No more helmet cams............

[form-e one]

maybe the decision should have bin left up to the insurance carrier,,,since they seem to be running the sport...

[topomichracer140m]

Who is responsible for this rule...is that public information? I dont mean what organization...I mean the person.

[bill boyes]

I am sure it was the regatta Management Committee with input from the Safety Committee.

[Racerkyle20]

I see a lot of b#tching on this perticular thread, but heavens didn't see any ya'll in Dallas at the national meeting to weigh in on the subject?

We all need to get off the computer and GO RACING. Or go promote the sport. I just got back from two days of helping our sport go somewhere (J Hydro build project on saturday, 5 boats being built as we speak, and a boat show today). What did you all do this weekend?


The helmet cam was a bad angle anyway and made for terrible veiwing when the driver's head swivled......My personal opinon

[jeff55v]

I see a lot of b#tching on this perticular thread, but heavens didn't see any ya'll in Dallas at the national meeting to weigh in on the subject?

Uhhh, last time I checked this was an amature sport. Most of us are busy supporting our families. I shouldn't have to pay for a week's vacation in Dallas order to have an opinion about a rule that directly affects me! This is ridiculous! You people can take your "national meeting" and shove it! All this can and should be voted by the membership through the mail!

[Racerkyle20]

Uhhh, last time I checked this was an amature sport. Most of us are busy supporting our families. I shouldn't have to pay for a week's vacation in Dallas order to have an opinion about a rule that directly affects me! This is ridiculous! You people can take your "national meeting" and shove it! All this can and should be voted by the membership through the mail!

I don't even know where to begin with this statement....Trust me i'd rather be on a beach in mexico with my girlfriend than chicago and detriot in january at $1k a trip. Also pretty sure all at the national meeting have familes too. IT IS AN AMATUR SPORT afterall.

Just please understand people don't make these rules to make YOU pissed off. They make them with your safety in mind. Whether you think so or not.

[mercguy]

GREAT Job Kyle (and all the other SOA members)!!!

I see a lot of b#tching on this perticular thread, but heavens didn't see any ya'll in Dallas at the national meeting to weigh in on the subject?

We all need to get off the computer and GO RACING. Or go promote the sport. I just got back from two days of helping our sport go somewhere (J Hydro build project on saturday, 5 boats being built as we speak, and a boat show today). What did you all do this weekend?


The helmet cam was a bad angle anyway and made for terrible veiwing when the driver's head swivled......My personal opinon

way to promote SOA and our sport!!!!!!!

[bill van steenwyk]

I see a lot of b#tching on this perticular thread, but heavens didn't see any ya'll in Dallas at the national meeting to weigh in on the subject?

We all need to get off the computer and GO RACING. Or go promote the sport. I just got back from two days of helping our sport go somewhere (J Hydro build project on saturday, 5 boats being built as we speak, and a boat show today). What did you all do this weekend?


The helmet cam was a bad angle anyway and made for terrible veiwing when the driver's head swivled......My personal opinon

YOU JUST DON'T GET IT!!!

Have a LOT of fun in about 10 years or so racing by yourself when this type attitude has run everyone else you used to play with off.

If you don't get the picture, what everyone is upset about and always has been is the high handed way a very few (sometimes one) folks make these rules without any input from membership except those who are lucky enough and have the time an money to attend an annual meeting.

Your attitude (and others) is EXACTLY why APBA will not have membership/sanction money from a goodly portion of the PRO membership anymore.

[Dave M]

Critique Your Driving ?

I have a go pro camera mounted in front of the dash on my D stock hydro. I like the view from there a whole lot better then from one mounted on a helmet...and I watch the videos quite often...gives me something to critique my driving etc. Just a thought.

Dave,
If you are using your cam footage for this, you may want to try a shore cam. With it mounted solid without pivoting it really limits your ability to see what casued you to suddenly turn left or right, or veer away, etc. You need a better overall picture. On your helmet, you generally look and see something which casues you to react. This woul dbe a much better way to ctitique your own driving, in my opinion.

As far as all the other comments, this is part of what is casuing APBA membership decline. The writing is on the wall, up to you to read.

[pearson95m]

Here we go again with the figure pointing and blah blah blah… Why does everyone start puffing there chest and blowing things way out of proportion?

Listen… our ELECTED officials sacrifice their personal lives to make decisions that are intended to help the sport… right or wrong, that’s the bottom line. Nobody is just doing things just to do them. I know I made reference to this earlier, but I wasn’t being literal. If you don’t like the way things are being run, well elect someone else. If you don’t like the criticism, well don’t run for the position.

My opinion on the subject of helmet cam is that I would have liked to have seen it left up to the drivers. I believe the focus of our committee’s should be on educating the drivers of the risks involved, but in the end leave it up to the driver to decide if the risk is worth the reward. I feel the same can be said for many of our safety rules. I understand that insurance company’s play a part in this… and if that’s the case, then by all means do what needs to be done. However, making rules to “protect me” for nothing more than to protect me… please, let me handle it myself. I’m a big boy (literally haha). Educate me on the risks, and let me decide where I draw the line on protection. Rounding the pickle forks is a good rule because this is something that can effect someone else’s safety. Reinforcing cockpits is a bad rule (in my opinion) because the only person it effects is the driver… and therefore should be left to his/her discretion.

Since I don’t like leaving a conversation without a solution… here’s an idea about safety; Currently anyone can go out and buy an APBA racing license and go race… even someone who’s never driven a boat. I don’t know, maybe we should have a standard safety/driving test that a new driver must take and pass first? At very least to insure that the person has read the basic APBA safety rules. I’ve sat in the patrol boat with drivers who ask me what certain basic flags mean. And they’re helping make calls on the course. Something seems very wrong about this… even on the most basic level of safety. I know most of us have been racing or been around racing our entire lives and this stuff can seem very elementary. However, we have people out there that are clueless. Thank god for driver school. I think this has been a great tool for promoting the sport and educating new drivers. I think that when a new driver is applying for a driver’s license, he/she should take a basic safety/drivers test or have gone through “drivers school” to insure that they understand some of the most basic of rules.

Pearson out… for good this time. New subject please.

[drew79c]

Kyle I normally agree with your statements here. That being said you have been voted to represent your region. I know I wasn't asked by my representatives about this issue. Was anyone else? I agree you sacrifice as lot by going to these meetings but if they are that much trouble to you then maybe reelection isn't the best idea. I have a Security Race Products cut suit with helmet straps. I personally thing making this mandatory would make everyone's neck a heck of a lot safer. A little camera would create drag but not as much as the helmet bucketing in the event of crash. My 2 cents. Roast away

[propfxrO84]

So it's legal to build a turn fin (or multiple turn fins) out of carbon steel then sharpen them to razor blade edge and place them all over the boat, but a big "HELL NO", absolutely NOT on 4 ounce camera placed on a helmet. Just making sure I have my facts straight. BTW, I have had and used a go pro since they first came out and I have never installed it on my helmet, I am just really amazed/amused in this rule. Bryan.

[jpro60]

Funny thing...

You know a funny thing happened this last week. I spent a week in the garage working on the boats instead of getting on this website. Never ONCE did my boats, motors, tools, stereo, dogs, parents, or anything else b!tch. It's amazing how peaceful life can be if you just focus your efforts in a positive direction and focus on the basic elements of racing.

Rounding the pickle forks is a good rule because this is something that can effect someone else’s safety. Reinforcing cockpits is a bad rule (in my opinion) because the only person it effects is the driver… and therefore should be left to his/her discretion.

You bring up an interesting angle/argument. You say you should be able to decide whether to risk your own injury. I can't argue with that. BUT I would argue to consider the consequences and how selfish your decision could be. Say you decide to use a helmet cam, and it does in fact end up causing you a severe injury (worst case, death). How might seeing that effect the J kids at the race? Maybe a newbie, or potential newbie gets scared away? What about spectators seeing the ambulance drive off? Maybe a newspaper guy is there and instead of a positive story it ends up being a story about somebody getting hurt?

I'm not dumb, I fully understand that anything can happen, there's literally infinite possibilities of how somebody could get hurt, and these are risks we all choose to take. We obviously can't mitigate all the risks, but it would be foolish not to take a step this simple and inconsequential. Why take an EXTRA, UNNECESSARY, risk? Why risk the fallout for the entire boat racing community because you like the camera view better?

[bill boyes]

5 pages on this subject. Let it REST and just deal with it.

[blueskyracer]

5 pages on this subject. Let it REST and just deal with it.

I will second that! Personally I dont like the boble head videos...