state trophys

[RaidenHayden]

From when I started to now, the entry fees, have not gone up significantly. That means in 25 years no monetary growth!!! Tropyies for the new kids coming in are nothing like the ones we got at Braddock!! It really helped with new riders seeing what they were racing for. Now the awards are cheap, nobodies fault here either, other than the fact the tracks have kept the fees cheap, time to think about increases

[bmxer901]

CrazyCraig- with what you said i completly agree with you. On the other hand i very much understand economics and inflation after all i do own a bike shop. So bmx and bmx racing in general is in my life everyday. i live it, i race it, i work for it. The fact of the matter will never change with how much everyone is spending at these state races they should be getting more.
Look at it this way, everyones been complanning about how regionals and nationals are run and how the season is beeing handled. But now look at the nj state series, its turning into the nbl’s regional/national series. everyone is beeing forced to do this many races or they cant race. the prices are outragious for the state races and thats before you even get a trophy. You mention inflation, ok well tell me is that where all the money from the state series is going. I understand eht has always had a questioning budget but not the state series.
A few years back the state series was getting better and better, heck they even sold state series t-shirts with all the tracks on them. (just like the regional series) I would like to hear some of the important things that the money nj bmx brings in. NJbmx says “We are a group of BMX Enthusiast, Racers, Parents, and Supporters trying to keep the Sport of BMX Racing in New Jersey the home of organized BMX Racing.” Then who that races is on the board, who that races even gets to voice there opinion. you guys are forgetting how bad it was getting at times before you guys came back. All the people that tryed to make a differance year in and year out finally gave up just when you guys finally started to make a differance. Its not gonna be that easy to get all them people to come back to the meatings. Just like its not gonna be that easy to get all them riders to come back that left becuase of the high fees and the required traveling. Like the bmx legend always said raceing is getting over rated, riding street and trails is where its at, its where you can ride for free and for the fun of it.
Ok now you obviously have to charge for racing since its organized, but does racing still have the effect on kids like it used to. I mean come on you have kids getting threatened all the time now and nothings beeing done about it till it gets seriously out of hand or until it affects someone on the board directly.

[bmiddaugh]

“We are a group of BMX Enthusiast, Racers, Parents, and Supporters trying to keep the Sport of BMX Racing in New Jersey the home of organized BMX Racing.”

Did anyone really take a second and read that….
It makes no sense…
Maybe..
We are a group of BMX Enthusiasts, who are keeping the sport of organized BMX racing alive in New Jersey.
Be that as it may, by ’07 it will be changed.

[bmiddaugh]

trophies, trophies…
had an interesting discussion with Lisa Heath.
I used to always get a trophy at the track because of the following reason.
I have a big ego…
actually 2 reasons..um, hehe…
If I pay the extra 5 I figured the track would be making at least a couple bucks off the trophy sale. Profit off trophy= more money to track.
Talked to Lisa, she confirmed it…
But I was racing at another track this year and they said they lose money every time someone takes a trophy. So I’m wondering why a pooling of resources isn’t done to maximize buying power?

[CrazyCraig]

BMX901 –

I’m on your side, honest. If you read the last sentence of my post, I say that there is no harm in looking at where our money is going and how to get the best bang for the buck.

That’s why Brett keeps beating the drum: get involved, come to meetings, make some noise.

And up until now, I don’t think there are any riders officially on the board. And, although I personally have a lot of respect for everyone on the board right now, this is what is missing: rider input and representation. Brett has been saying that ALL year long.

[bmiddaugh]

grrrrrrrrrr

[RaidenHayden]

I have to agree, with 901 on the threatening thing, and that is in both sanctions, it’s like soccer mentallity gone mad. A message has to be sent, cause this will drive people away

[bmxer901]

CrazyCraig i never said i was agenst you. i just used what you said as an example. I was waiting for somthing like that to be posted, just to make things alittle more interesting.

[s4lnj]

actually the # of required races has gone down for the state series— a few years ago it was 4 qualifiers (one for each track–mullica was still around) and i think it was ten locals–

[bmxmom156]

yes you are correct it was 10 locals and 4 qualifiers( back when each track did a back to back race weekend and mullica was one) the bw races didnt count in state series just as a local i think but it did count towards the regional( maybe double points if i remember correctly) points series if you followed that.

we did have some lean years where hardly no one went to rep nj in the pres cup. i dont know why that happened maybe when it moved to fla? i dont know. when we first started going we had close to 70 riders representing nj it was a real TEAM NJ event. banner and all a whole section of bleechers- we had to fight for our space ( i know cause we used to get there early and caution tape the whole section off- yea i admit it i am a caution tape fanatic! lol) what happened i dont know. but last yr we had maybe 10 kids and somehow the thrill wasnt there anymore- i could see it from a spectator point of view… a rider view was different. still racing trying to make the main… still putting out 110% but where is the team spirit? i think thats a big part of whats missing in nj. all you have to do is sit near fla and see what we are missing.

[bmiddaugh]

I think what a lot of people don’t realize is that BMX is not a team sport. Some people sort of force it with the whole “I race for so and so thing”, then there’s that whole team riding bullshit, but that is so gay it is not even worth mentioning, unless somewhere here wants to out anyone.
Anyway, the Pres Cup is cool and all but realistically it’s just another nbl propoganda thing. If it was played up right it would be kick ass.
I hate to keep beating this to death but the riders need to be given some control in what goes on.
Who do you think knows what the younger generation is into.
A 40 year old wanna be expert, or someone like Phil who is part of the generation.
I think that might be what scares some people, guys like us who turn around and immediately ask what the next generation coming up thinks, instead of just following “tradition”.

[bmxer901]

hopfully this year itl be differant. We have alot of people that are excited and ready to go for the race. But its still gonna be hard to beat FLA, after all they do race practicully all year round. Racing down there is almost like a second religion. I hate to say it but were really gonna need the help from our fast novices and cruisers to get us up in points and then the experts to keep us going and possibly through a tie breaker if there is one. Any word as to when the state ceromony will be held

[bmxer901]

theres no doubt in the world that the pres. cup is over rated. Just like the U.S Open invitational. whats so great about that everyone in the top 15 in there region is invited. Ok so basically everyone that raced it in there class. You dont even get a trophy at all. you get a jacket if you win th emain, and a hat for everyone else that makes the main. The same hat that you can buy at the race for $15. WOW thats exciting who wants to go this year. not me

[bmxmom156]

brett-
i dont agree with you on that one.. when we went to our first pres cup my son was not on a team at that time but he was on team nj… it was exciting and everyone from nj was going. the team thing was big back then( and yes phil went too even the years he wasnt a shoe in for 1st place points..lol) i think the reason people back then got into the state series so much was looking foward to making top 10/state( of couse there were at least 10 in each class back then) and going to the pres cup. now i am looking at it from a 7-8 yr olds eyes now- looking back. jeff used to go and bring noisemakers and everyone in the stands had one ( yikes it was loud) and everytime a nj rider went by you heard us! this was back when like the state series had t-shirts from every qualifier plus the championship…a raffle at every state qualifier that would compare to the iron man prizes…. there was excitement. riders at 7-8 dont just ride for the fun of their bike.. they race. theydo it for pure excitement and being on a team( nj) makes it even more exciting… and they want to race to win something. that cup was a big deal weather it meant something to the adults or not…

that is what the team nj was all about bitd as you say. that is only 10 yrs ago i know you older guys are from a way back different era… the giving money to nbl thing had nothing to do with it. there was no political agenda back then just race for the race( maybe we were just blind to it but it was fun)

actually i have pictures of team nj with over 70 kids in ohio i think cj has some too… take a loook at the kids. danny just mentioned to me that back then the older really fast riders who were 13x and up dont even race/ ride any more…where are they? maybe they left when the excitement was gone..

[bmiddaugh]

I guess my only question is…back then was anyone asking those 13 year and up guys and gals what they wanted to do or were all the parents just doing what the nbl said was cool?
I mean…those satin jackets were being given out for a looooong time…. 😆
The kids are stoked because they are getting some props for busting their butts, and you are right the kids do “race” because it’s exciting, but it’s exciting because it’s fun. Being with your friends at the track is what makes this thing work. Every race has to feel like a big gathering of your buds to bust out and have a good time otherwise it’s just another boring day.
That is why the older guys leave, the fun aspect is gone. How many trophies, plates, satin jackets can one get before it becomes the same ol shit. They need incentives like being given a say in what goes on, designing stuff, being made feel like they aren’t just riders anymore but the next generation of those in charge, plus they need to back off a bit and get the education, job, family thing going on.
A lot of thinking in the past was done about having fun at that moment but not on how to keep things going.
As Carol Gleason would say….stirring up the pot….

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