Read This It's Important

[administrator]

an email from Jason Hines at the ASA:

Hello everyone!

I hope this email finds everyone well and I look forward to seeing all of you soon on the Action Sports World Tour. The reason I am writing to all of you is to inform you of the potential unfavorable changes to Inline in our domestic/USA events. Last season we experienced poor attendance and performances at our US events. This was mostly due to injuries and to a lot of the European skaters not making it over. Because of this, the inline contests were extremely lackluster and honestly not very entertaining. Well, unfortunately Inline is once again on the verge of being dismissed from the events. As of right now, we are leaning towards not including inline in the events. Inline is simply not sell-able to sponsors in the way it was presented in the US events in 2006. That’s just the honest truth.

Now is the time for all of you to bond together as competitors and make the decision that you will attend and put on a good show. The contests last summer in Europe were awesome, and if we can get the same here in the USA I can guarantee that Inline will be a permanent fixture in all of the World Tour events. I ask you to bond together because vert skating is small in numbers and the only way to survive is as a whole. It’s the way that skateboarding and BMX have survived and flourished over the years. Also, I wanted to point out some things that I think will help out:
Support the next generation – This is for the veterans. When the young skaters turn professional, please mentor them. Skate with them. Make sure they attend events and tell them they can travel with you. Let them know when you will be at Woodward and tell them to go at the same time. Right now is the hardest time for them as there are NO OTHER SKATERS!!! They need your help, encouragement, and friendship.
International skaters please come to the US to compete – One of our best strengths as a sport is that we are truly international. Outside of a few skaters, most of the non US skaters do not attend the domestic events. We need you here! Find out ways to make it cheaper. There are plenty of skaters living here, street and vert, who can assist with a place to stay and also put in your time at Woodward. The time that you assist with the campers will buy you valuable time when it counts.
Stay healthy. Remember to pace yourself so that you are peaking at the end of the season. Inline needs each of you to make it happen.

As most of you know, I am the biggest supporter of Inline out there. I have fought hard to keep us in but it’s out of my hands now. I need firm commitments from you guys that we can count on you for the year. Let’s keep inline in and make it happen!

Best wishes,

Jason Hines
Competition and Demo Events Director

ASA Events
13468 Beach Avenue
Marina del Rey, CA 90292
phone (310) 823-1865 ext. 313
fax (310) 823-4146
cell (954) 559-2509

www.LGactionsports.com

[theboringlife]

I can see what he means. I think there was only about 9 or 10 people in San Diego where most of the European events have 15-16 people. I hope it picks up abit this year. It sucks that inline keeps getting dropped from everything.

[Rich Parker]

Yeah i got that E-mail, i will definatly be making the effort to get to the states as much as i can, i think there will have to be some heavy room sharing to cut costs!!!!

[hcb101]

yeah its a bad situation are sport is in right now. i talked to jason for about 20 minutes over the whole dam shabang and its not just the vert but the street as well.

and he went even further to say that there may or may not be an asa qualifier this year for the ams bad news for all the ams who might be wanting to compete.

but he said just to check back later on their website for the details and schedules to see if they do post an am qualifier schedule.

he said though the best thing we can do is spread the word we need to unite as a whole vert and street because its our limelight our bigtime and our sport as a whole that is on the line right now.

this is what jason told me over the phone;
"It dont look good right now we are being pressured with the situation to remove the am and pro circuit over seas. pretty much putting a large strain on the industry as a whole. coming from a rollerblader my self we need to unite and pass the word on of the situation to help bring popularity and skaters back to the sport."

I talked to Rich Velasquez and he siad that the am competition circuit and qualifier may pretty much be put in his hands and the AIL events become the new amateur circuit. But he didnt say if it would be final.

[marco]

Hey everyone...

Well from our point of view we shall do our best to go at least once to the states and as usual to participate in other comps in Europe. At the same time we shall keep trying to organise our own comps. (KEEP IN CALENDAR: AUGUST 'FOR EUROPEAN AMATEUR INLINE VERT CHAMPIONSHIPS', "Inline Vert Open Contest, Bulgaria)

It would be sad for us if Inline Vert and Street were totally dropped from LG Games but the way things are going not completely unexpected. I do believe eventually the wheel will turn around and the same people that dropped us will come back asking for us to participate.

I think the the general public will discover what inline skating is all about and will want to see it eventually. I don't say this because I love inline but because everytime we have organised comps and people are able to see it they love it and wonder why there are no more comps and shows. One day the marketing boys will discover us again and get over the hype for skateboarding which is a self proclaim hype.

So lets unite and try and do everything possible to help each other and show everyone the beauty of inline skating. .... if you guys are coming to Balkans we sure can help, you are all always welcome to stay with us :)...

marco
www.team-disaster.com

[Andy Chase]

Maybe I can save up and hit a European contest next year.

[hcb101]

before i kept on contimplating and putting it aside about taking a trip to europe. but its more definant now than ever i am going to try to make it to a european competition

[Andy Chase]

I wonder if this means I'll never get my ASA photo ID.

[administrator]

yeah it's a bad situation but I'm honestly I'm not stressing about it. Even without ASA or LG we all will keep skating and it may go more underground but then the events will come completely into our hands and we can meet and skate and chill. All most all of us make no money skate anyway so why not just make skate trips fun with session at Woodward rather than competitions at some randon place with limited skating.

[Andy Chase]

I remember some of the comps used to have a lot more open skate. The year thumper went pro, they let us session the ramp for the next day or so during street prelims.

[robparker]

i agree with thumper. there's no money in skating so who cares, just skate for fun and meet at places like woodward for sessions. money issues mean im not at woodward right now with you guys, but later in the year i might be... so have fun!

[Andy Chase]

Has anyone gotten any updates on the status of this? Did anyone make commitments to ride the us comps or anything?

[hcb101]

i dont know im committed in competing this year i already have arrangment with my boss to leave when they post up the comp schedule. but as of right now im beginning to think that there is not going to be an asa qualifier for the america ams this year. and it might be the ail events that are going to be the qualifier it seems more and more.