SLSA Director Candidates Interviews Part 1


SurfWatch conducts these in-depth interviews to help voters get a clear picture of the candidates that are running for the Board and gives candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves to the voters. All five candidates were sent the same interview, SurfWatch received four interviews back. See their interviews below. All interviews are posted in the order received. Voting opens on December 1st. Stay tuned for more details!




Candidate Name: Maldrul Morris

SW:  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?  

MM: I work as a computer consultant and have been administrating the SLSA website and forum as communications officer and Director. I have also been keeping scores and calculating and posting individual and team ranking for the 2011 Season 2. I am a fair and honest elf with a good work ethic. I am running for director because I wish to continue helping to keep the SLSA organized and efficient.

SW:  What areas of improvement do you currently see for the SLSA as an organization?

MM: Further refinement of the surf event process to accommodate various levels of interest (ie single event vs Open and Pro based on number of registered competitiors). Training, not only for event staff such as judge or marshall, but also for the various officer duties such as SIM manager or HR.

SW:  What do you see as the top issues facing SL surfing in general, and what would be your first priority as an SLSA director?

MM: A recurring sentiment I have been hearing since I was elected is that the SLSA isn't fun anymore. I would say the top priority for all of the directors should be to make sure everyone is having fun.

SW:  Why are you the best candidate for this job?

MM: I am the best candidate because I am thorough, intelligent and hard working. I will take the position of Director of the SLSA seriously and always consider the surfers when performing my duties.

SW:  What were you most satisfied with as an SLSA member last season?  What were you most dissatisfied with?

MM: I was most satisfied with the hard work of the event staff last season. I was most dissatisfied with lag.

SW:  Anything else you would like voters to know about you?

MM: I still make great cookies! :>

Give us a brief statement or opinion on some of the major issues the SLSA faced in 2011 and possible issues moving into Season 2 (listed below):


1.  Were you concerned with  the low number of competitors signed up for the recent Open comps and what do you foresee for the future of the two-round, two-weekend SLSA competition format?  If you are in favor of keeping the two round format, what are your thoughts on how to get more riders to participate in compititions?

MM: The two round format has been useful in the past when event registration swelled to allow more surfers to compete. It can still be useful in the future when interest again waxes and we see larger numbers of competitors. Further refinement of the process for determining if 2 events are needed will help to increase the fun factor for surfers and spectators by limiting the duration of any single event.

2.  With the continuing decline of full surf sims with supporting neighbor sims for specators, and with more and more surf sims set up on Homesteads, what can be done to support the sim owners and ensure smooth running competitions?

MM: Make certain that tip jars for the sim are prominent and pointed out by the event DJ and coordinator during a competition. Negotiate with venue providers to remove or reduce lag inducing scripts and objects prior to a competition.

3.  The SLSA put into place a stipulation that a rider could miss one comp each season and not have it count against their rank in order to allow more people to volunteer to work comps. Most riders who use it are not using it to voluneteer but to do things in rl.  Should this stipulation go back to being for volunteers only or should all riders be able to use this?

MM: The stipulation was specifically to allow more surfers to be able to act as judges since it is possible to compete while serving as either marshall, event coordinator or security. As I have said before, SecondLife is called that because that is what it is: a second life. Real life has a way of interjecting itself frequently into all of our enjoyment of the game. The dropping of the worst competition score (or NS score) has helped otherwise great surfers obtain rankings more in line with their talent and less with their ability to attend. Also, the term 'volunteer' is a bit of a misnomer. Event staff are paid for their service.

4. With all the recent tier shortage notices, do you feel it is necessary for the SLSA to keep a home sim. Why or why not?

MM: Necessary? Nothing about this game is 'necessary', but I do think that having a home sim for the SLSA is a good idea. The resource has been underutilized but I see that turning around.

5. There has been some discussion on allowing other board types and wave types other than SSi.  What are your thoughts on allowing other scripts into the competition season?

MM: In the interest of fairness, any new waves or boards would have to interact in the same manner as the currently accepted waves and boards. That will require an agreed upon set of parameters and specifications which would have to be met before the new boards or waves would be sanctioned for SLSA events.
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