What do you get when representatives from MA, MQ, SQTA, the Queensland Trials Committee, coaches, officials, and trials enthusiasts all get together? Trevor Bennett reports on this historic day.
MOTO TRIALS FORUM
Saturday September 12, 2009 Australian Motorcycling Museum, Haisglea, Qld
A really good cross section of Trials enthusiasts attended this forum. I’m fairly certain that this is the first Trials Forum supported by Motorcycling Australia and a State Controlling Body (Motorcycling Queensland) ever !
We did have a get together prior to the Aussie Titles at Thunderbird Park in 1996. That meeting resulted in the availability of “little” Trials bikes once again. Eventually we had a choice to the aging Yamaha TY80. Thanks in part to Dean Nuttall’s involvement with Beta.
This forum saw MA represented by Board President Ron Kivovitch. MQ very well represented by General Manager Lindsay Granger. Independent facilitator was Peter Phair. We had members of the Qld Trials Committee, members of the South Queensland Trials Association, various Trials competitors, officials and coaches. MA had suggested that the MA Trials Commission should also be represented, hence my attendance. The whole event was well coordinated by MQ Development Officer Kim Rowcliffe.
There will no doubt be official minutes circulated, so these are my recollections and, I stress, my personal views of what transpired.
Peter Phair got everyone to introduce themselves, and to put forward what they hoped to get out of the forum.
Peter then went around the room and asked everyone what they felt was great about our sport. He then asked us all what we felt was wrong with our sport. Peter compiled a list of each of our answers. We were then advised we each had three votes, and were asked to vote on what we saw as the most pressing issues. Peter recorded the votes as we went around each of the topics.
We then were split, in a simple random selection, into four groups. Each group was to brain storm one of the four key issues. One representative then presented the groups findings to everyone else. From the voting, the four key issues were Juniors, Officials, Venues and MQs involvement in advertising the benefits of Moto Trials.
In some respects it was disappointing that the circulated Agenda Items were set aside, although the four key issues did appear on the agenda.
As is usually the case in this type of process there were some great options put forward. It never ceases to amaze me on how much we can achieve when we talk to each other. Everyone had the option of learning something…………… if they wanted to.
In no particular order, these were some of the outcomes.
There is obviously an issue in South East Qld, and northern NSW, where local councils have a big say in just what goes on, and where it can go on. Fortunately in my little corner of Australia these are not quite as pressing…… yet. Lindsay was able to point out to us all that MQ was in negotiation with South East Qld Councils in formulating a joint approach to the councils approval of motorcycle activities in their areas.
When the aspect of advertising was addressed, many of the attendees were surprised to learn that MQ has an advertising officer on their staff. Once again, Lindsay was able to provide this information. Some remarked with equal surprise when advised that they would have to contact this MQ officer, rather than him contacting them. I was aware that MNSW has a similar officer, and that MA also has a similar officer. In NSW that person contacts the State Trials Rounds organisers, and then does his best to get the details into the local media. Obviously the MA publicity person caters only for Australian Championship events.
There were a few items relating to Juniors. James Wager thought the sections at the recent Aussie Titles were a bit too easy for him and not a real challenge. I guess he’s still got to learn that riding “easy” sections requires a lot more concentration that riding challenging ones. And it’s a whole lot better for the little Juniors.
MA’s Junior Training Program, and in particular the Kickstart system came in for a lot of criticism. Overwhelming opinion was that the 5 hours coaching prior to Licence renewal was a good thing, but that the 5 hour Kickstart session was absolute overkill. One hour was deemed far more appropriate. Once again some of the attendees were unaware that the MA Trials Commission in conjunction with Level One and Two Coaches had developed a Trials version on the Junior Training Program.
Boyd Willcocks suggested that all Junior Trials Riders be limited to a machine of 125cc capacity. His logic is that the Junior would then need to develop the necessary skills to overcome the sections obstacles, without being able to rely on the brute power of larger capacity machines.
I advised the group as a whole of the Victorian Trials Committees proposal, that has also received MAs in principle approval, to send a group of promising young riders on a training/coaching trip to Europe each year. Ideally this will culminate in the group assisting the Australian Teams at the TdN.
Our group discussed Officials, and included Observers in that discussion. We agreed that Trials probably only needed two levels of Officials. One for Club Trials, and another for National Open Trials. Some of our group couldn’t get away from the current 5 levels that appear in the MoMS. Nobody said change was meant to be easy. Ian Rogers outlined how SQTA shared the Observing between all their riders. 8 riders take a pencil and scoresheet to each of the eight sections. They Observe for as long as they like, and then nominate another rider to take over, and so on. At the Trials Club of Canberra we have 7 sections at a Club Trial. If we have only 3 Observers show up, we divide the number of riders up by the remaining 4 sections, and they get to look after a section between them.
I also reiterated the fact that the MA Board had expressed support for the West Australian initiative to have Trials run by one Key Official in the same way that Speedway is. This would mean that the roles of Clerk of Course and Steward would effectively be combined. The MA Board, in their Minutes, were to advise the new Officials Commission of their support for the concept.
After lunch Peter guided the discussion back to other items, and it appeared to me that SQTA was going to get discussed. Sort of surprising as it hadn’t appeared too high on anyones priorities earlier in the forum.
Cliff James asked Ian Rogers the reasons why SQTA had “broken away” from MQ. Ian outlined 4 reasons. Firstly the overbearing bureaucracy, secondly the cost of Licencing, Rider Levies etc., thirdly the requirement for Licenced Officials, and fourthly the fact that with a limited number of Club members SQTA could ensure that all members shared the workload. That way they could prevent burnout of those few in every Club who do all the work.
Ian Rogers pointed out that he was able to secure $10M Public Risk Insurance for a very reasonable sum. This sum was divided among the members. Licence/Entry Fees of $25, for a Single, and Discounted Fees for Families meant it was far cheaper to compete. All proceeds were returned to the Club.
Ron Kivovitch suggested that SQTA should consult with their Legal Representatives, as $10M didn’t go far when someone was injured and became a paraplegic. After the $10M was used up, the Lawyers would be after the members houses. Robyn Curtis expressed the view that that example was the very reason that MA, and MQ, advised all Clubs to become Incorporated. Ian thanked Ron for his advice.
I pointed out to the group that MA ‘s Insurance Broker had quoted me a fee of $598 to compete in New Zealand using my Australian Competition Licence. This was for a 3 Day event. I was told that also included repatriation to Australia in case of very serious injury. Lindsay Granger pointed out that the cost of returning a seriously injured rider to Australia could cost well in excess of $25,000. I advised the group that I joined the South Island Trials Association and competed on that membership. The fee was $20.
Lindsay did explain that there was a current group within MA and the SCBs, that were exploring the possibilities of reducing the cost of Insurance for riders competing in NZ.
I also acknowledged that MA had been very helpful in this regard for the Australian Team members at the last two Oceania Trials championships.
Ian advised the group that 65% of SQTA members were also members of MQ affiliated Clubs. This allowed them to compete in Qld Open Trials, and the Australian Championships. SQTA see themselves as a viable option for people to compete in Trials at a far more affordable manner than through the conventional MQ / MA system. Further discussion ensued. It was apparent that the MQ affiliated Clubs and the SQTA were benefitting from the current set up by sharing resources such as Observers. Rowan Gibson suggested that the issue had been discussed satisfactorily.
From an MA Trials Commission perspective, the first three issues that SQTA raised are in fact issues that we have been attempting to rectify for the past four years. We have tried to do this from within, doing everything by the book. Perhaps the decisions and reasons for SQTA now existing, will ensure that MA, and all of the SCBs, will consider more carefully where our suggestions are coming from.
However the recent decision by the MNSW Board of Directors, to remove Bill Guthrie from the MNSW Trials Committee, and to ban him from attending any committee activities, shows just how out of touch with Trials reality some State Controlling Bodies can be.
Trevor Bennett
Trials competitor, organiser, official and MA Commissioner.