Pro and Open or A-Pro/B-Pro?

[Paul Keleher]

Andy,

I'm iclinied to agree, OPEN events tend to be, "you pays your money and takes your chances with the big boys"

Look at Golf....US OPEN......Open for all to Enter ( although it probably isn't).

Pro and Am is the correct Terminology for Slalom Racing...but where do you make the transition.

Personally i think PRO should be defined as "somebody who has the support of a manufacturer either Monetary or Product"

An Amateur is someone who is completely self funded, no sponsorship, not zip diddly.


One other thing, previously we have had the "Pro World Champ" and the "Open ( Am!!) World Champ" are we now going to have the A group champ and the B group champ. how does that look to Potential Sponsors.

Skater ......"hey I'm the B group World Champion"
Potential Sponsor........"Hey thats Great! what does B group mean?"
Skater......." well it means that out of 48 people i had a qualifying position of between 25th and 48th"
Potential Sopnsor.......Hmmmm, who won the A group? and can i get him on the phone!!".

Call me a cynic ( YOU'RE A CYNIC!!)

buts thats what'll happen, the OLD system had a tad more Credibity to it, as people could detect a tangiable difference between PRO and OPEN(AM)

just my 1.3p's worth

[Andy Bittner]

Here's a very unpopular opinion...

PRO and AM!

In most sports where there is an Open Class or Open events, the term "Open" refers to a sort of super-class or super-event, where everyone, Pro or Am, competes together.

Why slalom skateboarding is SO committed to badly misusing the term "Open" is beyond me.

[Martin Drayton]

Surprised no-one has anything to say....There are a few people starting to voice their opinions about it on NCDSA.
Hmmm...

[Martin Drayton]

Pro and Open or A-Pro/B-Pro?
What do you guys think?
Which is better?
Which is fairer?