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Why Is It Called "pro" Class?


sectionone
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Zippy, sorry I'm so blunt!, Picture my world for a moment! In the stunt world, if you screw up someone is either dead or hurt really bad! When it goes well, is planned to a "T" and everyone works together, then we all have fun, make a lot of money and provide some great entertainment for everyone interested in dramatic TV and feature films.

If things go bad, in comes all the lawyers, OSHA, studio safety people and everyone else. So you tend to get REALLY cut and dry and dead serious about things. You must cut through the Krap and do just what is needed to keep people safe and earning a living. Everything else is unemportant!

Yes, a lot of that pressure and professional lifestyle bleeds over into my sporting life. Sorry if it offends some people but I simply don't have the luxury, time or the personality to play around after all these years of dealing with life and death situations almost everyday.

Edited by Mich Lin
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Boo Hoo, that lane is so wrong and hurt my "Feelings"!

I think maybe turn off Oprah and switch to some ultimate fighting, that should give you some perspective. Even those "Pro's get paid.

Who gives a rats tail if you agree with lane or not. Why can't you give your opinion without having to qualify every thing Lane ever talked about. Will the kids at daycare beat you up if you agree with him? or is it the nursing home? You waste a lot of thread space constantly whining about what Lane may have said at some point.

Why not "wow Lane Great Point!". You are an asset to TC.

Or "Lane you're dead wrong, And here's why........"

Edited by paul_thistle
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THE SPORT IS REALLY GROWING AROUND MY AREA, BUT AS FAST AS IT GROWS JUST AS MANY PEOPLE ARE SICK OF THE SAME OLD SAME OLD, FOR INSTANCE TRAVIS FOX, HE'S A PRO RIDER HE'S NOT THE BEST BUT REALLY GOOD, HE WOULD RATHER GO AND PLAY WITH MOTOCROSS THAN COMPETE IN TRIALS BECAUSE IT ISN'T FUN ANYMORE? OUR CLUBS AROUND HERE AREN'T THAT GREAT, MOST OF THEM PUT ON AN EVENT AND THEN SAY HAVE A GOOD ONE AND IT'S OVER! FIRST PLACE MIGHT GET A COFFEE MUG FOR THERE TROUBLES THATS ABOUT IT!!!! WHO GETS THE CHEESE? IT'S NOT FOR INSURANCE REASONS, MOST ALL THE MEMBERS ARE FRIENDS AND THE LAND IS OWNED BY MEMBERS? SO IF 60 PEOPLE PAY 20 DOLLARS TO RIDE, WHERE ARE THE SHIRTS AND TROPHYS? I THINK IT WOULD GROW MORE OVER HERE ALSO IF THE AMA WOULD GIVE US A LITTLE CREDIT OR SOME COVERAGE? ALL'S YOU HEAR ABOUT FROM THEM IS CROSS COUNTRY CRUISING AND BIKER CLUBS, NOTHING TRIALS? BUT WE ARE ALL SUPPOSED TO PAY THEM 40 DOLLARS A YEAR TO BE A MEMBER TO SOMETHING THEY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT? THERE ARE ALOT OF UP IN THE AIR QUESTIONS ABOUT RIDING OVER HERE, AT LEAST IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS?

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Great points about the Oklahoma fall fest and Travis Fox! I also like the untimate fighting comparison done by Paul. Often I hang with these ultimate fighters, one of my best buddies is Gene LeBell known as the toughest man alive, Gene runs the gym and trains a lot of the very best ultimate fighters on the planet. He used to ride trials years ago and he recommended me for my first stunt job, wheelieing a motorcycle down the railing of a bridge on "The Fall Guy" TV series.

That day really opened my eyes, I made more money in two days than I earned working all year as a professional trials rider. Yes, the stunt scared the h@ll out of me but earning thousands of dollars in one day was great. Plus those two days lauched my new movie and TV career.

I think you guys must remember that I was pulled aside by Wiltz Wagner and the core of the NATC at my last NATC meeting and told point blank.......We do not want anymore Pro riders in the United State! What they had a vision for was a bunch of guys getting together having fun, contesting their age group championship at well organized fun events. I think they have acheived that goal very well.................

Wiltz and the core of the organization felt that Professional riders and teams are bad sportsmen! They felt that it was no fun having Professional athletes riding with them. So their goal for the US nationals was to organize fun events that they could ride and have a great time at.

I feel that Wiltz and the organization made a huge mistake! What they needed to do was have two series. One for the Pros and one for the sportsmen! That way trials could grow and still enjoy fun age group national championship. That way we would have the best of both worlds.

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paul_thistle Posted Today, 09:14 AM

Boo Hoo, that lane is so wrong and hurt my "Feelings"!

I think maybe turn off Oprah and switch to some ultimate fighting, that should give you some perspective. Even those "Pro's get paid.

Who gives a rats tail if you agree with lane or not. Why can't you give your opinion without having to qualify every thing Lane ever talked about. Will the kids at daycare beat you up if you agree with him? or is it the nursing home? You waste a lot of thread space constantly whining about what Lane may have said at some point.

Why not "wow Lane Great Point!". You are an asset to TC.

Or "Lane you're dead wrong, And here's why........"

Well, apparently a "tongue in cheek" comment about agreeing with someone I normally don't agree with is wasted on you.

back on topic:

Would there be funds available or "thrown around" to pay the "pro" trials riders if the AMA spent more time and money on advertising the sport and generating interest?

Or maybe we need the AMA, NATC, USMTA, Sponsors, or some other organization to create a pro series similiar to the schedule/format of Supercross. It may require that the series be indoor events, and really would that be that terrible if it was?

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OK, lets dig up bones!

I'm so fired up from people that live around me who have interest in trials that I'm keeping my trusty old machine as a bike to offer others to have a go at moto-trials.

sam

Hmmm... am I reading 'tween the lines that Sammy has a NEW bike!???

Is it one that could (for topic's sake :thumbup: ), be used to compete in the PRO class?

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Or maybe we need the AMA, NATC, USMTA, Sponsors, or some other organization to create a pro series similiar to the schedule/format of Supercross. It may require that the series be indoor events, and really would that be that terrible if it was?

Maybe I was "Tongue in cheek"! :thumbup:

I just like to see more discussion. Everybody loves sniping, but afraid to state their opinion.

I agree that it will take some "Other" organization to create a series. The GNCC series really opened up off road racing in the east. And it didn't just benefit the pros, the sportsman classes are HUGE. I would say because of that series The racing sport Quad was ressurected by the manufacturers.

Instead of looking for a club, maybe a good promoter would do the trick. It's not like they would need our permission. If you knew there was an event that attracted a thousand entries twenty or thirty Pros, that was run like clockwork you would want to go! ( would that be ALL the trials bikes?)

Edited by paul_thistle
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paul_thistle Posted Today, 12:39 AM

I agree that it will take some "Other" organization to create a series. The GNCC series really opened up off road racing in the east. And it didn't just benefit the pros, the sportsman classes are HUGE. I would say because of that series The racing sport Quad was ressurected by the manufacturers.

Instead of looking for a club, maybe a good promoter would do the trick. It's not like they would need our permission. If you knew there was an event that attracted a thousand entries twenty or thirty Pros, that was run like clockwork you would want to go! ( would that be ALL the trials bikes?)

Yep, seen more racing quads and utility quads for that matter.

I guess it would take a promoter that was willing to take the risk of holding a single event (Endurocross) to get it started and then make a series. Maybe get RedBull to throw some money at it, they are into sponsoring or advertising at "extreme" sports events. Maybe nobody sees it as a money making venture.

That would be ALL the trials bikes in the US plus the few hundred that got sold just before the event to fill the entries. :thumbup:

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They could do what motocross promoters do. When I raced motocross (at the local level) most promoters had a pro class. The difference of the pro class was that the top finishers got cash instead of a $3 plastic trophy. Anyone could enter the pro class (no license required), but it was the most competitive. My understanding was that the cash awarded was a percentage of the entries in the pro class. At $30 per entry, a gate with 30 - 40 riders would net $900 - $1200. The promoter would take a percentage, and the rest would be divided between the top finishers, no need for sponsors or outside money. At some events only a hand full of riders would enter the pro class, but still not a bad deal to get paid for having fun.

PS: I still have the $100 check I ever earned racing. Never cashed it.

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I like the idea of another Pro National championship series besides the NATC series, which is of course an amatuer series today! In the day the NATC was packed full of professional riders and factory teams. Including Honda and Yamaha to name a few big brands.

Perhaps picking exsisting established famous events would be the way to go? El Trial could be one round, the Fall fest Pro event in Okalahoma and the indoor national championship during the Youth Nationals in Tenn. could be another. Clubs could volenteer their BIG events as a round each year if they wanted to be involved, trials like fun in the sun for example. I'm sure a lot of people would like to see the best riders in their local area!

Remember this could be done OUTSIDE the NATC, also remember that the AMA and the NATC is the same thing! Don't let that get in the way however, when Larry Wise of Montesa, TMI and Fantic and myself organized the 125/250 US national championship in 1981, we had the sanction and the blessing of the AMA, outside the NATC. So it's not a big deal to organize a national Title without the NATC, I've already done it!

Edited by Mich Lin
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