ASRA - Australian Skateboard Racing Association


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Tv stars

I kind of expected a posting or 2 here after the Channel 10 late news last night. Maybe I was the only one to see it? Briefly, it was a beat up story about dangerous long boarders skating Old Willunga Hill in Adelaide. They showed a couple of videos I have seen posted here recently (crashes, near misses with cars etc). Interviews with concerned locals asking for a crackdown, comments about $45- fines etc.etc was quite a long piece. No-one else see it?

Looks like that run might be spoiled for a while. Maybe you guys need a more discrete way or posting vids so the press can't get hold of it for their own purposes, avoiding youtube for example.

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Permalink Reply by T_Man on December 16, 2008 at 13:36
I didn't see the news last night but I did a quick search and apparently this was one of the videos shown, or part of it anyway. No wonder it's getting a bad rep, these guys have full face helmets, but take a good look at the rest.
No Leathers
No pads
No Gloves
Just casual clothes and a full face helmet. I wouldn't be impressed if I saw a boarder bombing a hill like that.
Permalink Reply by Bowditch on December 16, 2008 at 14:05
which boys, the willy ones?? sick man they cant spoil our fun. SKATE OR DIE MOTHERFUCKERS!!!
Permalink Reply by Ben on December 16, 2008 at 15:07
To mr. and mrs. journalist.

IF you choose to read this (which you won't.) I'd like to take a moment to explain something to you all. You go out of your way to sell a story- thats your job; we get that. We go out of our way to minimise exposure to you, thats our only means of defense. Most of us wear helmets and gloves, and when the speeds become higher, motorbike standard leathers.

How is it that we are more dangerous that 30kg of bike and a man/woman in a styrafoam cup and a material that offers no protection and will melt to you in an accident. How is it that we are seen as a greater threat to everyday people?

In the event of an accident a longboarder has the potential to be a 10% of the destructive force of a motorbike...even less than that compared to a car, yet we do not see this being represented.

Its strikes me as odd that most of you have never seen us, been aggravated by one of us or had an accident involving one of us- yet you choose to hound us for your own shock tactics and sense of self worth in the journalistic world.

This isn't some "new threat" longboards have exsisted since the 50's and earlier if you believe the hawaiians, yet i will eat my own slidepucks if more longboarders were involved in reported accidents than say...."street" skateboarders. Why? because we use more safety gear and DON'T WANT TO BE RUN OVER.

For a change, how about you ask US what it is like, we suffer all the ill effects that cyclists/ motor cyclists do:
-drivers don't look for us
-drivers deliberately put us in "dangerous situations"
-drivers act aggresively towards us, abuse us, will not pass when it is safe- but wont wait for an oppotune time either.

how about hearing it from our side, in a FAIR and TRANSPARENT dialogue.

The C02 emissions and carbon footprint of producing, maintaining and using a longboard are far less than a car, public transport or even a bike.

As for concerned locals, I think that you'll find the "locals" were more concerned about the skateboarders than the police corruption, state of the economy, local political happenings, etc....would you truly trust their opinion? i didn't think so. Also, did anyone ask if they had ever been aggressive towards cyclists or skateboarders? again, i didn't think so... and why? because it would discredit their opinion.

also, did you ask for permission to use the footage, i know that you do not have to- but in all seriousness, if I was going to use your footage i would have the DECENT COURTESY to ask. enough said.

I put it at your feet, the australian media; the bastards behind the words 95% of the blind morons out there read, see or listen too, that Australia has had 1 international gravity race in the last decade, between the reports of this caliber, the way you treated the luge communtiy in the last decade and your BLATANT scaremongering about "skateboarding hooliganism" it is BECAUSE of you, we do not get events, cannot attain insurance and councils do not allow closures to roads for safe events that will grow a rapidly growing lifestyle and sport.

shame on you. see,hear and speak no evil....bullshit. its all you bastards ever do.
Permalink Reply by Jeremy Rodgers on December 16, 2008 at 17:48
without postitive media we won't get shown in and on anything, we can complain all we want about getting bad press but unless we send out the press releases (What is hapening in our sport) then the only stories they will run are going to be when a member of the public rings the media to complain about us.
Events cost money (sponsors) money = return on investment simple
(event sport) media = ROI logo's seen on the riders during the coverage.
Companies will invest so they can be Assosiated with our sport (speed, control, hard) we have a good product to sell to sponsors but without constant posititve media exposure we will never get the big companies invovled in our sport.
We have a good repore with all our local media outlets and constantly send out press releases on everything happening in skateboard racing, we all need to do the same and the publics attitude will turn around.
We need to build on this years exposure, Gold Coast news 9 have done 4 stories on the crew all about the sport, Brisbane Extra 9 Maryhill story, 10 doco panorama punks and news, fuel tv F1 skate second one going to air soon, channel 2 stateline all in 2008 plus print media so it can happen we just need to sell the right stories and we need to tell the media what the stories about.
We all need to help with this to create a really big 2009 we are hosting the world championships so we do have something good to talk about. cheers
ASRA MEDIA DATA BASE media outlets in oz we can start another thread post up if you have contacts
Permalink Reply by Brad NS on December 16, 2008 at 18:10
well sayed jeremy !!
Permalink Reply by Phill C on December 16, 2008 at 18:14
Hey guys! i'd hate to break it to you but it is illegal what we do! protective gear or not! The only reason there hasn't been any events for the past decade is because every body likes to ride and don't want to have to be stuck running a race!
Avoid the media!!!! unless it is a Legal event that is the only way to get a positive story that the majority of the population will agree with. There has been positive stories in the past shown on extreme style T.V programes where riders were shown riding down the road illegally, however now no television network is going to show people breaking the law in a positive way full stop. They won't get away with it.
There has just been a race held in Sydney that got 46 riders along had over $2k worth of prizes and cost $200 to run which was made back on a food stand.
There is another one in january at Linden, and then one also being planned for March.
If you want this sport to grow, think outside the square! we might not be able to start racing on roads just yet, but we can build upto that in the future.
The race on sunday was the most fun i've had since Newtons and i'm sure the one at Linden will be the same.
If you wanna practice and train on the roads keep it discreet and ride safe.
Thats just my opinion.

Premium MemberPermalink Reply by Steve on December 16, 2008 at 19:21
I agree with you there Phil. As long as we're doing something that is "illegal" , regardless if your harming anyone or not, we're going to be easy targets for this kind of media attack. The media in turn only attack because joe average at home likes to be outraged and shake his fist at something while he is drinking his beer on the couch.

We need positive coverage and we are only going to get it with well organised events like we had on Sunday. Events that are 'safe' for the general public, have good sponsers and are seen to be re-inforcing the use of safety gear ( sorry I'm being slightly hypocritical here, I lost the skin off both my arms on Sunday )

Everyone rides illegally, we have to, maybe we should just try keep it low key and really try publicise the 'safer' more publically desirable events at least until the sport has grown bigger and has the greater respect and admiration it deserves from the public.
just my 2c
Permalink Reply by kristian on December 16, 2008 at 20:37
post vids on vimeo or blip. youtube is where people are getting busted
Permalink Reply by Joe on December 16, 2008 at 21:25
or maybe even when posting a vid, no street names shown or riders name on the video obviously, and maybe just edit the vid to cut out before you enter the town that your going to skate through or obvious landmarks etc. I know there not that stupid the media/authority's not recognized the place where your at but at least you got some back up of denial haha.

Premium MemberPermalink Reply by leeso on December 20, 2008 at 10:05

Premium MemberPermalink Reply by leeso on December 22, 2008 at 15:12
another one i found...sorry the audio is a little shyza
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=UxIA5Qs7t0c&feature=channel_page

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