I was just thinking about what drives this sport the most, and it definately has to be competition. Competition and money. So when you combine the two you take a huge group of amateur wakeboarders and give them something astronomical to shoot for, like the 1080, and the skill of the group as a whole skyrockets. Everybody is better off, and the sport steps up another notch. I think this is one of the best things to happen to wakeboarding since murray.

In my opinion, videos help the progression of the sport more than anything. In competition, you're forced to throw tricks that you can already land 80-100% of the time. Shooting for video, you're really pushing the envelope of what can be done on a board. Contest seem to breed a lot of the same tricks from riders, whereas, videos allow each rider to differentiate themselves from everyone else. <BR>I think if you look back at the true progression of the sport over the years, you'll see that videos like Mayday, hit it, spray, wake the beast, high wake drifters, skurfs up, Natural born thrillaz...presented the industry with something that had never been seen or done before. After time you'd see more and more of those tricks being thrown in contest. <BR>Contests are a great way for new riders to establish themselves in the industry, and for existing riders to keep their status. Doing well in contest is the best way to pay the bills in this industry, so in that sense they're very important. <BR>Mike Schwenne <BR><a href="http://www.westcoastcamps.com" target="_blank">www.westcoastcamps.com</a> <BR>

I would have personally preferred to see a contest where someone invents a new trick... innovation rather than imitation; but that's my opinion. <BR> <BR>I also agree with Mike's post.

Ditto on Mikes post. One of the reasons I like DU contests, they seem to go for it more. Shame there's not more. <BR>Videos are progression, contests are promotion.

I agree with all of you too, but you were missing the point that I was trying (badly) to make...that competition in general, wether it be on video, in a contest, or between two friends is the greatest push for the sport. 1080's money only provides incentive for everyone to become better.

Parks and Harf both tried 1080's in Orlando this weekend, although both did them after their runs were complete. Parks tried one wake-to-wake and Harf talked them into giving him another double up after nailing his blind pete as the last rider of the day. Fun to watch!

So, I'm assuming they didnt make it, right?

and im assuming we'll see video of those attempts?? ;)

Mark: Oh I see where you're comming from. I'd call it more pushing each other than competition. Competition just seems so negative. I do really like the 1080 contest, brings the trick back into the minds of the riders with some incentive to try it more. <BR>Dave did you get them on vid?

No, they didn't make it. I have video of Danny's attempt and someone is supposed to send me video of Parks' attempt. They will go up with our Orlando photo gallery later this week or early next week.

Let us all know when they are up. I would really like to see the attempts.