No stopping World clash
By TMX Archives on 15th Oct 09
This week JD looks at the Weston fiasco and follows up with the Adam Raga inspired no-stop debate...
OBVIOUSLY the big off-road story this week is the cancellation of Sunday's main Weston Beach Race after a horror crash on the straight immediately following the start of the big race on Sunday. And firstly, I am not pointing any fingers or making any rash knee-jerk reactions in this column. The main reason for that is as I wasn't actually there and as I didn't see the incident first hand I'm not in a position to comment. It is that simple!
How I wish some of those who have been posting on the online forums over the weekend thought for a second about what they are saying. I'm the first to stand-up for free speech but come on chaps, this basic right comes with responsibility and it is not responsible to pass-off gossip, half-truths, and sometimes pure speculation, as the truth. The Internet has many positives, sadly, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and this is often the downfall.
As the biggest off-road event in the UK there's obviously going to be, and rightly so, quite an inquest into Sunday's unfortunate incident because safety comes first and foremost and following the incident it was for the riders' safety that the event was cancelled.
To have to close down an event of this magnitude, affecting maybe 1000 riders, and for some the event is THE focal point of the year, and tens of thousands of paying spectators is a decision of HUGE magnitude.
As I understand it (this column having been written on Monday this week) that decision was effectively made for the organisers as safety cover simply wasn't available. And what happens subsequently, whether or not the event can be re-run we can hopefully tell you elsewhere in this issue.
Only one thing is certain, it is the last thing anyone wanted. One chink of light is that there is a precedence for having to re-run the race. Back in 2002 Weston was hit by a hurricane that resulted in total mayhem and cancellation of the beach race for the first time ever. But organiser Gareth Hockey pulled a rabbit from the hat and re-ran the event the following weekend... watch this space.
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When we printed a few words from former World Trials Champ Adam Raga a few weeks ago, aplty titled Raga's Rant, we expected it to create a few ripples. Adam was spitting mad at the FIM threatening to change World Trials Championship rules to ‘No-stop' without consulting the riders. And if he was consulted, Adam stated that he would very definitely vote NO!
What a reaction we've had. Malcolm Rathmell and Sammy Miller, both trials legends in their own right, have headed the case for returning ‘No-stop' with a dedication every bit as strong as Raga's condemnation of a return to the original rules of trials.
Personally, while I hear Raga's arguments, the bottom line is that World Championship Trials is effectively dead in the water as it stands. The factories can't afford to run a number of riders and the events are way too extreme for privateers. Sure, the Youth and Junior Cups are healthy with dads and families willing to pawn the family jewells to keep their sons and daughters in with a chance, but it all comes to a halt when you hit the World Champs proper as it appears that at any one time there
are only ever a handful of riders who have a hope of riding the sections.
Britain has a fantastic record over the last few years with riders of the calibre of Shaun Morris, James Dabill and Michael Brown to name but three who dominated Youth and Junior classes. And we have others following through in the pipeline like Alexz Wigg, Jack Challoner and Jonathan Richardson.
Then comes the quantum leap to the World Championship proper and while acknowledging and admiring the fantastic abilities of all of these lads, no Brit has made the jump to top five since Dougie Lampkin in the mid 1990s.
This, like it or not, is the simple fact. Yet I'm absolutely certain that none of these lads would vote for a return to no-stop as they are all fantastic trick riders with all the skills that it entails. But if there is no way for them to progress, once dad has paid for the grounding through Youths and Juniors, as is the case at the moment, then isn't a change of rules worth a punt?
Maybe it isn't, maybe World Trials is destined to run with fewer than ten riders and we are happy with a strong field of Youths and Juniors.
If that is the case – we are where we are!