remeber when it was really racing

01-14-2006, 10:52 AM

I remember being on tour and in expert ski we had heats, semis, LCQs, and then the main. The racers today have it so easy you don't have to even qualify for the world finals.

SteveTec · 01-14-2006, 11:44 AM

Yes, it is really sad how the sport has diminished over the years.
But I still participate and love to ride, its unfortunate that people who had been involved years back just walked away or the lack of funds to be competitive turned them. I feel the real reasons it has fallen is a combination of Sponsor support & Manufacture's Support / Outside the industry involment such as X-Games / Lack of Spectator Friendly Venues that are closer to populated cities / Loss of Decent Press like Splash Mag. / The cost of the Ever Changing Class's to keep up with the new boats.
I really Miss the 80's 90's .
Regardless of Why or Who I will still support and continue to race as long as there is a place to do it.

jetPilot1o1 · 01-19-2006, 07:40 PM

Yeah Im sick of all the bs. Im gonna race no matter what and for as long as I can!!!!!!!

Frazier · 01-19-2006, 11:40 PM

There is another way of looking at this.
The dual start did away with Semi's long before we started experiencing some attrition. In some ways this also tightened up competition because the guy that wouldnt otherwaise have been in the main because he broke or made an error now more options to get in. More people on the line makes World Finals better for sure. More opportunity allows for the best consistent riders to shine.
Maybe some classes should do half the course and we could have tighter classes.

teamski · 01-20-2006, 01:51 PM

The region 1 & 2 races went to the short tracks, short starts, no straight aways, shorter lap counts [4 1/2 laps sometimes], and the running of two events on a weekend [Saturday-Sunday] on the SAME TRACKS both days while charging double fees to make up for the smaller turn outs. I remember the motos laps and awards...

Frazier · 01-20-2006, 02:41 PM

What years are you thinking of?
I remember R 1 & 2 early 90's had pretty good straight aways and we would do 6-10 laps in novice runabout.
I wonder if the back stretches were as long as I remember or they just seemed longer on an old 580 sea-doo than they do on a XP800 or a 951 which were both doing 20MPH more than the 580.
I dont remember any relatively poor back straights except for a couple of tracks set up at Camp Far West.

Scott

teamski · 01-20-2006, 03:16 PM

1999 to current is what i am thinking of, not the 90's

#1fan · 01-20-2006, 03:33 PM

And so long as there are two guys that want to race and I have breath left in me I will be behind the starting line ringing a cowbell and yelling for them!!!

RobbieBorycki · 01-21-2006, 06:49 PM

last year in region 6 at a couple events we had LCQs and qualifiers. Not all racing is dead, i just think that racing evolves around the current market, i mean as the years have gone on, the boats have become more family friendly and less race orientated. Costs have gone up and so have emissions, government crap and whatnot, i mean really its like a generation change and alot of the real racing generation has retired, while the poorer one has tried to take the slack. I'm kinda lucky i used to race and ride back in the day and was the youngest guy on my tour, so now im still young and still going, but support just isnt there as it used to be.

DZRacing1 · 01-21-2006, 11:59 PM

I agree Robbie.