Ok. I guess I confused too many people now about who can enter and who don´t on ground tactics. Well here is the deal. What defines pro rider? Entering bmx masters every year in pro class? Having a bad ass level of riding like Moto Sasaki but riding expert class in Japan? What makes a rider a pro? In my opinion pro rider means doing nothing but riding for living. You pay your bills with riding, you travel and live in the hotels and eat because you ride your bike, yes, that is a definition of proffessional. And Sam Foakes doesn´t get paid from riding, he is working full time, Waldemar is not full time proffessional either, he studies and works. If I don´t let enter anyone who attended pro class before I should propably cut half of the entries so far. Thai guys all, rode in the pro class, same with Malaysian guy and few others. So if it kills the motivation of the others because they feel like they cannot win because Sam Foakes is in, then, your attitude won´t let you win a real competition ever in your life with "real" pro riders.
So now I am pointed fingers at me that I let Sam, Waldemar and Moto enter. So what? No one would say anything if I let Kotaro enter (and he is living out of riding). The fact is that current state of flatland is not very good. The tricks level is not high and the progressive riding is missing. As standing behind Ground Tactics I stay behind my words that we are looking for new tricks, new styles, hard tricks original tricks etc. etc.
If I close down the entries from people who have already done hard tricks and have already attended international competitions- Ground Tactics would be pretty boring site to visit AND I would not have a change to find any sponsors for this project in next few years.
I am out here to bring in some colour for flatland. Something else than same old competition runs year after year and people talking shit on global flat dot com. and that is also a fact that I can do whatever I feel like doing in my life and with my projects. And if I see that this is good for flatland, that is how I see it.
But don´t think that I am insulted or whatsoever. I am just clearing out my point of view on people who are confused, that´s all.
And another thing is that I am not going to take in any late entries anymore. If I let one rider enter, I´d have to let all the other late guys enter as well and I have about 10 people asking now for late entry. You would not go late on your competition run at a "real" competition, would you? So, sorry, there was enough of time to send in your material. And, yes, I took in 2 guys who asked for a permission to send in their late entries week before (they sent their material in 1 day late but they had a permission for it)
Next time.
We have already started a judging process and if we take in 10 more guys we have to start over the whole judging proccess and again, tomorrow another rider would ask for a late entry permission. So no to all late entries. Got to draw the line somewhere.
Martti Kuoppa-Groundtactics
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5 comments:
"In my opinion pro rider means doing nothing but riding for living. You pay your bills with riding, you travel and live in the hotels and eat because you ride your bike, yes, that is a definition of proffessional."
Mr. Kuoppa's definition puts me in the not pro category. It also puts Kevin Jones and just about everyone else in the not pro category. Flatland is not a normal sport. The Webster’s definition of pro is not applicable to it.
That quotation maybe answers why flatland is not that "big", it is an unprofessional sport, guys are doing it not as a job but as love.There are many "professionals" in Park and Street, but hardly any in flatland. Matthias, Terry, and Matt Wilhelm spring to mind, but not many others.
But then the majority are maybe not professional in terms of earning a living, but can be in riding standard.
Bottom line, i'm assuming this is Dane replying, what does that term mean with regard to flatland? Quite a topical debate at the moment with regard to the Groundtactics competition.
Dane,
Martti never said you or anyone wasn't "pro" in particular. There's a difference between riding professionally and riding at the professional level, the former means you make your entire living off of flatland and the latter entails that you're capable of riding at a very very high level.
Personally, I think people should kind of relax about this a bit. I understand there's pride involved and everything. Though I'm curious, don't most riders in the pro class realize they're good bike riders already? I think Webster's definition is adequate, if there's not a ton of money in the sport from sponsors then the circle of people making money off of the sport solely becomes smaller.
I also kind of miss the big deal about this too, it's a silly little term. There's tons and tons of guys who don't live off of riding bikes that do and are capable of way more difficult than guys who live off of it. If you're not stressing how well you do at a contest or how many demo's you do in order to eat this month, so why sweat it? These guys do, and so they focus on consistency. That doesn't mean they are necessarily better or worse bike riders than anyone else. They just.. sell themselves. Hustle
Groundtactics came into place for progression, and to bring the community together. That's it. No hard feelings or bloated ego's.
Anyone out there capable of doing enough tricks to please a crowd of kids could probably ride "professionally" if they did enough shows.
pete.
I see what your saying Pete. I'm just saying that trying to define what a pro is in flatland is not really something that can be done. There is just way to much grey area I think…
much respect
Dane Beardsley
Dane,
I wasn´t trying to take anything away from you or any other pro rider out there.
My whole point was to give an explanation why I am letting Sam and few others to enter on the ground tactics.
If Sam or Waldemar are not allowed to enter, then, I had to consider entries of many others.
If someone feels offended by what I said, that is too bad. Wasn´t my purpose.
Another thing I would like to high light is that nearly all of the guys who entered ground tactics are somewhere at the pro level as far as the skills are.
Some better some decent some almost and some better than current pros who are entering the major events.
So, it is impossible to draw a line somewhere in the middle that this guy is not allowed to enter, it is as difficult as to describe a pro rider.
So basically I was pointed at for the reasons that letting "pro riders" compete is taking away the change from others to win ground tactics. That made me give this explanation.
But, this is not taking anything away from anyone. It should push the others go higher level instead of thinking they cannot do it.
Sorry about confusing you. Just tried to make it clear for everyone, not hurt.
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