Originally Posted by Teach

sad to say you are mistaken, try and come to an event next year. one thing ernie and i have said all year is why are we placing at the top? sure, we are progressing in our own way but we are looking for the young blood to come knock us off and create new styles, etc...that's the major US weakness imo, the Euros seem to have a lot more younger riders with their own flavor.

I also bust colton's balls about not winning constantly as we need a younger guard to take the helm and steer the ship. personally, i'm near the end of the my willingness to sacrifice and put work in...i and others helped build things to where they are and now it's time to pass the torch....but to who? the answer is to whomever will accept that responsibility and all that goes with it, at it's not easy by any means.

i'll give you two examples to refute your feelings:
1. kyle sliger: killer rider, first real year. as veteran riders, we welcomed him into the fold, offered showers at hotel rooms, always tried to make him part of the family, etc. Encouragement in his riding as well as his ability to make the next event were always given. with a few changes and improvements, he can be a top 5 guy all day.

2. nick karipis: my northeast dude. rode with him in the spring, said you should do xdl. after first round he committed to come all the way to long beach ON HIS OWN by himself in his truck. needless to say we all took care of him in every aspect possible. at indy he got 'hosed' in a miscommunication on wheelie race rules and us veteran riders went to bat for him vs the judges in the middle of the contest bc we felt he was wronged and the $1000 he lost out on might have cost him a trip to the next event. nick soldiered on and made every event.

both these guys are exactly what the sport needs and exactly what us veteran riders want. we want new blood, hence the constant encouragement and support of younger riders along with the attempt to make as many events possible and 'open ride' situation.

the reason you don't see it is because you are not there. we are a family at xdl and every rider is welcome. come humble, ready to learn, and willingness to improve and you will be welcomed and nurtured, just like colton was at 13. both these guys can attest to the camaraderie that we all have. and that's part of the reason we all sometimes get defensive, bc we invest everything we have into this...some more easily than others. when i see nick karipis willing to quit his job and drive 50 hours alone to make a comp, i wanna help him bc i remember when that was me...thats the thing, everyone in a positive situation in xdl remembers the beginnings and the struggles, and while that is a necessary part of growing up as a person and a rider, we all want to ensure that the up and comers continue to keep showing up...we NEED more blood.





nick, one of my favorite things about you is that you are actually intelligent and well spoken...such a difficult thing to find in stunt riding it seems. well said!

Originally Posted by RUTHLESS RAH

u guys should have been school teachers instead of stunt riders!! yall type too much

Originally Posted by hypermike-gba

Only thing I have ot say is this. I Could care less about judging.

I�m not trying to make waves by stating this but unlike almost every other motorcycle based sport. There is no amateur class therefore there is no real room for and up and coming rider. I have seen allot of riders through the years who could be recognized if they had more experience riding in comps. There was AFS for a wile but that�s gone. To all the �PRO Riders� answer this. You say that you are doing good for the sport and promoting the sport to grow right? But you do realize just like every other pro rider in other motorcycle based sports you WONT be around for ever.. When you are gone if XDL is the way it is now then what happens? A true pioneer should pave the way for the sports future riders. After all the riders are the ones who make this sport exist. I don�t see any of that going on. Looks to me like it has become an every man for his self deal.

Originally Posted by GIL with 1 L

Well put Nick . While I'm in no position to give a credible argument I believe that a rider should only be proficient in three categories to gain max points. I don't feel like doing a long winded explanation but after attending a few xdl comps in the end it always seems like a bunch of guys who are trying to do the same tricks in their quest for max points . Yes I can tell the difference in the runs but to the average person it looks like everybody doing the same thing.

Originally Posted by Nick Apex

My answer could go on forever but it would sound like patting my own back and I hate that. Well, sadly the issue is that it's not easy to toss your life away for a dream. So over the last years Ernie and I have gotten sponsors, paid, or hosted the way for the following riders to come and compete or be involved with XDL/freestyle.

Kris Higdon
Joel Figs
Lin Eshalom
Shin Kinoshita
Dia
Oga
Randy
Julien
Every local kid I know personally in Vegas
Every local kid Ernie knows in Albuquerque

It may have been totally paying their way. Letting them stay and driving them around for weeks here in the US. Paying hotels, food, you name it, we've tried. Maybe that's why I take it personal when someone mentions Ernie in a casual way or not regarding his involvement in the sport in a negative light. That guy has bleed more than anyone I know to help the next guy. Not that it has much to do about what I'm talking to you about. But that guy deserves a round of applause by all of us all the time. He's just too modest for anyone to know. I know that wasn't the original intention of the first XDL rules post, it's all good.




Gill, I'm with you 500%, yet I think this year the winners were all completely different, so it's working as you want it to be. Honestly, there's not a single rider less Rafal that was scoring well with me in all categories. Most riders hit 2 hard and the ones that are scoring well with me are hitting 3 well. The way things are these days you can have a top placing score and completed ignore a category. It would only be when someone goes full beast mode in all 4 would things change. That would light a fire under everyone, and really that's where I feel we should be. Maybe it's not you or I, but at some point there'll be the best acro/wheelie/endo/burnout guy riding like a super champ in a single guy. Until then, Bill is a bad acro who can't do tank circles guy, haha.

Teach, thanks man!

Originally Posted by Nick Apex

Maybe that's why I take it personal when someone mentions Ernie in a casual way or not regarding his involvement in the sport in a negative light. That guy has bleed more than anyone I know to help the next guy. Not that it has much to do about what I'm talking to you about. But that guy deserves a round of applause by all of us all the time. He's just too modest for anyone to know. I know that wasn't the original intention of the first XDL rules post, it's all good.




!

Originally Posted by Teach

i'll give you two examples to refute your feelings:
1. kyle sliger: killer rider, first real year. as veteran riders, we welcomed him into the fold, offered showers at hotel rooms, always tried to make him part of the family, etc. Encouragement in his riding as well as his ability to make the next event were always given. with a few changes and improvements, he can be a top 5 guy all day.