Trials Diary

[alan bechard]

29 December 2003

This is a diary to share what goes on with the hosting of an event. It may be silly to some, stupid to some, and interesting, entertaining or comical to others. Probably a little bit of each to most readers.

My thoughts with doing this are that it should provide some insights for others that are potentially looking at being promoters. I also hope that it will let some of the more seasoned promoters see the mistakes I am about to make, and hopefully lend a kind bit of advice. The third goal would be that hopefully some of the folks that just ride, and never are the promoter, will read along and appreciate what the folks putting these things on go through to make it happen. And maybe they will give the promoter the benefit of the doubt when it is all said and done.

The background segment

I am sure I will miss pertinent details here, but will cover them later if asked. My name is Alan Bechard. I live in Clarksville, TN, which is about one hour north of Nashville, TN. I am 37 years old with 2 children and a very understanding wife. I have been riding Trials since I was 5 or 6 but only very recently started getting into the promoting end of the sport.

I believe in the saying that goes, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. In this instance, it means that I wanted to gradually progress in my learning. To that end we ran a fun trial in 01, and STRA sanctioned event in 02 and we are planning a large regional event this year. In 01 and 02 I was also the Youth Director for the Southeastern Trials Riders Association (STRA)

Where are we at this point?

We have received a sanction from Trials Inc (TI), the club to our north and a date for a two day event. I routinely speak with other members of STRA and we have this same date blocked in tentatively on the STRA calendar. The scheduled date is May first and second. This was not my first, second, nor third choice but came about after much shuffling to avoid longer established events. I went to Nashville, Indiana to propose to hold the event here in Clarksville, and the Kentucky Trial Riders group of TI agreed to go in with me on it.

We have a 40-acre site that we are allowed to ride on that is privately owned. It is located one mile from the interstate on a major road so it is excellent for access and you are in the

[alan bechard]

8 Jan 04 Hmmmm, Dear Diary, it is so darn hard to tell where my life ends and the Trials begins, seems that so much that I do revolve around it.

Much of the past week spent buying a Tractor and Trailer and getting the financing and the accessories worked out. That is truly for the wifes business, but, it will also be used, probably first by the way, in mowing the parking area, and setting some of the log sections in the Trials. It will also be there on hand in case needed for bad weather as a tow vehicle.

Spent last night looking at chains, shackles and pins, then I got out of the adult novelty shop! No, really, spent my evening at Rural King and TSC the local farm stores looking and learning the different ways of hooking stuff up, they had some very neat things that would help with dragging logs, uh, I mean, removing unwanted plantings from customers landscapes.

Got the daughters Sherco back together, and mine serviced in preperation for the upcoming year end banquet this weekend and first ride of the season.

Have been working with the folks preparing the online signup and computerized scoring system that will be used at the event next year. Trying to get the details worked out as to how different clubs do things, and why sometimes, can be a challenge.

So here is my question to you guys out there.

I am considering doing a "Hay Ride" where we would take my tractor, and a 6 X 12 Trailer lined with haybales and ride the people around the field. This would provide the "trolly" type thing that I have promoted for others, and my past experience is that it would give the kids something great to do.

The question that comes up is Liability and Manning.

Is it worth the liability? Would the AMA insurance cover it should something unfortunate happen? Would a seperate waiver be needed even though everyone would have signed one at the gate?

Would I be better off to put 2 people on this as a task? One driving and one being a safety guy on the trailer?

Would this be worth the loss of an additional person or two?

It would also give me someone out there in the parking lot keeping the "driving lanes" open.

So what do you folks think?

It is truly a small area, and the "trolly" would be neat, but certainly not required.

Edited January 8, 2004 by Alan Bechard

[alan bechard]

12 Jan

The STRA had it's annual meeting this past weekend as well as it's first ride of the year.

We had a promoters meeting in the morning to get the schedule planned out.

Fortunately, the difficult task of trying to schedule between two clubs was pretty much already worked out between the TI meeting and the STRA meeting so when it came to my event at the meeting, it was quickly agreed upon and gone on to the next.

The afternoon held our annual business meeting where there was much discussion and some changes were made.

NATC scoring rules with few exceptions were adopted as well as the marking rules. This is a blessing for me as it puts TI and STRA now using the same scoring rules.

I think the new white ribbon will also be very good and give us some options to reverse lines as we see fit.

I also picked up the marking supplies for our event at this meeting, by doing this it saves on paying for shipping which is quite expensive.

We have a new rule in our rulebook that is called "rule 8" that basicly say's that the rules can be disregaurded by the promoter if he thinks it is a good idea. I am sure that is not a literal translation, but that is the Al Bechard, real world definition. It will be interesting to see how it is applied in practice throughout the year.

Riding the event the next day provided as always some more insight into setting my event. They ran a shuttle service with a rented van that transported over 70 people to the section area. I think it was a real success, I think there would have been almost no spectators had it not been for this service. Makes me rethink my Trolley idea, but I do not have the distances that they had to contend with.

They used longer sections than I normally do with more twists in them. Made for some pretty challenging lines that you had to hold your concentration through all the way. Something to think about when setting mine.

My daughter worked that event, so I lost one worker for my event for one day, it was a difficult trial so it was probably the best that she chose to do that, and her best friend C will probably work with her one day at our event, and then they will ride together one Day.

Last week or so, I sent some trials video's to a work friend of mine that is a Scout master. I hope to be able to recruit 5 to 10 "punchers" from his crew for the event. Workers are always a concern when setting an event, and in my opinion, should be a priority for all promoters. I am looking for different options than press ganging in riders and their families all the time for the entire work force. Another benefit to the STRA adopting the NATC scoring rules is that we are able to use the excellent scoring video that BB of the NATC has put together. I will do this a week or so before the event, and then at the event as well.

The STRA has also adopted the TI scoring system. This was truly a challenge at the event yesterday as they had a tremendous amount of Data to load, but I am confident that we will see it steadily improve as we go along. It also means that I will have quick access to excellent event statistics directly after the event. For an example of these results you can go to the STRA BB and see the result link under announcements.

Well, diary, enough for tonight, A big get off yesterday has taken the stuffing out of me all day.

Got the bikes washed up, and Christina wants to go riding next weekend so that she can practice.

Need to service two bikes, and get the brakes working on the Goosneck, and the lights, and get the bush hog, and go do the property, and weld on a brace on the bucket of the tractor so I can weld some hooks on to move the logs around with. Yep, sounds like fun.

[alan bechard]

14 October Dooooohhhhhhh, were did that come from, must have been the end of a long evening working!

Lets Try

14 Jan 04

Wrote the landowner who is thinking of getting back into trials. Offered to set him up on a bike if he wanted to come out with us this Sunday and ride and play around.

Worked on the Tractor and Trailer getting it ready, have to touch base and see where "my" bush hog is???? Maybe be able to mow the area this weekend? Have to reinforce and add hooks to the bucket to move the logs around.

Got Christina's bike ready to go for this weekend (washed, oil change, air filter, new shifter (oooppps) chain oiled etc.). She wants to train with Doug so that she can be more competitive. I think she wants to beat the boys now!

Set up a tentative CAMELOT trials Schedule and sent it to folks on the Camelot list, along with an invite to come out and work this weekend, uhhh, I mean ride this weekend.

Edited January 15, 2004 by Alan Bechard

[jtt]

14 October

Gnarley dude...time warp

By the way, great job Alan! Beats the heck out of "reality TV"

Did you ever sort out your "hay ride" delema?

Edited January 15, 2004 by JTT

[alan bechard]

Nope, Still waiting for the WWW audience to chime in.

Will have all the pieces in place to do it, and it will probably depend greatly upon manning and conditions the day of the show.

Right now the stress is looking at my schedule, and seeing very few open weekends between now and then.

Thanks for the reply.

[jtt]

Alan, I'd say you should check with the AMA insurance carrier and verify if they will cover it, or what their take on it is.

I'd also say the second body in the wagon would be a wise decision.

Additional waivers can't really hurt but are not worth much in court.

Basic rule is to do "what a reasonable person would do" to prevent injury and protect the safety of users. If you set up your wagon as secure as possible, preferably with some sort of side rails, keep the speeds very low, have an experienced driver and a responsible "safety person", follow a predetermined and safe route and keep your fingers crossed, you should be fine

There is a good chance that this will be covered under the AMA policy, but verifying it yourself would give much greater peace of mind. There are also insurance carriers out there that will provide "single event" coverage for such a thing too (common for festivals and fairs), but costs may well be prohibative for a simple hayride.

[petersdraggin]

alan,can i drive the wagon?please! please!

[alan bechard]

Sure Pete! Come on out, Just no trials riding on my new tractor!

And you better be careful that what you are draggin does not get caught in the PTO!

21 Jan 04

Working back and forth with the trophy guy to get the digital image so he can use it to make a medallion for awards from.

It is taking some time to get it sorted out.

Working with my scheduling to try and fit in everything I would like to do before the event, The Indy bike show, The fun in the Sun, going up to RYP and picking up my son's new bike, going down to TTC and helping work on the National sections, and then I still need to do the stuff that pays the bills such as work on the mowers, the tractors and the trailers.

Looks like this Sunday will be a work day for the event. Mother nature dealt us a hand last weekend and home fixen stuff won out.

[alan bechard]

Looks like between Brian and Jason we got the image for the medallion sorted out. Looks like we are going forward and getting these done.

Hopefully some work will get done this weekend on the Circus tricks.

The tractor is almost done, and the trailer should be done this Saturday. That should give me a kitchen pass for Sunday!

[alan bechard]

25 Jan 04

Well, last Friday got word from the landowner that they would be in there working building a big jump in the lower field. He just wanted me to know so that I did not freak out and think it would impact the event. He knows the amount of time and $ that is being put in there, and goes out of his way to be helpful.

Went out yesterday afternoon after working with the tractor and post hole digger all morning and was supposed to ride with D and B. Went out without the bikes because it was late and I was whipped. D & B were there riding the loop. Also brought out some materials I had scrounged up for the Circus tricks sections.

Man, they are building a BIG jump. They are terracing off the lower field and they also went down around the barn and cleared some huge trees to make a large parking area there. Man are those doziers powerful! They are hopefully going to be done this weekend and we will need to see what to do from there.

At least a bunch of grass seeding is going to need to happen to get some form of ground cover back in place before the event.

Not really sure how this will all play out in the end. Depending on conditions today (freezing rain at present) D may make it out and work to smooth stuff with the doziers while they are there and available. I am suspecting that it will be too wet and nasty to do any dirt work today or tomorrow. I hope it does not interfere with their tests.

For us it may boil down to some increased box blade work to get the parking area's useable.

We got to work with a couple who are "new" riders. It is really great to see people taking up motorcycling. She was on a TTR 250, what a neat bike. Electric start, plenty of power, NICE, he was on a YZ 450 I think it is, 4 stroke motocrosser! Unbelieveable! It would take more of a rider than me to use that thing in East Coast woods as it comes in stock format. I bet it will easily do 30 mph in 1st gear. Probably idles over 5mph in first. I rode around the loop with them one time and it was slip clutch, stall, bump start (Only bike I think I have ever bump started in first gear!)

They said they would help with the event if possible, he is on a work cycle that can take him away every now and then.

Well today because of weather, we may run to Louisville and get Dean's new bike. But, the weather is actually worse than predicted so it may be wisdom to sit it out today. Off to the weather site and make a guess!

[alan bechard]

29 Jan 04

The doziers are gone and they have done what they needed to do. There was money available already for "cleanup" of the area, which I got the call today included grass seeds etc. So, we are going out Saturday with the tractor, box blade, seed spreader and try and get some grass started back in the fields so we do not end up with big slime fields come event time.

50 lb bags of seed are about $50 so that was a welcome relief.

Looks like Saturday will be nice, so will work on the property then. My bike is in a bunch of little pieces on the shop floor at the moment, and have yet to pick up Dean's new one, so will just go out with the tractor, and bring Christina's and have her ride with D & B some to improve her skills.

If you are in the area and want to ride Saturday, come on out. I could also use a hand doing some of the tractor work and positioning.

[alan bechard]

4 Feb,

We went out Saturday but everything was frozen solid. No dirt work could be done. And there is a lot too do.

Spent about 1.5 hours clearing out pushed down trees to open the trails back up into the woods. That is good to go again. It gives us plenty of logs to work with now, we just have to cut them.

Really nervous about parking. We are going to work hard to get the grass to take in time for the event, but it will be sketchy at best.

Went out Sunday and rode. It was beautiful. Did not fool with much for the event, just out relaxing with the buds.

Hopefully might get in a bit of tractor work this weekend. Picking up my bush hog tomorrow, so I can get that stuff beat down a couple of times prior to the event. Needs several hours of box blade work, and quite a bit of seeding.

May end up needing to sit out the INDY bike show to get some work done around the house and the trial. Just have to pare down obligations to meet available time and resources.

[alan bechard]

14 Feb 04

Got Dean's new bike last Saturday and finally got my yes I am anal retentive and like things the way I like them, modifications done to it so that he can ride with us again.

As always, it was great to get up to RYP and fondle, I mean handle all the bike stuff there. Had an in depth discussion with B about mid size bikes, and the what not and decided that I probably just needed to sit out Indy this weekend.

So, even though I am wondering if it was the right thing to do, I am sitting out the dealer show this year, and taking care of some of the stuff here.

Got the Bush hog today, just need to do a PDI and prep on it so that we can mow the fields. Still have not finished the trailer brakes.

Looks like a good group at 9am tomorrow at the Trial Site. We are going to try some of the area's that we normally do not ride, new sections etc. Will probably also set some of the ribbons. I had some confusion with J, he thought we were riding his place in the morning, and I was thinking the afternoon or Monday Am. Hopefully that is straight.

We still need to move some logs into place and just simply have a ton of work to do, but there should be a great gang of guys out there tomorrow. With 10 guys or so riding you can beat some lines in in a hurry! Not to mention we get to see a new Scorpa flying through the air!

Hopefully it does not snow a bunch!

Anyone in the area feel free to contact me or just come on out.

My contact information is on the STRA BB at www.setrialsriders.org If you ever need to reach me.

[alan bechard]

25 Feb 04

Been slacking some on keeping up with this and working on the event. Time to buckle down.

Two weeks ago got Dean's bike sorted and skipped the Indy dealer show. Went out riding with the kids and had a blast. Our group is getting bigger on ride days and it is neat to see. Deans bike is working real well, I am the proud papa I know, but he was really kicking out some great wheelies and such. Nothing quite like one of the guys getting stuck on the logs and Dean going over saying "this is how you do it!" Something about a smart A$$ 7 year old.

Presidents day said to heck with it, kept Dean out of school and we went riding at Joey's house to ride it in a bit. We are planning on a fun event there this year for the Camelot group.

Highlight shots on the STRA site classified ads. Sherco Skidplate for sale and 04 Scorpa. The non photographed highlight though I think had to be as I looked up and saw Joey crossing the bridge about 15 to 20' in the air. Sounds pretty tame till you realize that the bridge is only 1/3 done and the last 20' is on a 12" diameter log. I did not want to be the one to tell his wife if he missed!

Watch for our fun event here! It will be great, the log section laid out was twice the size of the TTC log area. It helps to be an arborist with a 100hp tractor sitting there!

Last Sunday spent at TTC working to assist in setting National sections. Got a bit done to help the STRA cause.

Last weekend Doug spent some time box bladeing and seeding the site where they had done the dozer work. Everyone cross your fingers that grass comes in well.

Got the medals in today. It was a great deal, and they look absolutely AWSOME!!!! Even better than what we had said originally. I cannot say enough good things about Doris Brothers.

They shipped me 54 lbs for $15, they just ate some I guess.

Anyway, as the boss looked over my shoulder at the $535 bill in my hand, she said, "please tell me that is already paid" the dead silence gave the slight fact that it was not, away. Hmmmmmmm, do have to pay for these things don't I????

There is a certain cost, and obligation that goes with putting on an event. This is the most painful part for me.

Spoke with my sales rep that is lending me the circus tent. Everything is tracking there. I think that will add a touch of class.

I wrote to each importer of bikes in the US and asked to borrow banners to be displayed at the event. No responses yet. Confident that RYP/Sherco will come through, and hoping that some others will as well.

I need to get a US side Trials Central Banner made. Will do that when a bit of $$ from mowing comes in.

As a matter of timing, with the 101 coming home, my work (that pays the bills) is going crazy, and with summer coming on and the wife expanding the Lawncare and landscaping business I quickly hit the point of being overwhelmed.

Thank goodness for good friends that let me vent a bit and help me along the way with stuff that I need to get done.

Everyone keeps saying how my event is still "a couple of months away" but there is the Trials Training Days, The TN nationol round and an STRA event at TTC between now and then. I will be sitting out the Hattiesburg event due to distance. But my point is, back out three or four weekends and my event is just not that far away with regards to available work weekends.

I am going out this Sunday with rolls of white ribbon and garbage bags in hand to set the sections. No splits, just outer boundries. That way, the "crews" can go and remove anything between those boundries that is not nailed down. People are more than willing to help. I need to make sure that I provide the proper directions, conditions and equipment to make it a success. P5T2 For anyone that knows BG Cody. This Sunday it is time for the serious work to begin.

Anyone still reading wish me luck, and if you are close enough to come out, come on out this Sunday and lend a hand. I can use it!