I have made this point directly to the Producer responsible for Motorcycle coverage, unfortunately to no avail.
What the Beeb needs to hear from the audience at large is that they are missing something special - which they clearly are. If we can bombard them with mail, text and phone, someone going to have to listen.
I agree its Jonny's trophy, but it would be fantastic to get Dougie a mention. Hodgson will get some minutes, Dave Millar (another hardworking and deserved World Champion - Cycling Timetrial) will also get covered. These guys have worked hard for their first titles, what about the man on his 7th !
Planning to doorstep the SPOTY team in the next couple of days would be good to know that some votes have been cast - keep them coming.
I have been trying to get some interest in Trials in the Beeb for a while. Its not that they are ignoring us, its that they don't understand the sport, and don't want to understand.
They know who Neil Hodgson is, lets give them something to think about by voting on mass for Dougie ! He may not beat Jonny or Neil, but if we get together we might get him on the radar.
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And for those of us on this side of the pond, there's Boots the Chemist !
Drop the shots on a CD and wander in,
'Something for the weekend, Sir ?'
'Yes, can I have 20 10 x 8s'
Or for those of you who might like a bit of privacy, then try http://www.btopenworld.com/create/digital_printing its a bit of a fiddle to get the software sorted but, once your done its about 3 days till the printed photos drop on your doorstep.
Thought about a printer once, but everytime I look in PC World there seems to be more choice, and a sales assistant who doesn't know his pixels from his paper quality.
I agree with Andy, it is important to plan your shot a little. The pros think about the background, framing the shot, whether they zoom, pan, while planning where to stand. With a digital you can try a few 'dummy' shots beforehand and see how they look and just delete them.
To get a shot of anything faster than 'a rambler on a sunny day' you do need to pan. Used to follow the RAC Rally (as it was then) and we'd get ourselves on the inside of bends to get the best shots - as it meant you're not panning so fast. It was nigh on impossible to get a decent 'in focus' shot from the outside of a corner.
A big criticism of many trials shots is that the are normally of a rider at the top of a step - head on - so you don't see what they have just come up. (most of mine are like this ) Pretty unspectacular - but the easy shot to get in focus - but it's the shot that a lot of press guys take at the WTC or BTC, and unfortunately you really have to stand you're ground if you're in a good position and then the leading riders appear accompanied by the press crew.
Its pretty good, but as Andy says you need to pre-focus by half pressing the shutter. So its about planning your shot a little.
I'll try to figure out how to send you a few pics I have taken at trials and you'll see that they are pretty 'active' - I can't work out how to reduce the size as they were all taken in High Res. I'm not smart enough to post them here.
I use the view finder and not the LCD display, and hold it traditionally and not in mid air. Use to use a 'monopod' when I was into rallying, which is excellent if you want to eliminate any shake.
Apparently at a trader level there's currently a boom on those roadies buying into off roaders - trouble is they're Enduro/Trail/MX and not Trialsters.
Witnessed this first hand yesterday, a group of lads I know have all parked the Hypersports bikes for the winter and are now buzzing round on big trailys.
They have a very different view on the countryside to me and you - 'Ride it until you get caught', 'its just a bit of fun' and 'Who's gonna catch me on a 640, eh ?'
These are normally responsible people (late 30s), who seem to have gone totally native since getting on the dirt - I have tried explaining how 'green lanes' work and that its important to behave responsibly - but its not a message that they want to hear.
I'm afraid that the biggest danger to our sport isn't from the Ramblers (who'd love to see us shut down) - but from fellow 'bikers' who think that 60 mph along the Ridgeway is cool.
Stood with Raga on the first day of Luxembourg WTC this year. I was videoing and he was doing the commentary on the riders for me. The video is actually quite cool ! He was pretty bitter about the suspension that day, you could see it in his face when I asked about it.
I think that it all comes down to mental toughness, DL is the master of this all the other guys are up and down 'like a bride's nightee'. especially Cabestany. Fuji is the next best but he can still throw in a 10th place if he really tries.
All the fuss around the Spanish Champs can't have helped his season, another case of politics ruining a days sport.
If I could get a couple of shots down to size I'd post them as I reckon its not a bad piece of kit for the money - they are a lot less now than when I bought mine.
I agree that it is a little battery hungry, so I have three sets to get me through a 64Mb card at High Res. A car charger would be a worthwhile investment !
The best bit is the Trials Central banner isn't as bold as the TA one, which means its less obvious when you're surfing and should be working Which is important to me anyway.
I think we'd all like to think that it could take off an go big. But in reality, the sport isn't back to the state it reached in the 80s - and that was hardly big time - events attracted twice the competitors and it wasn't unusual to see spectators.
My personal view is that there isn't a lot in it from a promotional/commercial perspective outside the WTC (In & Out), British Champs, SSDT & Scott. These are the only events that really draw a crowd, and those crowds are mainly riders or people otherwise involved in the sport - i.e. there's a limited interest group with limited funds. If you bring in professional promoters its just adding an overhead that we can't afford. So where does the money come from to go big time ?
SSDT & Scott could never charge spectator admission fees outside the optional purchase of a programme, there'd be mutiny on the moors !
If the importers fund more events that money has to come from somewhere and that somewhere is the trials communities pockets.
So whats in it for the external (non Trials related) sponsor ?
I think Mx and Enduro are different. From a dealers perspective, a MX/Enduro customer must be worth two or three times as much as a trials punter (new bike every year, trick bits, latest gear, breakages, worn out bits, etc) so there's more funds in their system than ours. Its also more attractive for external income, because its racing.
What am I saying ? Let Trials evolve, do what you like to MX and Enduro. Leave the power with the Clubs and ultimately with the riders.
Bbc Sports Personality
in General Trials Talk
Posted
I have made this point directly to the Producer responsible for Motorcycle coverage, unfortunately to no avail.
What the Beeb needs to hear from the audience at large is that they are missing something special - which they clearly are. If we can bombard them with mail, text and phone, someone going to have to listen.
I agree its Jonny's trophy, but it would be fantastic to get Dougie a mention. Hodgson will get some minutes, Dave Millar (another hardworking and deserved World Champion - Cycling Timetrial) will also get covered. These guys have worked hard for their first titles, what about the man on his 7th !
Planning to doorstep the SPOTY team in the next couple of days would be good to know that some votes have been cast - keep them coming.