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Save the Masters division

  • Kevin Williams
    October 2009
    I feel that changing the age group to 35 for Masters will be a huge mistake. In the past, we have always battled to have a master division, and now that we can, it's going to killed! Guys like myself, Gustuv, Wayne Craig, Karl, Brad Keats, Paul Basson Rob Scott, only to name a few, cannot compete for a year or two? I think that is so wrong. I cannot defend my Wimpy/Rossi title. That to is wrong. I'm not saying don't change the age, at least make it 33 or 34.
    One thing to remember is that us Masters are the pioneers of body boarding in this country. With the exception of Mike van Hysteen, I have ridden SA Champs more that anyone else. Now, when I wanted to do my 20th Champs next year, I can't. Come on, think about this properly. Don't kill this sport quicker than it is growing.

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12 Replies

  • Ian
    October 2009
    I agree with kevin...
    Some of the divisions need to be looked at for the age groups..Juniors and pro are obviously fine. Mens division and masters need to be looked at. Mens division should not start at 18. should be from 21-28 like it used to be. Masters should be from 28-35, then there should be a division for Grand masters, 35 up.... I think Masters is a tad unfair, a 28 yr old flipping out next to a more "aged" rider....same with mens, basically a grom riding against a fairly older rider.....it used to be this way??
  • Ian
    October 2009
    I agree with kevin...
    Some of the divisions need to be looked at for the age groups..Juniors and pro are obviously fine. Mens division and masters need to be looked at. Mens division should not start at 18. should be from 21-28 like it used to be. Masters should be from 28-35, then there should be a division for Grand masters, 35 up.... I think Masters is a tad unfair, a 28 yr old flipping out next to a more "aged" rider....same with mens, basically a grom riding against a fairly older rider.....it used to be this way??
  • craigtrilivascraigtrilivas
    October 2009
    I totally agree.

    Its really hard for guys who would want to compete but have to compete against okes that are just outta high skool and are surfing 7 days a week!

    These guys are 18 and maybe a lil older and i reckon there needs to be a grouping instead of the divisions we currently have?

    Maybe there should be a 9-5 worker division & a young and unemployed division LOL!!!

    I only get to surf about once a week if that as I work everyday (and even some weekends & public holidays)and maybe , just maybe, if there is a wave on the weekend....I can session it :mrgreen:

    But ja on a serious note its not cool for a guy of say 28 to be riding against a 40+ year old Master u know? (pro & DK divs are different tho)

    I havnt competed for long but i can see this is a bit of a problem and okes r getting a bit bleek, but I wouldnt know where to start :lol:
  • Spy Dude
    October 2009
    Even though i am 35 and i dont ride contests... i think this has to be the doffest idea i have ever heard, who thought it up? Julias Malema. Keep it the way it is, maybe we should rather follow the surfing example and introduce veterans for 40+.
    I am stoked that the sport is growing old enough that there is an active masters division, considering the rest of our surfing brethren percieve bodyboarding as a childs sport and when you get a little older you should progess to the stand up.
    Now i did my stand up and all, but nothing on earth beats getting spat out of a Phat kbay keg at 6am in the morning.

    Long live the toppies on mats, fk the new system.
  • SmTSmT
    October 2009
    Hey Guys, I think the mens division should stay the same, if we change the entry age we are also killing off a portion of riders that are not good enough for Pro but still want to compete. For Masters, maybe 35 is a old, I like the 30yr suggestion.
    But all this arguing about ages is difficult when you've got 40 something Mike Stewart winning IBA Contests against guys half his age, crazy I tell you. But then again he is freakishly good.
    Anyway, we just need more guys entering contests and having fun!
  • KellyKelly
    October 2009
    I can't be sure what the reason was for the original 28 year age limit but I'm fairly sure it must have been because there were not enough guys older than 35 at the time of introducing the Masters division. To bring the age up to 35+ is most likely following SSA and I'd go with the thinking that we should increase the age of the masters division to try retain as many of the 35+ guys as we can. Hitting masters at 28 is a little premature in my books.

    Probably a better way to do it would be to look at who is the youngest rider competing regularly in the masters division - drop it down to their age e.g. 32 and then over the next few years step it up to 35.

    What this does do is it means there is a big gap from 18-35 before you will move up a division. So I would propose introducing a Senior Mens division for the 28+. SSA has their Seniors division at 30+ but we don't have the numbers I believe and going in at 28 might just cover it.

    Mens: 18-28
    Senior Mens: 28-35
    Masters: 35+

    In my opinion, we need to keep as many of the older guys competing as possible. These are the guys who will make things happen - bringing in sponsorships, running events & organisations.

    The aim should be to try hold onto members as long as you can - a Senior Mens (28-35) and Masters (35+) could help with this aim. But I would make sure that the current masters are not bumped back down and would phase the age change in.
  • JmoJmo
    October 2009
    My point of view: simpler is almost always better.
    Maybe consider the stress that the event organisers go through in co ordinating the size of events where all possible divisions will compete. Why add another division in the mix? A masters division starting at 30-32 is great because by that age we are all feeling a little over the hill and mostly on the same page with fitness and ability to pull off big moves... Likewise with Mens being 18-30.
    Although I am not a competition surfer so perhaps I should keep to myself... 8)
  • peterbee
    October 2009
    Hey, how can I make it so I only compete with 60-years-and-over?

    I'm sick of windgat laatjies like JP calling me "old man", and I reckon I might have a chance against a pensioner, especially someone who looks as old as Billy Miller does nowadays (from hardly surfing since Bali)...
  • Rob Scott
    October 2009
    Lets keep masters out of the 20's shall we.
  • MJMJ
    October 2009
    I would like to add some of my comments/suggestions about the "Masters Division". Some might remember that we had a "Grandmasters Division" a few years ago, due to lack of contestants this division was put on "hold".
    The reason for the Mens division age group changing to include 18 year olds is because we found that some school leavers enrolling at Varsity did not enter the contests, because they did not want to move to the Pro division (Pros surf very often therefore the perceived advantage they have). I still don't know why there is an overlap of the Mens/Masters division - Mens 18 - 35 and Masters 28+
    In order to save the Masters Division the overlap from the Mens division needs to be removed (which could be over time in order to accommodate the current Masters competitors) - so I suggest the following options:
    Option 1: Mens - 18 to 28 / Masters - 28 to 40
    Option 2: Mens - 18 to 35 /Masters - 35 to 40
    Option 3: Mens - 18 to 35 (no change to current age group) /Masters - (as suggested by Kelly - use the starting age of the youngest current Master who competed in a 2009 SABA circuit event and step up the age every year until it reaches 35) to 40

    and also then re-introduce the Grandmasters Division - 40+

    Any other thoughts?
  • Kevin Williams
    October 2009
    Option 3 makes good sense. That way the guys who did surf this year can still compete. Once they reach 35, then set the masters to 35 and older
  • JmoJmo
    November 2009
    Out of interest: How many 40+ guys are out there competing?
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