Metaverse United Surfers Tour Update

Submitted by Lissa Sands (Pinion)

Lissa Pinion of SurfWatch recently caught up with Clarke Torok, founder of the Metaverse United Surfers Tour (MUST) to get an update on the status of the organization that had its first write up in SurfWatch back in 2009 (http://surfwatch.blogspot.com/2009/06/metaverse-united-surfers-tour.html.).  This will be a continuing series as SurfWatch follows up with Second Life (SL) surfing groups to get an update on activities, comps, participants, etc.

SurfWatch (SW):  Tell me how your group started and is it still active?
Clarke Torok (CT):  MUST WAS STARTED BY SURFERS FOR SURFERS WHO WANTED BOARD CHOICE OF THEIR OWN THE WAY IT SHOULD BE, NOT OF THE COMPETITION ORGANIZATION. WAVE DIVERSIFICATION NOT JUST ONE OR 2 WAVE CREATORS WAVES BUT NOT EXCLUDING ANYONE WHO SUBMITTED A WAVE THAT ALL BOARDS WOULD WORK ON AND WOULD NOT CREATE A MONOPOLY WITHIN THE WAVE INDUSTRY, ALSO TO BE MORE REALISTIC AS NOT ONE BEACH IN THE WORLD HAS THE SAME TYPES OF WAVES AS ANOTHER. FAIR COMPETITION GUIDELINES AND JUDGES WHO ARE REAL SURFERS NOT PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN THE WATER LET ALONE A SURF BOARD. IT IS STILL ACTIVE AND WE HAVE NOT HAD A COMPETITION IN A WHILE DUE TO MY SCHEDULE AND LACK OF HELP TO KEEP THINGS RUNNING.

SW:  Is your group open or by invite only?
CT:  OPEN, WE HAVE JUST NOT HAD A MEMBERSHIP DRIVE OR A HQ TO HAVE A GROUP ADDER SINCE I HAVE NOT BEEN IN SL OFTEN ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH IT, YOU CAN STILL JOIN FROM THE GROUP PROFILE.

SW:  MUST started with a handful of comps but has since faded from the public surf scene. What are your plans?
CT:  OUR PLANS ARE TO RE-ORGANIZE WITH A POSSIBLE COMEBACK AND RUN THE TOUR ONCE AGAIN AT FULL CAPACITY TO MIRROR THE SAME CAPACITY AS THE SL TRIPLE CROWN OF SURFING COMPETITION THAT WAS RECORDED AS THE LARGEST COMPETITION HELD IN SL TO DATE AND HAD THE STRONGEST, MOST DIVERSE FIELD OF ANY COMPETITION. ALSO SETTING THE RECORD FOR THE LARGEST CROWDS TO WATCH SURFING IN SL. THAT 3 EVENT SERIES WAS HELD OVER 3 CONSECUTIVE WEEKENDS AND SURFERS ACCUMULATED POINTS FOR EACH WEEKENDS EVENT AT 3 DIFFERENT SURF SIMS ON 3 DIFFERENT WAVES THAT WERE AVAILABLE AT THAT TIME ON ALL BOARDS AVAILABLE

SW:  The surf series you hosted, worked, and ultimately won had a few riders. Do you feel that ethically it was correct to surf the same event that is hosted by and worked in by a member of the group?
CT:  I'M NOT SURE IF YOU ARE SPEAKING OF THE SL TRIPLE CROWN OF SURFING OR MUST, BUT THE ONE I HOSTED, WORKED AS THE ORGANIZER, MARKETED, SPONSOR GATHERER AND WON WAS THE SL TRIPLE CROWN OF SURFING. SEEING AS ETHICAL TO SURF IN IT OF COURSE IT WAS ETHICAL, I WAS JUDGED JUST LIKE THE OTHER SURFERS WERE BY THE SAME JUDGES THEY WERE i HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH SCORING. THE JUDGES PUT THEIR NOTE CARD INTO THE SCOREBOARD AND THE SCOREBOARD READ THE RESULTS. MOST ALL OF THE WORK I DID ON THE EVENT WAS PRIOR TO IT, NOT DURING IT OTHER THAN ONE ISSUE WHICH WAS BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION BY MANY BUT WAS EVENTUALLY A MISUNDERSTANDING WHICH I APOLOGIZED FOR MY PART IN AND STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED AN APOLOGY FOR THE WAY I WAS SPOKEN TOO THREATED AND TREATED AFTERWARDS NOR HAVE ANY OF THE OTHER 2 MARSHALS WHO THAT PERSON THREATENED AND MISTREATED EITHER. HONESTLY I HAD WASHED IT UNDER THE BRIDGE AFTER ALL THIS TIME, MY REPUTATION HAS BEEN HURT BY THE INCIDENT DUE TO MOST PEOPLE ONLY HEARING AND SEEING ONE SIDE OF IT AND NOT WANTING TO LISTEN TO ALL SIDES, BUT I FIND THAT TO BE NARROW MINDED IN VIEWING IT MYSELF I WOULD RATHER MOVE ON. LIFE IS MUCH MORE THAN ONE WAVE POUNDING YOU INTO THE REEF, THE KEY IS TO GET UP PICK UP YOUR STICK AND GET BACK IN THE WATER. I MAY HAVE WON THE EVENT BUT SO WHAT I DONATED MY PRIZE MONEY AND OTHER PRIZES TO THE OTHER CONTESTANTS IN THE FIELD ANYWAY.

HERE'S REAL FOR YOU, KELLY SLATER HAS A SURF COMPETITION HE ORGANIZES, HOSTS, MARKETS, AND SURFS IN AND HAS EVEN WON. TIGER WOODS IN GOLF DOES THE SAME THING.

WHAT IS UNETHICAL IS AN ORGANIZATIONS BOARD OF DIRECTORS WHO MAKE THE RULES DECISIONS, PUNISHMENT HEARINGS, ASSESS PENALTIES, PICK AND TRAIN THE JUDGES TO SURF IN THE COMPETITIONS WHILE THEY HOLD THAT POSITION OR AFTER, PRIOR TO HOLDING THAT POSITION THEY SHOULD SURF, BUT NEVER DURING OR ESPECIALLY NOT AFTER, SAME GOES FOR JUDGES SURF BEFORE BUT THE MOMENT YOU TAKE ON THAT ROLE YOU CAN NOT EVER SURF COMPETITION IN THAT ORGANIZATION AGAIN. THOSE AREAS I DIDN'T HAVE A PART IN THE PEOPLE WHO DID ALL OF THAT DID NOT SURF.

ONE CHOSE NOT TOO AS IT IS UNETHICAL AS HE SAW IT AND HE HELPED ME BY SETTING UP THE GUIDELINES AND RULES FOR MUST. HE WORKED FOR THE LAW FIRM WHO ASSISTED THE ASP IN RL SURFING SETUP THEIR GUIDELINES, AND IS A RL SURFER AS WELL.

PART OF THE MUST TOUR WAS TO BRING TOGETHER THE TOP SURFERS FROM EACH OF THE OTHER SURF ORGS. OF SL WITH THE TOP SURFERS OF MUST AND PUT THEM IN A COMPETITION AGAINST EACH OTHER IN WIPE-OUT MODE. FOR THE NEXT SL TRIPLE CROWN OF SURFING WHERE THE BEST OF THE BEST BATTLE IT OUT ON 3 DIFFERENT SIMS WITH 3 DIFFERENT WAVES ON ANY BOARD THAT ALLOWS YOU TO WIPE-OUT IF YOU MAKE A MISTAKE OR GET INTO THE ROCKS IN THE BONE YARD. BUT THE OTHER ORGS. NEVER COULD GET TOGETHER ON THAT MOST NEVER EVEN GAVE US THE TIME OF DAY WHEN WE ASKED FOR A MEETING, BUT IT'S ALRIGHT IT MAY HAPPEN EVENTUALLY OR I MAY JUST GO SURF IN THEIR ORGS. COMPETITIONS AND TURN MUST INTO A INVITATION ONLY MINI SERIES THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE SL TRIPLE CROWN ONCE ENJOYED ONLY IT STARTED AS AN OPEN EVENT WITH THE LARGEST PURSE EVER. IT MAY FIND IT'S WAY BACK TO THE STAGE ONCE A YEAR FOR AN ANNUAL THING IN THE OFF-SEASON AFTER CHAMPIONS ARE CROWNED SO WE KNOW WHO TO INVITE!

Share: