Ok…here goes! This is a follow up too Part 1 of my FlatChat interview and the article I posted on facebook titled, “Infrastructure And The Future”. For those of you that did not read the interview or the article - please do, and add to your mental database. As for those who have been reading…I continue to push where it matters most to me – infrastructure!
On Saturday July 25th 2009, there will be an official launch of the, “TREVLON HALL BMX FREESTYLE FLATGROUND”. A monumental addition to flatland’s infrastructural history…a spot declared for flatland that’s fully endorsed and supported by the government of Trinidad & Tobago. A spot that parents will fell encouraged carrying their kids and leaving their kids. A legitimate place which will attract a new wave of respect, talent and business. A place the kids could have fun and train without distractions.
As a rider visiting from another country you will fell most welcome in knowing that our legal framework and sporting system supports & respect your passion and in most cases your life. The spot will be added to our sport directory and every other national directory where necessary for added exposure.
"A legitimate place which will attract a new wave of respect, talent and business. A place the kids could have fun and train without distractions."
Trevlon working a two footed death truck
Ponder this - How nice will you feel as a flatlander on a plane heading to a country browsing through their tourism catalog and there are legitimate locations for Flatland? I have seen Bmx Ramp Parks advertised in Catalogues many times when I am on a plane – the same can happen for Flat!
When I get on a plane to travel to another country as a die-hard flatlander, the first thing I do is unpack, build up my bike and think about where I can go ride. If you know a local rider when you travel to a foreign country the process is easier to borrow tennis courts, basketball courts, and parking lots. If the rider has his own backyard spot, then you’re in heaven – but that’s personal, and not public!
If however, you don’t know a local rider and you are on you’re own looking for a spot to borrow, the process can end up dissatisfying and ugly. There are no guarantees to a good session! I don’t know about you, but I hate to trespass when it comes to riding my bike in peace, especially in foreign territory. I like to give people their respect for the stuff they earned via their hard work and keep out of unnecessary hassle and trouble.
When you go to a country where a decent bmx ramp riding scene exist – you can simply in most instances find a park through directories and the likes. The fact is -There are legitimate public locations to ride !!! The same is true with many other ORGANIZE and SUCCESSFUL sports.
X footed two footed dump truck carved into...(vids soon)
If in your country you are comfortable with using the Natural Infrastructure. Please note, that some countries Natural Infrastructure are not flatland hospitable. Everyone is subject to different conditions and environments. The FLATLAND PARK concept in no way will take away anyone’s spot. It’s a plus to what already exist. Of course our sport exists! But too who - Our flatland community, or the General Public? Bmx Street and Sk8boarding, have a choice between the streets and legitimate locations with a Public address - its up to the individual to choose where they want to ride/sk8. But the evidence is ample - they have somewhere legitimate that identifies their sport to the General Public and in the bigger picture adds to their industry on many, many levels.
I worked diligently on this concept because I was sick and tired of distractions, disrespect and other dissatisfactions over the years. There were no guarantees to the spot I called mines whenever I went out to ride it – if tennis was going on at the spot. I had to either find somewhere else or wait to borrow the spot. It got so ridiculous at times I had people playing netball, cricket and even jogging around me whiles I was in the middle of a deep sweet session.
I don’t know about you, but I am not going to keep on borrowing, and I don’t want others to go through the same dissatisfactions I have dealt with over the years. Who is to blame? Getting organized is very important, and as an elder in the sport on the island – I am doing exactly that. In fact, when I travel to other countries and return home…I don’t want to worry about borrowing spots other organizations labored for or returning to a reclaimed spot whiles I was away and other critical concerns.
"I worked diligently on this concept because I was sick and tired of distractions, disrespect and other dissatisfactions over the years. There were no guarantees to the spot I called mines whenever I went out to ride it – if tennis was going on at the spot. I had to either find somewhere else or wait to borrow the spot."
I want to see the pros make a living from flatland and more parents encouraging their kids to get involved. For the least, I want to see the best things happen for our sport. Like I always say – Everyone has a part to play in the industry and I will push where I can on my part. My biggest inspiration in flatland at the moment is setting up infrastructure for our generation next. That’s me…everyone has a different motive. You do you, and I’ll do me!
Backyard jump switch in the wet
I am going full force with the Flatland Park concept out here and my Local Government loves it. They don’t understand a g-turn from a crack packer, but they certainly understand that a Flatland Park can distract kids from violence, drugs, gang warfare and other social ills. At meetings my language is not about how long I spin and balance for – it’s about our youths, and giving them an opportunity to excel at something positive which will benefit the community and the nation in the bigger picture.
I was fortunate enough to be using a tennis court for the past 10 years that was scarcely used by our local tennis association. I was always a respectful and positive example in the community and over the years other riders made it a place to practice although we were faced with constant distractions. Like I said in my interview for Cream Mag issue#33 – I did the best I could in deviant conditions.
Feel free to ask Jesse Puente about the surface we have been using for years and how many flats he got on his last visit to Trinidad? The nature of the conditions I faced over the years amounted to the push I am today.
"I was fortunate enough to be using a tennis court for the past 10 years that was scarcely used by our local tennis association. I was always a respectful and positive example in the community and over the years other riders made it a place to practice although we were faced with constant distractions."
So basically, the spot, which was originally designed for tennis, is being transformed to our first Flatland Park. Legally no more tennis – Legally flatland - In fact, some of you all are use to seeing signs marked, “ No BMX”. I will have signs saying, No Tennis, No Cricket, No Jogging, No Basketball, No Football and a lot of other NOsss !!! [laughter]
The transformation of the tennis court to a Flatland Park comes with a cost attached to it. Local government is taking up part, and I contributed the rest. I am using my Contest budget from local sponsors and other earnings. I am throwing everything into the park for the kids and our generation next. If I had to sell everything I have just for a Flatland Park for the kids - I will do it. I have made major sacrifices over the years for flatland and I will do whatever I can for the youths and the generation next. The long-term benefit is Priceless! I love our sport and will risk anything to help build it constructively and for youths.
Here are 4 main questions most parents ask when their kids want to pursue flatland as a career. There are many more, but lets look at these for the moment.
1) How much does a flatland bike cost?
2) Where can I buy you that flatland bike and where can I get you literature/flatland education?
3) Where are you going to ride that flatland bike?
4) What are the rewards?
I rode with many kids over the years whose parents were not satisfied with the answers to those 4 questions and pressured their kids out of riding. I like talking with parents and hearing their views – I can learn something and help positively impact the (4) main questions. Now if you want to learn more, just do a survey on global-flat with the youngest riders online and find out what questions their parents ask. Those 4 questions is a book by itself!
Anyways, We need to have respect for our sport and talk positive about it. If we expect to get unconditional respect for flatland, we must take time to give it the care and respect it deserves. Getting it organized is a seriously critical issue. If you like the concept of a Flatland Park and you see impossible, you would attract impossible. Moves like this would not happen over night. We sometimes see the world not as it is, but as we are. Think and act positive…team up with likeminded others. Become citizens of persistence, and addicts of commitment.
The reality of an airplane was once impossible…the reality of a cell phone was once impossible…the reality of your tricks was once impossible and every other gift of human labor. We made all these things possible with unshakeable faith, definiteness of plan and consistent labor. Great things don’t happen over night. There is like a bazillion tons of info online about how to get a skatepark/bmx park going in your community. These guys faced many setbacks before they acquired parks. You can read some of their articles and learn something that can apply to our industry.
"We need to have respect for our sport and talk positive about it. If we expect to get unconditional respect for flatland, we must take time to give it the care and respect it deserves. Getting it organized is a seriously critical issue. If you like the concept of a Flatland Park and you see impossible, you would attract impossible. Moves like this would not happen over night. We sometimes see the world not as it is, but as we are. Think and act positive…team up with likeminded others. Become citizens of persistence, and addicts of commitment."
Flatlanders have to learn to develop their industry and not be totally dependent on others to do it for them… we have the power to make or break our industry. Don’t blame it on a,b,c,d,e, or f - become more talented and serve from a productive perspective. Big cooperate wigs, community officials, councils, local government, distant government – you name it. How will you get them to know about our sport? Or even better – get them to support it!
By taking the necessary steps that will encourage them to support it. By taking it to them in a language they can understand. Are you going to walk into their office for the first time and get support? Are you going to let that big FAT NO stop you? A quitter never wins and a winner never quits! In some places this might take years, but if you really want it, you should make moves towards it.
How many times did Thomas Alva Edison face temporary defeat before experiencing success with his historical inventions? There are countless others throughout world history that had the same faith. I did not get my local government to support flatland, before falling on my face countless times over the years – just like learning tricks…..one has to learn from every endeavor. We must become citizens of persistence and addicts of commitment on different levels. We do it to learn tricks, and we can apply the same principals to develop our sport.
We have to make time to develop key areas of the flatland industry. Contact your media houses when you are having events. If you have to do your own edit and hand it to them – do that! Don’t let them cover to your dislike and them blame them. Do it yourself! Contact bookstore owners if you have too and tell them your flatland community is dying for literature (magazine/books that support flat). Tell them you will advertise their store every time you do a school demo or whatever it takes to get it across to an audience. Take a booth if you have too with books and magazines from their store. Become actively involved beyond riding if you have what it takes! This will help heaps…
We are the core industry programmers; we must become diverse with skill sets that will build our sport. As time goes by, we will need hardcore literature on our judging systems and other fundamentals. The more education and organize documentation of our sport the better for everyone.
I am super busy at the moment, but sacrificed some time to share some of my ideas and feelings with everyone once again. I will talk and contribute more as time goes by. I am doing some refining to the constitution I wrote which was part responsible for the FlatPark and showing government how serious I am about our sport. I know it will help others with similar goals and I would most definitely make it available to flatlanders who are extremely, extremely, extremely serious about organizing our sport. Flatland will tremendously benefit from serious associations and organize behavior.
We are the core industry programmers; we must become diverse with skill sets that will build our sport. As time goes by, we will need hardcore literature on our judging systems and other fundamentals. The more education and organize documentation of our sport the better for everyone.
Remember that every great organization began with ONE person and every SUCCESSFUL sport or person was once UNSUCCESSFUL.
Go with strength and undying faith. We will be seeing legitimate public riding spots on global-flat’s spots page in the years to come.
Peace and Blessing to all !!!
Trevlon Hall
www.xsitesport.com
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