SW: What is your current SLSA ranking, if any, and how long you've been SL surfing. Any RL surfing experience?
GM: I am currently ranked 9th after the Perfect Waves competition. This is my first full season. I started surfing last season at JJ Lanes. I grew up in RL along the beaches of New York \ New Jersey shores. Been around surfing all my life.
SW: We understand you have announced your intent to run for SLSA Director this term. What would you bring as a director and why are you running?
GW: I am bringing a fresh new perspective. I am known as someone who listens. I will take feedback in stride. People who know me also know that I am very dedicated to what I do. I put 100% effort out. I also bring very good organizational skills to the table.
SW: What areas of improvement do you currently see?
GW: I think that we should have more training for judges. Try to get more people interested in judging. I also feel that we should take the new surfers who join SLSA and give them training. Having an event without T20 riders, an event less intense, will help them feel the spirit of the events. It will also give them a sense of achievement.
SW: What do you see as the top issues and what would be your first priority?
GM: The top issue for me, I feel for almost eveyone else right now, is the sense of community....having FUN again. We need to focus on the SLSA community first. What I would love to do is have social events on the SLSA home sim, build up the Hall of Fame, have some sort of contests like Miss SLSA or SLSA HUNK, best surfboard artwork, having a fun Surfjam, bringing a sense of camradarie back to the organization to build on the idea that we are ONE because without members we will cease to exist!
SW: Why should you be voted in rather than any of the other candidates?
GM: I feel every one of the candidates are fully qualified. I wish we all could be on the Board. But I feel that I bring fresh new ideas to the organization. My hard work ethic, as well as dedication to success, is what I believe sets me apart.
SW: What were you most dissatisfied with as an SLSA member in the past season?
GM: I am a pretty easygoing person . It is hard for me to be dissatisfied. I try to look at the silver lining in each issue. But if I have to pick a topic, I would focus on the lack of numbers riding in these events. It seams to me we have lost members compared to last season. Again, new members and retaining old to me is vital to the survival of SLSA.
SW: Any information we have not covered that you would like the voters to know about you and what you would bring to this office?
GM: I have been co-captain of Reef Riders and have taken my responsibility serious. I want my voters to know that I will work for them. They are the ones who voted for me. I will fullfill my term to the fullest. I am always open for ideas and encourage communications from the community. I want to be their Voice amongst the other Directors.
SW: Give us a brief statement or opinion on some of the major issues the SLSA faced in 2009 and possible issues moving into 2010 (issues listed below):
Competition board variables, i.e, length, shape, weight (mod boards):
We have seen this issue develope over this season, and it stemmed some from last season. I am all for innovation. But just like RL professional competitions in any major sport, regulations must be implemented. Ability is what should be judged, not who has the most pimped board idea. I feel this will be a major focus on the upcoming season, and I am fully prepared to take this chanllenge to find a happy medium for all.
How to get more officials to work the competitions:
This one is a tough one. I feel if we have smaller events that dont focus on the T20, then we can get experience judging and experienced surfers. I also feel that the T20 surfers are not willing to lose their rank. If we make some concession that rank won't suffer, we may get more help from the T20 riders.
The SLSA sim and how to fund it:
This fits into my idea of having events such as best surfboard art work and other events like it. If we open voting, we can charge 10L per vote. This is just one idea. But if we take avantage of social events like this, we will be killing two birds with one stone: raising money for the sim as well as bringing the FUN back into the community!
Dealing with lag on competition sites:
WOW..LAG! Something we all dealt with more than once in our life as an SL surfer. I think we continue to find ways to combat it, like sim resetting. We already use two seperate sims. I thought about this once before, but wasnt sure if it would work. So here and let me attempt to explain: What if we had the judges sit on the edge of a 3rd sim. With the reduction of 3 avs and their scripts they need to lock on us, it may help reduce some of the lag. Again, this was only a thought I had. I do feel that we have much more concerns, though, that need to be addressed first.
Dealing with wave/board tapping at events:
Ahhhhh...who hasnt been tapped during a comp. Some of this is not always on purpose. So many people want to see there friends ride and try to cam lock them. If we dedicate a spectator marshall, they can use highlight transparency to see if someone has been clicking onto boards/waves. Now we may not be able to stop everyone, but the marshall can give warnings to those in the stands. If they continue, they will be banned from the sim.
Ways to return SL competition surfing back to the fun and camaderie of earlier times:
Social..Social ...Social.... We need to have social events. Have a fun surf competition that we all vote on the winners, such as having best costume while surfing, funniest wave ride...can include prims gestures. This will lighten the mood and can be done in between competitions. Maholo!! and Grazie!
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