure u remember that Dazza as we were racing against your boat at the time (1995 IIRC).

Come to think about it, that was what convinced me to go back to the skiing

I rememeber that! i miss Loch Earnhead! good racing there mate, oh and loads of

[dazza]

Originally Posted by OCRDA

This comes back again to those that "Do" It & those that "Talk" About It !!

Don't knock it till you've tried it !!

Bob

I was part of a waterski racing team for over 15 years mate! so i have tried it

So if as you say they are lapping around 3 minutes, then why at Ramsgate the other year did they start and then the boats are not seen for ages! thats not much good for all the bored people watching the racing or lack of racing, at least when we watch waterski racing you can see the whole race from start to finish

[OCRDA]

Originally Posted by dazza

I was part of a waterski racing team for over 15 years mate! so i have tried it

So if as you say they are lapping around 3 minutes, then why at Ramsgate the other year did they start and then the boats are not seen for ages! thats not much good for all the bored people watching the racing or lack of racing, at least when we watch waterski racing you can see the whole race from start to finish

I was there at Loch Earnhead as well probably competing against you !! I never mentioned class 3 they are one of the few classes still doing longer laps !! Oh and the Ski Race lap at Torquay last year was mind numbingly long seemed like about 10mins a lap.

Bob

[freedom]

the lap at torquay was long
and not well thought out IMO, awful for spectaors
the bambino couse was much more spectator freindly, but less boats running means that is possible
weston is again a race where you can see the whole race
but they are dots as you have not been able to get on knighstone island for a good few years now