The PWT is ruined

ryan_mocerino 03-02-2004, 5:49 PM

omg, this sucks
they have ruined the tour. The have switched to a new elite format in which they are only having one qualifying for the entire year... at the first tour stop in orlando.

See it for yourself http://www.prowakeboardtour.com/article.jsp?ID=9852

i wanted to try an hit a few of the close ones, but now i can't or ill have to make the top 20 junoir men allowed in

Junior X - 20 riders
Pro mens - 40 riders
Pro Womens - 20 riders

I have learned from danny harf that some of the pros are 'grandfathered -in' so they don't have to worry. But what if parks has a bad day (Which happens often) and they tell him he can't ride for the rest of the year.

It will take years before we really see a new crowd because only a select few have the major competietion experiance

Tell me what you think

(kstateskier) · (kstateskier) **Join Date: May 2002** 03-02-2004, 5:53 PM

If you can't place in the Top 40 (60 with Junior included) riders in the world, do you really belong on the Pro Tour? I'd think Parks could place in the top 40 on a bad day. I could be wrong though.

ryan_mocerino 03-02-2004, 6:00 PM

keith lyman rode on tour for 2 years in junior men without really doing much, we are now gonna really see the same faces. How is that good for the future of wakeboarding if it is always gonna be the same people

klk 03-02-2004, 6:07 PM

i think it will be good because seeing the same faces, the public that doesn't get wakeboarding will become accustomed to hearing the same names and seeing those same faces and be able to relate more easily to the sport, besides like nick said, amazing he and i agree on something, you shouldn't be on the pro tour if you can't make a top 40 cut.

(magellan) · (magellan) **Join Date: Feb 2003** 03-02-2004, 7:00 PM

I think it's a great system.

(kstateskier) · (kstateskier) **Join Date: May 2002** 03-02-2004, 7:03 PM

zach, as long as we don't talk Tige's

(timmy) · (timmy) **Join Date: Jul 2001** 03-02-2004, 7:05 PM

who really cares? go out and ride people

klk 03-02-2004, 7:12 PM

true that man

(kstateskier) · (kstateskier) **Join Date: May 2002** 03-02-2004, 7:28 PM

Tim, some of us can't just go outside in 70 degree weather and ride right now. Ease up on us northerners! You remember what it was like right??

(sdboardr99) · (sdboardr99) **Join Date: Aug 2001** 03-02-2004, 8:13 PM

Sorry, but this is really old news and has been debated and discussed here and on wakeboarder. BAsically the PWT had to limit the number of entries. Last year in Orlando there were 120 riders on Saturday, which makes for an extremely long and boring day. Not good for the fans or for the people that have to work: boat drivers, judges, starting dock, coordinators, etc.

If you want to enter events then sign up now because any openings are first come first served.

blind5 03-02-2004, 8:20 PM

this is a good system, all they did was copy the surfing tour, take a look at that system it has been working for years so why not give it a shot in wakeboarding.

(olddude) · (olddude) **Join Date: Oct 2003** 03-03-2004, 6:11 AM

The pro tour is limiting the chances for the up coming riders, all other pro sports have more than 1 qualifying chance. If the Pro Tour would make the competition 3 day instead of 2, they could have a qualifying round on Friday, does anyone else agree? The Pro Tour comments are, register early and you should have a chance to ride, you won't know until a week before, go out and buy a plane ticket then and see what you'll have to pay to get that ticket besides lousy seating. Not everyone on the Pro Tour has deep pockets.

tattoobling 03-03-2004, 6:35 AM

You're a little off base there Craig. NOBODY on the tour has deep pockets. The PWT should hook up with some of the grass roots tournament organizations and qualify through there as you move up the ranks. Kinda like the AMA with moto/super cross.

(wakewilly) · (wakewilly) **Join Date: Aug 2001** 03-03-2004, 8:50 AM

Kaiser, well said.

blindsiderider 03-03-2004, 9:21 AM

I totally agree with Kaiser. If we dont have a way to move up through the ranks then I would say unless you come from a very wealthy situation you will never stand a chance of ever getting the oportunity to showcase your stuff.

(wakehound) · (wakehound) **Join Date: Oct 2003** 03-03-2004, 9:44 AM

There is a huge difference between the PWT and the AMA. Most notably is that Mastercraft is the main company behind the PWT. There are several other events out there, the Malibu Open, Gravity Games, X-Games, and so on. In my eyes, the AMA is more inline with the INT.

IMO the PWT is just a show. They are just trying to get people to buy boats.

big_poppa 03-15-2004, 8:26 AM

It's working!! and if cable tour gets bigger are we gonna build our own O Dub? NO! PWT is one of the only showcases that they have any intrest in now, skiing, kneeboarding and gettin sloshed is a
thing of the past. They (boat companys)only want to see the best in the world winning their money.
I reaally agree with kaiser soze.

(ldr) · (ldr) **Join Date: Nov 2002** 03-15-2004, 9:34 AM

Excuse me for whining but whether or not local riders try to qualify they still won't. Perfect example at the malibu open last year there were a whole slew of local riders who tried to qualify. Mike schwenne and brian austerman amoung the best yet only the popular names made it in. i know im going to get ripped for this but i truly believe there are major biases because the big sponsors want their riders in the finals to promote their products.
Just my $.02
Let the ripping begin.

(olddude) · (olddude) **Join Date: Oct 2003** 03-15-2004, 9:38 AM

It's not working, I've been going around with the Pro Tour the last few years, if you don't have slider experience, you don't make it on tour, the grassroots stops have no sliders. The new Pro Tour format, you can register and if there's any opening, you can ride but you won't know until a week before the tour stop, ever buy airline tickets one week before? gets pricy. A lot of the riders out there don't have the sponsors paying them their way to ride and can't afford to wait until the last minute to buy tickets. Yes, only the best should be riding on Sunday but without the experience in pressure situations(big stop), dock time is critical! Look back a few years ago, Andrew Adkison rode in the Jr's division, did anyone know who he was, dock time was invaluable, without it, the sport will have a more difficult time growing. Each rider learns to adapt to different courses, what the judges are looking for at a different pace. How do you think you'd ride in your first Pro Tour stop you had Parks Bonifay, Trevor Hansen, Chris Law and Ricky Gonzales in your heat?

(sdboardr99) · (sdboardr99) **Join Date: Aug 2001** 03-15-2004, 9:42 AM

That's one way to look at it. The other is that the best riders in the world have the biggest sponsors, including boat companies. I was in the boat with the judges at the Malibu Open so I have first hand experience watching them evaluate a run and they work extremely hard and try to be as fair as possible. If there is any bias at all it comes from familiarity with certain riders and knowing what they can do - and the bias would be unintentional.