Article and Photo: Max Dubler
The International Downhill Federation had their third annual general meeting on Saturday and we tuned in to check on what’s going on in the world governing body for downhill skateboard racing. Here’s what you need to know going into 2016.
Racing Stuff
- There is now a 35 and up masters division for open skateboarding.
- Street Luge and Classic Luge are now combined into a single luge class.
- IDF wants to have fewer world cups and make the selection process more competitive so only the best events qualify.
- In 2016 each continent will have a maximum of 2 world cups, with 7 total world cups and 12 qualifying series.
- The schedule has been arranged to make travelling to races easier. (The IDF schedule is here.)
- The 2016 open skateboard world cup series championship will count your top 7 races, with a maximum of 5 world cups (5+2). Riders who want to contest the open class will have to race on at least 3 continents.
- The 2016 women’s, juniors, masters, and luge categories will count your top 6 races, with a maximum of 4 world cups (4+2). The points system will also be adjusted for these classes to make them more competitive.
- Continentaly rankings will include your top 5 finishes on the continent.
Money Stuff
- For the first time ever, the IDF ran a $20,000 surplus last year.
- You can find an itemized list of the IDF’s expenses in the agenda for the meeting. Most of the money they spent went toward shipping the timing system around the world and getting IDF officials to races so they could operate it. They would like to spend less money on this and are actively seeking more volunteers to help reduce these costs.
- IDF is an all-volunteer organization and the officials all spend lots of time and energy working for the betterment of gravity sports racing.
- The IDF now awards cash prize money to world cup series champions. This year there was an $8,000 prize purse.
- In future years there will be trophies and medals for world series and continental series champs.
- Much of the existing surplus money will go toward replacing lost transponders and investing in a new finish-line camera system.
- IDF wants to keep $10k in the bank for expenses.
- They’re planning to have a poll to ask existing members how they want to spend surplus money in the future.
Other Stuff
- Please return your transponders at races. Lost transponders cost members $80 per piece, adding up to about $8500 this year.
- IDF officials continue to attend IOC meetings about the inclusion of skateboarding in the Olympics. Though there’s no movement on downhill right now, we will know in July whether street and park skating will be in the next Olympics.
- There’s a brand new IDF website with all kinds of cool new features. Please let them know if you find any bugs.