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A PWA-nál egy emailben rákérdeztem arra, hogy miért jó az, hogy a PWA versenyzők részvételét ennyire (összesen 1 DB EFPT) limitálják. Meglepően hosszú választ kaptam, megérdemlik hogy közzétegyem:

Hi Mate



Firstly let me give you the background to the rule that was issued. This was something that came from the riders themselves and is not a creation of PWA Management or without consultation. The riders were concerned that they were increasingly being obliged to attend lower level event by their sponsors. By lower level I am not just referring to events outside of the PWA Tour, but events of significantly lower prize money and sailor service standards, such as the EFPT, but it applies to all events that do not meet the standards that the riders have requested as a minimum.



When a few top riders start to attend lower level events, it starts a chain reaction whereby all other top riders are compelled to go by their sponsors in order to try to make sure that other brands do not get “one up on them”. This in turn leads to a situation where the competition fleet at a continental or regional level ends up being the same as at the professional world level. As a result, there are 2 negative impacts.



Firstly, new and upcoming competitors, who should be able to attend the lower tiers of competition to gain recognition and experience, instantly find themselves competing against the best in the world, limiting their opportunity to compete against their peers and meaning that they have no break in opportunity to get noticed in the sport. The sport needs these lower level events to give athletes somewhere to start, but there has to be some regulation and structure to how the entries for these events are handled, or they will always be dominated by the top guys, destroying their value. This kind of separation is normal is most sports - Its like premiership soccer teams competing in the third division!



Secondly, it devalues the higher tiers of competition, forcing the value of the sport down and eliminating any aspiration of promoters and event organisers to meet higher standards and drive the sport forwards. We have direct evidence of this from event organisers, who we know well and have worked with over the years, at events that used to be PWA events, telling us that there is no point in them running a PWA event with the associated standards of prize money, media and sailor services, when they can get all the top riders for a fraction of the price by running a lower level event and not apply the same high standards that we strive for. These standards are not set by us, they are set by the riders and it is the riders that have asked them to be protected in this way.



I am sure you can appreciate that both of these points create situations that are detrimental to the future of the sport, its growth and development.



Perhaps more importantly though, this rule was decided by and voted for by the sailors whom it affects. It was at their request it was implemented and, if they voted to change it, then we would also consider that request just as fully.



We do not pretend to tell riders that they cannot compete at EFPT events as such, we are not EFPT. What the rule requests athletes to do is make a choice between competing at lower level events or competing at higher level events. If they don’t want the standards we provide then they are free to choose alternatives, but at the same time they should not necessarily expect to benefit from the higher level as well.



We are constantly trying to work with all aspects of the sport to drive windsurfing forwards, and that includes the EFPT, who we are working with more closely than you might think. But we are also a riders association and we support their decisions provided that we feel it to be in the best interests of the sport, the riders and the tour.



I hope that clears up the situation, I have copied Phil Soltysiak who represents the Freestyle fleet in case he has additional input.


BR

Rich