SDMBA Meeting - 1/19/2011 @ 7:00pm

This is definitely the time to get organized and show what GP can contribute to the DH world. One example is the upcoming SDMBA meeting at 7:00pm next Wednesday, January 19 at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitor Center. What a great way to show that GP is serious about DH/FR and a force to be reckoned with?? If we have a large showing, we could change their focus onto the more DH/FR segment, rather than just the XC. One example: The Bike Skills Park. Have you signed the petition?

This is what the Chairman of the SDMBA DH/FR & Skills Park Committee said about next week's meeting:

The meeting is at the Mission Trails Regional Park Visitors Center, 7:00pm, Wednesday, 1-19-2011. We meet the third Wednesday of every month. If you and/or your crew would like to address the meeting please let me know about how many plan to attend so that I may schedule time on the agenda for you guys and gals. The door is always open. You don't have to be a member. All you have to do is care to start. You'll be suprised how many people don't care.

I honestly look forward to meeting you and your crew. I'm a cynic and a realist. That said, 1-19-2011 could be the day real change begins in SD.

Respectfully,

Jason L. Showalter

I know there are a lot of GP folks on here from San Diego. I honestly hope for a good showing.

Date: Wednesday, 1/19
Time: 7:00pm
Meet: MTRP Visitor Center

Who's going?
Capn
HinkDog
BMex

Check kitty out....with the picket sign and megaphone. I love it. In.

I should be able to make this.

I unfortuneatly cant make this one but I encourage everyone to go...I went to one earlier in the summer, gives you an intersting and somewhat frustrating look at the politics of land use. I really think a true DH/FR showing could help the movement greatly.
Yes SDMBA tends to do more XC oriented work but they are about more than that, they want open access to trail riding of all kinds. I think the underground movement of GP here coupled with an open well established org like SDMBA can only help us!

Hope more pirates will go! :arrrrrrr:

I'll be there.

Thanks for stepping up guys! Anyone else? I know there are a LOT of SD folks on this board!! I know Advocacy may not be your thing... and in all honesty, it has never been big on my list either. But think about what good this can do...

Not just for GP's reputation (because in the end, who really gives a fuck?), but for the possibility of ANY change in the DH situation in San Diego/SoCal!

Be a glass is half full, not a glass is half empty kind of person! Don't think about what little has been done, think about what can be done little by little!

The change may not be immediate and it may not start off major... it can and will happen. Call me idealistic, but with with all the crap I've been through in the last couple years, I wouldn't say I am. I guess I'm just tired of the need for secrecy and all the drama and BS that goes with it. Having secret trails should be a luxury or a privilege, not a mandatory thing**! I'm also being selfish, because I'd like to have a skills park where I don't have to drive all the way to Kernville or Seattle to enjoy.

(**Disclaimer: By no means am I suggesting that all DH trails should be exposed or "not secret". What I mean by this line is that all DH trails shouldn't HAVE to be secret because they're illegal and you fear it being torn town. We should fight for the right to create legal DH trails that are maintained and sustainable, much like XC trails are.)

So, GP Shirts or jersey's, right? I'll be there with my GP Shirt on!

HinkDog411 wrote:So, GP Shirts or jersey's, right? I'll be there with my GP Shirt on!

IN! :idea:

I might be able to make this. What exactly will we be doing?

Imagine a room full of limp penises talking about how cool it would be to have a hard on. But bureaucrats control the Viagra supply. Something like that. We'll be those guys who get accused of getting illegal, private hard ons. This analogy has jumped the track.

Bump. Anyone else going? Limp penis or not?

badkittyjing wrote:Limp penis

U call me? Ya, I'm in. Come on SD peeps...let's roll in there once and see what's what.

my penis is always limp

Well...today is mom's birthday and tried to avoid dinner but failed. Gonna have to miss this one. Pirates represent and stand your ground.

am man with i knew about this sooner i would have been down to go. im going to put it in my calendar for next month though.

En route....couple other pirates meeting me there.

Tara, Jon, and myself pillaged the meeting. 2 of us sporting pirate attire. 1st question was...what the hell is a gravity pirate? I have to say I was impressed by the level of knowledge they have about our trail systems. Listening to their liaison reports I could see this was an intelligent group that simply wants to promote mtb riding as a whole. Most conversations were about adding more technical features, and trying to get mtb ONLY trails going. Halfway through, the president made the mistake of saying "lets hear what the gravity pirates have to say." We laid claim to the next 45 minutes. Once I had the floor, you couldn't shut me up. I went on and on about the division between xc and DH in SoCal. And talked a lot about my race promotion plans. They were not only receptive...but also tossed in great suggestions. The Ted Williams convo did not go as well. In the heat of that battle, quiet lil Bkj snapped at a guy for being negative. Luckily we brought Jon as a bouncer to hold her back. Final conclusion.....this was a good thing. Good idea kitty. I'll be getting more involved with this imba chapter as the gravity pirates continue perform cpr on the DH scene in SoCal. AAAAAARRRRGG!

Funny thing was, the guy BKJ snapped at is the guy who invited us in the first place! AND he thanked us for coming out AFTER she snapped at him! I have to agree w/ Cap'n, they were very receptive to what WE do and even gave some "unofficial" advice. Good group of guys/gals, nice folks who are passionate about biking in general.

LOL. I had a feeling that's who it was because of his "glass is half empty" attitude (that's the same tone he had in all of our email conversations prior to the meeting). Not that I wasn't receptive to what he was saying, but if you're going to knock down one idea, you should at least offer up another. It seemed the other members of SDMBA are used to his ranting and raving, so President Gardner actually followed it up with some suggestions.

It was definitely interesting to hear what they had to say, especially about sustainability with trail building. It will be interesting to join in on more meetings and trail days to learn more about sustainable trail building. That way, when it comes to speaking with private land owners or the city or the BLM or the Forest Service or whoever ~ we can speak intelligently about what we want, what we can do, what we can provide, etc.

It was great to hear their support for more DH races in San Diego and it sounds like we can use them as a resource for gaining more contacts into getting this type of thing in San Diego.

SDMBA will never be completely focused on DH, but they will "unofficially" support our efforts by providing us the resources to make help make it happen.

In the end, it's true what they say... regardless of the MTB discipline you prefer (AM, XC, DH, FR, etc.)... we're all on 2 wheels fighting for the same thing - trail access.

Hopefully more Gravity Pirates will be involved in advocacy, not just in San Diego, and we can create a real DH movement in SoCal.

its so sad we have to have a movement...

Glad things went well, I was expecting a slugfest.

MikeLord wrote:its so sad we have to have a movement...

No kidding. We wouldn't have to if there weren't movements by "other" groups to ban trails for all bikes. Hikers and equestrians keep trying to have movements on our heads. Bob and weave, bob and weave....

props to all! thanks for making a stand I hope we do the same when it is our turn to stand!

Big thanks to Kitty for dragging GP to the meeting, kicking and screaming. The lil red dude on my other shoulder was coming up with all kinds of excuses to get me out of it. Props for pushing it...and showing up sick as well.

I don't see a potential for DH to be widely accepted by land managers. That's a given. Look at the fight XC riders have with land managers over liability of just single track use. We're asking managers to assume 10 times the liability risk due to the nature of DH/FR danger. So the most extreme trails will ALWAYS be the private illegal trails. Nobody has any illusions of that changing. What CAN change is a blurring of the line. We can effort to make existing trails more technical, or steep. Nascar and Noble are really the ONLY legal DH trails in San Diego county. We need more....and that leads to more venues for DH/FR events as well. So keep those private trails private! But let's work to make public trail systems more DH/FR friendly. Come to the next meeting...and wear your pirate garb.

capn,
what you said ^ is DEAD ON...but lets not forget that 10+/- years ago, skaters SAID THE SAME THING.....and nowadays its completely normal to see kids skating down the street, skating on sidewalks, skating to school....A GOD DAMNED CITY FUNDED SKATE PARK.

seriously, 10 years ago did anyone for a moment believe that the City would actually ever fund and maintain a skate park......lol...


my point being being....i actually think one day Cali will have its own LEGAL 'Whistler' and 'Shore' trails......its just a matter of time.....but for this to happen what needs to change is the attitude of the RIDERS, not the land managers.....we are divided right now.....XC, DH, FR.....secret trail builders and legal trail maintainers....

remember, united we stand, divided we fall....