The world (of trials) according to Jake
By TMX Archives on 10th Jun 10
Here is my open invitation. Over the last few weeks and months I have read and heard much about the current state of the SPEA FIM Trial World Championship. Most of which is based on little fact, and more on personal opinions from individuals who are perhaps not best placed to class themselves as experts on the matter.
Despite running a company (G2F) that's core business is communication, I normally restrain myself from expressing my own personal point of view – not that I am scared of sharing my views (those that know me well will know that is not the case), but more to ensure that my raging rants are not detrimental to our valued clients.
However, having just returned from Fort William after an excellent weekend at the well established mountain bike World cup event I have decided it was time to spend five minutes on my much under used soap box. I have been travelling to the Trial World Championship for over 20 years now (hard to believe as my youthful looks remain in tact!). In recent seasons other than the riders themselves and a couple of individuals, I have attended more rounds than any other person in the UK over this prolonged period. So hopefully I can speak with first hand knowledge.
While much has been blamed on the new rules introduced this year, the simple fact is that whatever the sport, there are good and bad events. Over the last two decades, the sport of trials has gone through a number of rule changes, but it is not these that determine the success of the event both from the riders' or public's perspective in my view. On my travels I have enjoyed many memorable World Trial rounds and suffered equally as many dismal events. In the majority of cases the failure to please has been caused by the clerk of the course's ego and general bad organisation, and not by the FIM rules that were in place at the time.
Last weekend I spent several hours sat in a grandstand with my 12-year-old daughter watching oversized push-bikes race down a very steep hill and it was absolutely brilliant. I have been to the downhill mountain bike race on previous occasions, and in fact it was my first visit several years ago that inspired me to look at the possibility of bringing the World Trial Championship to this incredible venue. That initial dream will become reality in a couple of week's time as we welcome the World's best riders to the Mecca that is Fort William.
While the mountainous backdrop alone is enough to make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, I have every faith that when Martin Lampkin has finished plotting his sections – high and low on the hillside – we will be able to deliver an event everyone involved can be truly proud of. Only the paying public will determine if it is a great event or not, as if we can recreate some of the atmosphere I experienced last weekend, then it will be a trial to remember.
Although the Scottish Highlands are not as centrally located as we would all like them to be, the trip will be much more than worthwhile. Come, see and enjoy, and if we don't send you home with a smile on your face then I will make myself personally available. So that you can bend my ear about the state of modern trials, the price of diesel, the single European currency and anything else you need to get off your chest. However like the trial itself, you can't win unless you enter, so in order to get a go on my soap box you first need to come and experience it for real before I can class your opinion as valid.
After two years of planning and more than 20 trips to the outdoor capital of the UK, we have no excuses, so nor do you – see you in Scotland soon.
Rant over – Jake Miller