The more things change....

[Big Don]

Never used the word always....

For many it easy to justify spending 8000 on a PWC, 4-wheeler, snowmobile when they can ride them for hours a day or year round in some cases. Harder to justify the 7 minutes a day for 8000 for that group.

Our biggest problem is lack of exposure.

[Big Don]

Wow.

This racing hydros is too hard, too expensive, too many rules, gotta drive too far to race, too political, and if I don't win soon I think I'll quit, because I'm getting tired of getting beat soo badly...And hell, I hear those C stock APBA guys have 4-5 miles per hour on me! What's that gonna take me? 5 years and 10 grand to find 4 miles an hour?

Hell, by then I'll be as old as Jack Stotts!

Somebody...quick send me some of your "speed secrets" fast, or there is no telling how long I'm gonna last! Do the right thing for the sport, save a new guy!

I don't mean speed secrets like "test, test, and test again" I tried that, and It just doesn't work for me...

Just imagine how much better it would be for us new guys, if we could just pass a rule like...say...the top 3 finishers in C Stock at the Nationals every year have to give 1 mph to a new guy!

Imagine what it could mean for the new driver, who goes to races only to find that the same 5 or 6 boats at every race kick his butt, and spray water in his face, weekend, after weekend...

Hmmm come to think of it, I don't hear those guys who always win complaining much...

That's just not fair.

Are you serious?

[Hunter]

Hydroracer and this thread is part and parcel of the fun of our sport. Keep it going or I'll have to go back to the local newspaper for evening reading.

I see many references and complaints about the "politics" of APBA.It might be helpful to refocus on what politics means. I recall a definition from and old text book;"politics" is the means by which we allocate scarce resources and redistribute wealth. My small frustration with APBA is that they are spending too much effort trying to protect us from ourselves...sorta like the many branches of our government. Our sport is certainly suffering from scarce resources. I am blissfully ignorant of how our membership dollars are allocated.

Operating in the dynamic by nature construction industry as I do , I have learned the value of "baby steps" every day to bring about change. I have one for consideration in the northeast. We have the date conflict with Crystal Lake and a new event in Pa. To Scott Reed and all comers, I ask for a campaign to change the date of the Crystal Lake event to maximize the success of both events. A baby step effort is all that is required.The folks in Pa have put together an impressive first event agenda.I ,like many, would like to make both events rather than choose one. Right now ,I know of no better opportunity to have a positive impact on the sport.
Hunter III,over

[mdaspit]

Are you serious?

No big Don, I'm not. I'm just being satirical.
I tried to put every complaint I've been hearing in one post.

Too expensive, too far, too hard for a new guy to run up front, membership erosion, too many rules, not enough rules, uneven playing field, can't find a new boat at the boat store, too hard for new guys, (and I'm a new guy)...

Why would I do that?

Because it sounds crazy when you read it doesn't it. And obviously according to this thread its being going on this way for a looong time.

Like the thread says, nothing changes. It's only natural I guess.

For guys like me, its a thrill to just go and race. Sometimes I do well, sometimes I don't. If I don't do well, it's up to me to do something about it.
If it's driving...Then it's my fault, I need to learn to drive better. If it is equipment, because somebody sold me their reject stuff, then it's my fault, I wasn't smart when I bought it. If it's because I'm racing with guys that I'll never catch, because they have generations of equipment and experience... This is racing, what did I expect?

If somebody starts racing, and after a couple of years they quit, because there are too many rules, or they get beat too much... They probably should go ahead on and go. It were golf, what would they expect?

Yeah, I guess it's expensive, when you compare it to staying home and working around the house, but jeez...

It's the natural order of things. This is like a really difficult marrage, you gotta work at it to keep it going....and if you don't? Well in that case you probably shouldn't be married. No harm, no foul.

I don't think that it's pure numbers that will keep boat racing going...I think it's the kind of people who boat race that will keep boat racing going. Because if you don't have a unswerving affinity for these race boats, then you will never last long, if at all. I don't think the solution to saving boat racing is going to be in the little crap...It is going to be in somehow being able to indentify those guys who have the grit to race these things, even though it's stacked against them, even though it's not as easy as going down to the boat shop and buying a new one... I don't think it's cost either.

I think when guys see these things there are probably two (favorable) reactions...

1. "Man, those things are really cool, but if I think it through a little, it's way too much work...Boat... motor....props...HUGE learning curve...and I really don't want to go out there and make a fool out of myself..."Hey honey, lets get a jet ski, and we can do that together"...

2. "Man those things are really cool, and I have to do that, even though I'm going to make a fool out of myself, and I can figure out the mechanics of it...if these guys can do it so can I..."Honey, I'll be down here hanging watching these guys with their boats, and oh yeah, there's another race in 2 weeks in Smithville"..

[B1PRORACER]

I think you hit on something..... We need to reach out to the type of people who would be suited to our sport. Exposure is the key. It would seem like the "public test sessions" would work to get them hooked!

[Dave M]

Good Point... BUT

Daspit,

Good point. One big but though... the kind of people you describe are very rare breeds. It is what we call the core group of boat racers currently. If there were a lot of that breed out there, we wouldn't be in the position we are in for APBA. So that tells me we need to go after the other group. And CHANGE is the only way we can get them.

And in my opinion, baby steps are not gonna get it done in time.

[mdaspit]

Daspit,

Good point. One big but though... the kind of people you describe are very rare breeds. It is what we call the core group of boat racers currently. If there were a lot of that breed out there, we wouldn't be in the position we are in for APBA. So that tells me we need to go after the other group. And CHANGE is the only way we can get them.

And in my opinion, baby steps are not gonna get it done in time.

You are correct, they are getting rarer and rarer...
But no, we won't get the other.

That is exactly what I have been saying...

Big picture? It is not a marketing problem.

It is an evolution problem.

[DOUGWELLINGS]

My son and I have been racing for three years, we started loosing interest last year until we bought an A side winder, my B sidewinder in not competitive. We don't expect to win races but we do want to be in the hunt. Now I hear they're going to crush the A motor. New racers want a chance race and a chance to win. I think we'll give this sport one more year, but if our only chance is to fill the field it will probally be our last.

Doug Wellings
41m

[B1PRORACER]

What I was thinking about..... There are people out there who would be prefect boat racers, but they don't know that there is boatracing. That is the promotion part of my post.

As for the father & son that is just above this post of mine- get in touch with Ed Runne about the B sidewinder. He wants all of those engines to run well on the race course. Ed is a smart racer, ask for help!

Peter Crowley

[mdaspit]

What I was thinking about..... There are people out there who would be prefect boat racers, but they don't know that there is boatracing. That is the promotion part of my post.


Peter Crowley

You are right. That is exactly what is meant when marketers say "identify your target", and exactly why marketers would rather use an arrow than a shotgun.


Would you rather have the timing on your motor close?
Or would you rather have it dead on?