Director Nominee - Desirae Beaumont

On March 1, 2010, the Second Life Surfing Association (SLSA) will be electing two new candidates to fill two Director seats who have just completed their six month terms. The four candidates have already stated their intent to run, their SL surfing affiliations, and their vision for the SLSA at http://www.surfslsa.com/. SurfWatch conducts more in-depth interviews of the SLSA Director nominees to help voters get a clear picture of the candidates that are running for the Board and gives candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves and their views to the voters. SurfWatch will not begin posting the interviews until all of the candidates that are participating have turned them in. This is a voluntary process for the benefit of the candidates as well as the voters. If a candidate declines to participate, SurfWatch will note as such when the other interviews are posted.

Candidate Name: Desirae Beaumont

SurfWatch: You are currently ranked #1 for last season's SLSA surf rankings and you've been SL surfing for more than 2 years. We understand you have announced your intent to run for SLSA Director this term. What qualifications, skills, competencies, traits, etc. would you bring as a director and why are you running?
Desirae Beaumont:  I have an in depth knowledge of SL surfing and understand the issues that the members face, both beginners, pro's and staff.  I have served my full six month term as Director with many accomplishments, training a stream of new staff and ensuring appropriate funding of our sim.  I am Head Judge for a long time, judging many competitions and coaching new judges together with Sally LaSalle.  I have proven my skills by running several very successful fund-raising concerts and events, and I was a key organizer of the acquisition of the SLSA home sim 'Archipelago'.  In terms of traits, I'm a perfectionist, I like things done right and on time with no nonsense.

SW: What areas of improvement do you currently see related to SL surfing?
DB: 
- revision of surfboard standards, to set limits of what surfing really is.
- continuing the good work keeping the SLSA funded and operational.
- helping to grow the member base with socials and surf trainings
and, every candidate will write this for sure :) ... Ensuring everyone has a fun and friendly environment for competitive and social surfing.

SW: What do you see as the top issues facing SL surfing and what would be your first priority?
DB:  The top issues for me are fund-raising, encouraging more people to volunteer and setting new board standards.

SW: All the candidates are qualified - why should voters elect you over any other candidates?
DB:  I am decisive and make carefully considered decisions in the interests of the members. I'm not up for endless debate, and I'm not in to shameless self promotion.

SW: What were you most satisfied with as an SLSA member last season? What were you most dissatisfied with?
DB:  I am happy that we started to enforce our rules and showed that rule-breakers have to face the consequences of their irresponsibility.  Second: The SLSA home sim. It is amazing to have a permanent home for the SLSA and the SLSA Hall of Fame.

SW: Anything else you would like voters to know about you?
DB:  Over the previous 4 seasons, I have been season champion and runner up 2 times each, 4 time inductee to the SLSA Hall of Fame. I was Captain of the Reef Riders Surf team for more than 1 year, leading the team to two Team Championships.  I like SL surfing because I don't have the opportunity to do it in real life.

SW:  Give us a brief statement or opinion on some of the major issues the SLSA faced in 2009 and possible issues moving into Season 1 of 2010:
Removal of scripted HUDs and attachments for competitions:
It was necessary, and the last two competitions showed that the removal of all scripted attachments helped a lot with lag issues.

The disciplinary committee structure and penalties:
Like I said before: We can't tolerate the rule breakers and let the fun and enjoyment of the whole community be compromised by them.

The SLSA sim and funding :
The last months showed that the members want the sim and the fund-raisers I organized covered more than 50% of the tier.  It's amazing to have a home for our association and a permanent place for the SLSA Hall of Fame.

The SL surfing Hall of Fame (HoF):
The question is wrong, because it is the SLSA Hall of Fame and we should keep it like this.

Anything from the SLSA survey results that surprised you?
Not surprised but pleased that the members showed support for the SLSA Home Sim 'Archipelago'.  It is interesting that people were interested in video streaming, but I believe it should be done on the SLSA's own terms so that it doesn't cost us in time or money or that it interferes with the competition. In my opinion, it would be ridiculous to watch a virtual event on tv :)

Competition board/script restrictions:
We need to set board standards but still give surfers the chance to modify their boards within a sensible range. I don't want surfboards looking like a piece of paper or a Frisbee.

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