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Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:22 pm Post subject: Ultraskate 12 - Holland, Australia, US, and UK
Hi fellow LDP junkies.
In the Netherlands I'm planning on doing our second Ultraskate (no 12 in the Pavedwave books i guess) in the weekend of 25 and 26 September.
That is if the weather is still nice enough e.g. NO rain or strong winds. It's hard enough to do 24 hours just skating so no need for extra handicaps
If the weather is not helpful we do it the weekend after.
I recently went to a local downhill longboard race and asked around to see who would be interested in an Ultraskate and there was a few interested parties.. so, how do you organise an event like this? As far as I can see this would be the first Aussie Ultra. I can put the word out on ASRA (Austraian Skateboard Racing Association), and there is a few local roller-derby leagues who I know a few members of, so getting participants shouldn't be too hard. I guess what i would like to know is how to get sponsors, charities, support, food etc? I have honestly never organised anything bigger than a birthday party, so a charity event has me scratching my head somewhat Any hints and tips would be great... _________________ "If you get far enough away you'll be on your way home" - Tom Waits
Roe Mermaid max flex;
front- Vite 124mm, -2* dw, 78A/82A bushings, 77mm 82A Wigglers
rear- Seismic 105 ST, lightblue springs, -8* dw, 77mm 79A Wigglers
Count me in. Will be putting miles down here in socal! _________________ My deck
RoeRacing Mermaid, with bennet 4.3 upfront and seismic 105 in back...
the rest of set up changes tooo often to mention...>.>
Hey Odiwan, organising an Ultra can be really really simple. Just choose a time and a place and invite a bunch of other people to join you and it's done. It's like it says on Ultraskater.com... all you needs a skateboard and a free weekend! Raising charity money can get a bit more complicated and in case it helps I can let you know what little I've learnt about that. I've organised a short 16 mile charity skate on a public path and an Ultra on a private track and I found the two things are very different.
Skating in public you can't control the number of people who show up and if the idea is that they all pay to skate then it's hard to manage that, so it can be a bit chaotic but you can use the forums or Facebook or whatever to get people to donate money before the event and it's fun to have a prize for the top fundraisers as an incentive. All you really have to do is keep plugging the importance of the charity!
But for a big charity effort, it would be worth looking out for a private venue although then it gets a lot more complicated. For the Skaiti event I got permission to use an airfield and to invite a lot of skaters but then I had to think about insurance, medical cover, PR, toilets, catering, security, etc. as well as the fundraising. The potential for charity is far far greater at an event like that and the experience for the skaters is very different because it's a safe environment and there is potential for additional fundraising stuff as well as the actual skating. It's definitely worth the effort. I can explain more about what I learned via pm if you like. But Ultra 12 is quite soon!
Keeping it simple, if you invite others to join you for Ultra 12 on public paths, you could just ask everyone to put some money in a hat on the day and to collect sponsorship money before the event and bring that along and maybe have a little reward for whoever collects the most. Beyond that I would just make sure that all the skaters know they are skating at their own risk and that you are not 'organising' the event or providing food, water or any facilities. You're only collecting their money and spreading the word about the skate. I think this is how the Seattle Ultraskates usually run.
It's a great opportunity to raise money for a worthy cause and to get together with other skaters. I hope you can make it happen!
Thanks for the input Jo, I think that as it will be public paths that are being used I would go with the casual approach. I realised that I have a big impediment to my idea, which is that the area I am thinking of skating, the Gold Coast, is in the state of Queensland which as of last year brought about a ban on skating at night . Here is an article about said ban:
This led to a brainwave! Instead of a charity run which is noble, but complex, how about a run to protest the unfair alternative transport laws. Something along the lines of "Equal rights and responsibilities of skaters" The idea would be that all skaters must wear a helmet and have some sort of lighting for the dark hours, the more innovative the better. This would promote the idea that skating need not be any more dangerous than cycling.
This is what I am considering at the moment... I will keep this updated as it goes along. _________________ "If you get far enough away you'll be on your way home" - Tom Waits
Roe Mermaid max flex;
front- Vite 124mm, -2* dw, 78A/82A bushings, 77mm 82A Wigglers
rear- Seismic 105 ST, lightblue springs, -8* dw, 77mm 79A Wigglers
WOW!! I think that ban sounds outrageous. Looking at that article and the comments that follow it seems like you would have a lot of support for a 'protest' ride. All of you decked out with helmets, lights and high-vis gear. If you publicised the skate you might attract the attention of the authorities but it would raise the profile of the protest and maybe get people talking about it espcially if you can find someone from the press who is sympathetic and would do a story. Of course everyone who uses the road after dark should have lights on but that should apply to everyone - pedestrians included if they are walking in the road so it's right to encourage night time skaters to use lights but just banning it in ignorance seems nuts!
If you could get a big turn out from inliners, roller derby/quad skaters as well as skaterboarders it would look even better. Maybe it might be even more effective if you planned it with the focus on raising money for a charity rather than the protest. Forcing you off the road in the middle of a 24 hour charity skate might look really unacceptable in the press. I don't know if any of this is helpful but it's just a few ideas really.
Good luck with it and it would be great to hear how it goes.
Alright I just posted the event on ASRA, so I guess that is it. Now I just have to put the word out to the other skate disciplines. Thanks for the input and inspiration Jo, I think that you are right about making it a charity event, for all the above reasons, even if it is just a low key "put the hat around for charity" style of raising money.
COOOL! Great post on ASRA and it looks like you've got lots of positive support on there already. Great to get the ball rolling early and fantastic that you are making this happen. Wish I could come and skate with you guys! I've sent you a PM with a few thoughts and ideas about charity and activism
For us it's on. We found a nice little green border /park west from the city of Utrecht with fresh pavement trails going from 5 km to 8 km per round. All flat Records will be broken they say over here Got some involvement from The Boardfather, a local board shop, and Bakaboards witch is my brand.
... the area I am thinking of skating, the Gold Coast, is in the state of Queensland which as of last year brought about a ban on skating at night ....
WTF?? This recalls the "Joh" days - is he risen from the grave and serving on the Gold Coast council???
"We don't want that sort of thing up here"
Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen KCMG, (13 January 1911–23 April 2005)
... the area I am thinking of skating, the Gold Coast, is in the state of Queensland which as of last year brought about a ban on skating at night ....
WTF?? This recalls the "Joh" days - is he risen from the grave and serving on the Gold Coast council???
"We don't want that sort of thing up here"
Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen KCMG, (13 January 1911–23 April 2005)
Yep, and Joh has returned in the form of a young, female Labor transport minister... go figure.... then again she does come from Ipswich, maybe she is related to Pauline
I actually double checked and skating at night is not illegal, skating at night along a road is illegal but skating ACROSS a road day or night IS legal.. And according to one court ruling a skateboard is a "vehicle" and yet according to another court ruling a person riding a skateboard is a "pedestrian", these are both Aussie rulings too...
I ended up picking a stretch that is 22k's of bike track, so I think that it will be fine, even at night. But all the red tape is a bit of a put off. For this to be a legal "event" in Austrailia, I would need insurance, a risk management assessment, council consultation, council approval, council paperwork and after all that possible legal representation. And there are just as much legal formalities again should I want to get a charity involved. So on ASRA I am making this a "turn up and skate with me" style gig, to negate the formalities.
Bloody Aussie legistlation _________________ "If you get far enough away you'll be on your way home" - Tom Waits
Roe Mermaid max flex;
front- Vite 124mm, -2* dw, 78A/82A bushings, 77mm 82A Wigglers
rear- Seismic 105 ST, lightblue springs, -8* dw, 77mm 79A Wigglers
So on ASRA I am making this a "turn up and skate with me" style gig, to negate the formalities.
Bloody Aussie legistlation
Down here in VIC skateboards fall under the definition of a "wheeled recreational vehicle" (same status as inline skates, razor scooters etc), not a "vehicle" as such so it's illegal to ride them on the road.
Hope you get a good turnout. I'll be in Singapore on a work gig that weekend, might take a board up with me and do a few tropical k's in solidarity...
Last edited by armchair spaceman on Sun Aug 29, 2010 3:04 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Any hints and tips would be great...
. Here is an article about said ban:
Got some involvement from The Boardfather, a local board shop, and Bakaboards witch is my brand.
