SOFA

[ryan12210]

When is the next meeting going to be? It seems like there hasn't been a lot of follow through with this whole idea to start up SOFA again. It's a good idea, but if it's just talk and hanging out then I don't see how this is going to be successful. The old forum was taken down and now nobody ever posts anything. This is exactly what I was afraid of when I first heard about that idea. Nobody's picked up a shovel at big creek in months and now they built a climb on the best terrain we have to build new dh line. I know there's a work party this weekend so I hope we can turn around this disturbing trend IMMEDIATELY. I understand the weather has been shitty and cold but there hasn't been a meeting in months and at the last one there were only 3 people besides myself. If this whole SOFA thing is going to work then there needs to be some commitment and accountability.

[Narcosis]

Sometimes negative impact generates enormous positive results.

While you think about that and the possibilities, work is continuing on Blankets Creek but there is a need for equipment and money for the ladder bridges across the bone yard. Got spare money? As for the lack of meetings, I can't tell you much about that since I stepped down as SoFA XO last month. I can tell you where things came to a stop on a couple of different activities.

There was talk of a downtown ATL urban and FR event but sponsors were needed. I contacted various big name sponsors like Red Bull, Monster Energy and Gravity East Series. None were interested due to lack of funding, except for Red Bull who create and sponsor their own events. The only real option left is for local sponsors, of which no bike shops were interested or able.

Gravity East is not interested in expanding their series down here, so IMHO they should change their name to the Gravity North East Series and GTFO.

The Trials Training Center outside Chattanooga is being worked on by private individuals and some SORBA folks. Like us, those SORBA folks asked for help and correspondence in the beginning from a FR/DH perspective and received no help or acknowledgment. See first sentence and think more.

There are some folks in the gravity publishing and movie industry who are interested in what happens in the Southeast for gravity riding, good or bad.

I submitted an article about SoFA and pictures to the Fat Tire Times online mag back in November. Waiting for the new edition to be released and see if it is in there.

As I said in a past email to everyone on the SoFA distro list, 5% of the people do 95% of the work in volunteer ventures. SoFA is no different. I am geographically separated from you guys now so I can’t do a whole helluva lot, plus I don’t have the patience or time to kiss the asses of people who are in positions designed to promote all types of riding. If someone else does or can justify the reasoning, knock yourself out. Now, the chapters who want help are great and very open to ideas and more than willing to provide resources. It’s important to remember that SoFA was created and restarted to be a support group to gravity riders within each SORBA chapter. The goal was not to do the work for the chapters, but to consult and augment manual labor when we could. The other goal, and the most important to me, was to get us all in contact so we could ride together and coordinate events.

If anyone wants to step up and coordinate some events for this year, good for you and the rest of us. Send a note to EMBA and tell them you want to set up a DH ride for a group at Carter’s Lake or get a ride together for Stanley Gap and Pinhoti. Hell, make it an overnighter and stay at Mulberry Gap. Make a six month calendar so people can plan for it. I've got all the email addresses for folks if anyone wants it.

Don’t bother if you are going to get in over your head with other things going on in your life, like I did. I *** up and had to step down which probably hurt the group so I apologize to all affected. But, you have to know when to throw in the towel and let someone else take the reins if you can’t be reliable and/or responsible. See first sentence.

Finally, I don't know why people didn't move their posting over to this site. If you have a problem with this particular forum, go post on Bike198's new forum for FR/DH. http://community.bike198.com/forum/9-freeridedownhill/

[ryan12210]

First, I want to say I'm pointing these things out to be constructive not to be confrontational. My only goal is to grow gravity riding opportunities in the GA. I'm sure you feel the same way. This has to be approached with foresight and intelligence to be successful.

1. Atlanta urban freeride/dh event- Last time I checked, Atlanta is pretty flat for a DH event. To call that a hair-brained plan, is an insult to the word plan. After all, my understanding was that potential sponsors were contacted without even securing a venue. Genius. Even if sponsorship and a venue was there, the lack of suitable terrain would lead to failure of an urban dh in my opinion.

2. Gravity East?- Tell me what trail we have in GA that could accommodate the number of riders they attract or justify people in points contention making the trip? Maybe Hawksnest, Sugar, Beech would work. But Carter's isn't up to snuff for them and doesnt have the terrain to be. Trials Center doesn't have a legitimate shuttle system for that type of event. Not to bash what they are doing there; the trails are awesome but they can't send a box truck up the shuttle road. If we want something like that we need to secure a venue and build a trail in a place with suitable terrain and nearby lodging. Contacting them without those things in place makes us look like dumba**es.

3. Workparties at TTC- It's in Chattanooga and we're in Atlanta. Enough said I think. I would be more than willing to go up there to races and even to help build(I know others who would also), but the distance makes it unreasonable to plan a sustained effort there.

I'm not going to accept that 5% of the people will do 95% of the work. We've had very successful work parties at Big Creek with a huge contingent of gravity riders out moving dirt. The reason they drew people was because other people had good ideas that drew them there. The slalom run at Big Creek is a perfect example. Good ideas will bring riders out to work on trails. Poorly planned schemes with lack of follow through that don't lead to new riding possibilities will fail. Miserably I might add.

[Narcosis]

It's safe to say you can't please everyone with your answers and since I'm not concerned with sounding confrontational or being PC, here is the retort to the retort.

1. Atlanta is an urban event and the venue was to setup a pump track and jumps with dirt hauled in. Google Crankworx for more info if you have ever heard of that event.

2. The Gravity East was not for GA. SORBA is a regional entity that encompasses more than the state of Georgia. This was aimed at a place like Beech Mtn as you noted. There is need for vision and expansion beyond what has been done in this area for so long, obviously. Think about Pigeon Forge. They have a lift system and terrain for it, but they need a business plan to show the revenue a DH event could bring in. Locations want to hear about money because that is what is in it for them. They could give a *** about our sport.

3. As for TTC, again, SORBA is more than Atlanta. No one is saying we have to go up there and help out, although it would nice nice and I'm sure they would appreciate the help. However, if they need help in design or have questions that is what SoFA is about, helping each other think through problems and offer suggestions. My comments about them were to show they have received the same reaction SoFA did from certain folks who should know better.

You can deny the 5/95 rule all day, doesn't really matter to me. I've done enough volunteer work to know the facts and the averages. If you take the people who work versus those who enjoy the benefits and do nothing it will work out to about the same number. But, as a volunteer you accept it because it's inevitable and hope people enjoy you busting your ass for them. Take Blanket's Creek for example. Look at the number of people who show up for work parties versus the number of people who ride there on a monthly basis. They have pretty good work party turn out, but it pales in comparison to the number of riders who enjoy the trails on the blood, sweat and bee stings of others.

From what I've seen, people only care about what is convenient for them which is understandable. Like I said, put some rides together and plan events for everyone. The true riding is up North in the mountains, otherwise a lot of building is required and earth moving around ATL to get the same effect. I'm done with this thread.

[Taz]

Interesting discussion.....