Free interview Fridays

While running the other day, somewhere into my second mile, I came up with an idea for my Friday post – “Free interview Fridays,” with the goal of trying to tell the everyday stories of FTR members. My first interview is yet to be determined, however, so if you are reading this and have something to say or just want to be interviewed, let me know ASAP! The person with the best story or pitch will be featured next Friday.

In the meantime, check out these FTR Graduation Celebration photos courtesy of Kevin Moyer from the last Hare Scrambles. Congratulations to all of our graduates!

Friday…

I was thinking of starting a weekly post every Friday and need a name for the article. Something clever…maybe it will come to me out of nowhere, but maybe it will come from one of you readers…if it was a fixed-gear article for bicycle riders, I would call it Friday Fix; if I wanted to write an article on super trucks, it would be penned “Friday Flow” But, for a post on what’s happening in FTR for the weekend and everything in between, I’m stumped.

Anyway, the banquet committee is hard at work and recently started a Facebook page, which already has 81 likes!

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Here’s to the first weekend of the “offseason.” Check out the June magazine before it hits your mailbox.

Videos

Here is a preview of a video I am working on from the 2012-2013 FTR season:

FTR’s own Jesse Ansley produced this video from the 24-hour race in Alabama a few weeks ago:

If you’re still bored, check out this video from the J-Day Offroad race in Massachusetts:

Socialable

Check out the Facebook page for this year’s banquet!

Instagram

More than 24 followers in 24 hours! @FTRmoto

More than 24 followers in 24 hours! @FTRmoto

Are you on Instagram? If so, follow @FTRmoto and make sure you use the hashtag #ftrmoto to have your pics reposted!

Follow @FTRmoto

Follow @FTRmoto

Survey says…

Last year’s banquet:

"The vendor area was not that impressive. Should have been more interactive look at my booth settings. The auction items should have been placed when you first walk in. Were the auction items available for ticket sales at the banquet? Didnt hear any announcements?"

“Didn’t go, have gone several years in arow and it’s not worth the $.”

“Expensive, Food Not Good”

Ways to improve next (this) year:

  1. Cost friendly for most families…
  2. Better food
  3. Free or really cheap so everyone that gets an award would attend.
  4. Someone mentioned near the beach which would be nice. Something a bit less pricey.
  5. Hand the trophies to the riders on stage so that everyone who came to get there trophy has to go up on stage and represent FTR. The more people up on stage the more it makes everyone be involved. Strength in numbers, when only 1/3 actually walk across the stage it makes the organization look weak. Maybe some big prize at the end of the night to hold everyone there till the end. I think about 10 years ago it was a XR50. Maybe those people will accidentally enjoy themselves by not leaving after they got their trophy. Maybe a DJ/MC for in between times.
  6. That the trophies are presented on a different scale. Perhaps an all day event where each class is for a period of time where the winner could be acknowledged instead of a just a name and then the rest announced after. Maybe Pee wee riders from 12-1 enduros from 2-4 and motorcross from 5-7 and Trail Riders from 7-9 , etc, etc , and then a party afterward, not at 11. Every one could go to the parts they want to. Have a BBQ/buffett type setting where people can go as they please. More of a trail riders atmosphere instead of a fancy hotel.
  7. At a MX track with a large Pavilion or something similar to host awards
  8. New location
  9. Better location
  10. better, cheaper food and drinks
  11. Maybe Convention style.
  12. Tampa Fairgrounds
  13. Make it free to the members that have put in all the money time and effort all season.

What did you like best about the banquet?

Very well organized

Just being with friends

Seeing friends and racing buddies from seasons past.

The level of effort put on by the banquet committee. The vendor area was great! The trophies were great! The t-shirts were spectacular.

Andy did a great job. The people, the families, the FTR FAMILY. The trophies were very nice. HUGE! We love them!

Seeing friends… That’s it.

Vendor area

N/a

the giveaways

Vendor Area and getting to see and talk to people

Vendor area and $2 for beer

Mike Belle’s photos

WHAT DID YOU LIKE least?

Cost of accommodations

Price of hotel and quality of food. I don’t mind spending that much on a ticket but at least have some good food. It was good the year that it was done buffet style.

I was called to stage 3 different times and turned away. Then when it really was my turn I wasn’t up there. I never heard them call for my class to staging.

The staging area got a little overwhelmed.

The food-which we forgot about when the first name was called. I understand the food is not what FTR family of today would have chosen. Length of trophy presentation.-Hotel did not have my reservations as made.

Money, takes too long

Took too long was dragged out

That you had to pay just to attend

food

Hotel, Food

Food, chicken was really dry and getting max charged for everything.

The announcement for Chris Tolken, to donate for him. Not many were paying attention, you really couldn’t hear her. The long drawn out of the trophy presentations.

Food and price

 Where do you think FTR should hold the banquet? 

At a convention center or banquet hall near a motocross track or riding area. So everyone could ride some during the day, then head to banquet and hand out trophies and prizes. Skip dinner but leave enough time before banquet for dinner or make it an option. Take more time to call out the award winners and trophies and let everyone up on stage to collect your trophy. There was only 2 peopl from my class at banquet this year to collect year end awards including me. Thats bad. When I raced bmx there were awards 10-20 deep in every class. More people would come to get an award and see their friends if they knew more people from their class would be there. How much is one of those plaques? $10?

 

Memories

From FTR Magazine Facebook page:

Now that the Hare Scrambles season is over, what was your favorite Hare Scrambles memory from this year? Your response could be featured in the June magazine.

Now that the Hare Scrambles season is over, what was your favorite Hare Scrambles memory from this year? Your response could be featured in the June magazine.

Last chance

I just uploaded a few hundred photos from this weekend’s Hare Scrambles in Sumterville presented by Big Scrub Trail Riders. Check them out on the FTR Magazine Facebook page – facebook.com/ftrmag – and tag yourself! I am still on the lookout for a June cover story…

One of the highlights of the weekend was Saturday night’s banquet committee meeting where I learned a lot about this year’s plans for the celebration. Here’s a hint.

Kurt Lucas at the FTR Hare Scrambles in Sumterville

Kurt Lucas showed up to the banquet committee meeting.

Stay tuned for an official word on that after the Board of Directors meeting on May 18 to which all FTR members are invited to attend. The committee members talked about opening up the vendor area earlier than noon and how to streamline the awards ceremony after dinner so we don’t have to sit there any longer than necessary. The only problem is that we have to hand out more than 700 trophies, which is more than double most organizations. So, it’s going to take a while either way. Plus, we have the motocross trophies to hand out this year, which adds about 100 more trophies to the total. The good news is that this year’s tickets are going to cost about half what tickets cost last year. No more $67 dinners, folks! I hope you will join us as we move on into new territory outside of Orlando. See you August 3!

Day trip

Today, I’m taking a trip to Tampa with a few of the FTR Banquet Committee volunteers to check out the fairgrounds for a possible banquet location. In the meantime, the FTR webmaster is working on a cleaner, less-cluttered website that will accomodate all browsers and stretch the total width of your screen.

What do you think of this preview?

What do you think of this preview?

Please let us know if you have an suggestions for things that you would like to see on the website. We are always open to ideas and love hearing  input from the members.

By the way, have you checked out the May magazine yet? It’s online and at the printer so you should be seeing a copy in your mailbox soon.

Documenting

One of my newest Facebook friends is William St. Laurent, a Central Florida businessman who is working on a FTR documentary about the unsung heroes of the organization. The footage is excellent of what I’ve previewed, and Will said he will be sharing the finished version with the world soon.

Check out this video from a local protest in Kings County, Minnesota. The community is outraged about the plans for a motocross track on Milville land that is reportedly zoned agriculture.

“It’s a really good sport to get into, and it’s kind of been teetering on the edge of either breaking out and getting big, or failing.”