Cool Guys

I'm assuming you're referring to the Olympic contender types, rather than the Snoopies (Joe Cool...remember him?). From the home office in Turkey, Texas, here's the Top 10 Reasons Why Cool Guys Don't Post on the Laser Forum....

1. They are single and seeking some spicey passion, or have spouses who don't understand their passion for sailing.
2. They already have a spicey passion.
3. They are busy shmoozing with potential sponsors.
4. They haven't found enough sponsors yet so they have to charge for their knowledge, unlike us yo-yo's who dole out and eat the advice freely.
5.They are active on the forum, but they post anonymously. (You know who you are.)
6. They're hanging out with the other thousands of Laser owners who aren't into using the Net for info-chat-shoptalk or Ebay buying.
7. Between touring, practicing/coaching, and jobs/business, the last thing they want to do is kick back and talk more about what the whole rest of the day is about.
8. They use the search function button.
9. They're too busy "making their bottoms pretty."
10. Wireless networked laptops aren't class legal, so they can't log on to the site during practicing/racing--the ultimate cool way to use the Forum.

And in other news...
 
odinsvitskjaldr said:
10. Wireless networked laptops aren't class legal, so they can't log on to the site during practicing/racing--the ultimate cool way to use the Forum.

And in other news...

Very creative!

Brendan
 
Looking to the pros, that I have seen, the most time they are by far most busy with their profession of sailing the Laser.
Also, beside of the sport, they have to do intensive their studies at the university or do their job during that small windows of time, if they are not "on the water".
So, I think, unfortunately there is not much space of time to spend with us here at TLF or at regional internet-forums for Laser sailing. How much is Ronaldo chatting in internet forums for Soccer / How much is Kobe Bryant chatting in internet forums for Basketball etc. etc.. So, why it should be different at our Olympic sport?
Yes, you're right - all this are not a sufficient honest reasons not to come here for a few moments and have a chat with their admirers, from time to time.

The pros that I met in GER, always have been friendly and helpful to me and for that behavior they got/get my support, as a spectator or with buying their sails or boats - for that they can spend this money for new sails and new boats, to be successful.

But...:

It is really very sad, that most of our professional class-representatives (here I mean that sort of people, that are functionaries or professional working coaches) are so inactive here.

Maybe they use other ways to communicate (f.e.: "ICQ" etc.) - Maybe they have own (secret) mailing lists....

For me, it is not enough "performance" to the members of our sailing-class, only to speak a few times during a year in a small "Laser Word"-Magazine some general words to the class etc. Or, sail a few races at far away happening master-major-events.

As one of the ILCA-fee paying over 180000, I call-in / demand, that such people have to be as active in internet-forums like this here, as f.e. Tracy or Fred or Merrily already are. It is not enough, only doing all the work "secretly behind a curtain".

As a Laserite that loves his sport, it was totally unacceptable for me to see, that one of the worlds largest sailing classes like the Laser-Class only had a wretched-existence for the boats in a dead edge at the worlds largest boat-exhibition here and that it was the very meritorious personal active employment of one owner of an official GER-Laserstore, that tiny Laser-Dinghy actually was to be shown there in general.
There is enough interest of the young generation to come into our loved sport. At that exhibition during the few hours I could visit it, I fortuitous was asked by several of such young sailors about the Laser-Radial and the Laser4.7. I tried my very best to give them all the sufficient answers that they wanted, because there was no ILCA-Official present and no official stand of the ILCA-Region-Europe for the Laser-class. And it is their duty to be present at such an international-sailing-event [to say this clear, here I mean the honorable representatives from Falmouth/Cornwall and not our own well working national honorary working (but perhaps sometimes overloaded) small class-office].
This picture, as described above, I think, can be taken a bit also over to the aspect that we discuss here. The reasons are exact the same, I say.

Come in: pro-Laserite / ILCA-fuctionary / Laser-coach – Don't be fearful - Have fun, together with us! You are invited to get active also here. We don't "bite" you! :)

ILCA-fee paying Laserite 46438/171442
 
Mark Grinder said:
So how come the cool guys don't post on this forum.

I'll bet we've got some pre-cool guys and gals visiting! So please, when you are making your mark, come back and talk to us sometimes.

We used to get Matt Sterrett posting sometimes. He was in US Sailings top 5 last year and now is in college. I remember college and there was no time for outside activities.

Thanks for your comments LaserLu, and maybe some day I'll be cool--sometimes I do feel a little bit that way too! :cool:

Merrily
 
what are we?...chopped liver?

Good points, Lu.

Merrily, are we (TLF) advertised in the Laser Sailor and the ILCA website? I'm a relative noobie here, so I'm sure there's been discussion of exposure, marketing, getting the word out and increasing the member pool.

I belong to an Alfa Romeo (row-MAY-oh if you've never heard of them, old sports cars) bulletin board and the number of members (+/- 5500) is pretty high compared to the number of old Alfa Romeos out there. The technical expertise, advise, experience, reference material, parts sources, photos, historical materials, etc, is amazing. It's like a cult, people are so into the community. And like here, spread out all over the world.
 
LooserLu said:
It is really very sad, that most of our professional class-representatives ... are so inactive here.

As one of the ILCA-fee paying .... I call-in / demand, that such people have to be as active in internet-forums like this here,

Well said Lu. Our North American President, Tracy Usher, is quite active here, but it would be good to see more interaction with members on the forum from our paid North American class staff, district secretaries, International Office, other regional officers ...
 
Merrily said:
I'll bet we've got some pre-cool guys and gals visiting! So please, when you are making your mark, come back and talk to us sometimes. ...

Merrily, we not should forget Laserites like Steve "Rosstersailing" Cockerill, or Peter "dollymeister" Seidenberg. I bet, if there is exsisting any big problem with their nice Laserparts and this is in discussion here, they will come and chatt here.

Merrily said:
...We used to get Matt Sterrett posting sometimes. He was in US Sailings top 5 last year and now is in college. I remember college and there was no time for outside activities..
And "channel Paige Railey" is transmitted via Bradley and the activities of
Michael "sailfitter" Blackburn are messaged via our TLF-friends at Australia.

Merrily said:
..and maybe some day I'll be cool, Merrily

Can I encourage you, that one of the professional sailing Laserites that Germany ever has seen (Friedhelm Lixenfeld) already has retired in his job when he started his phenomenal sailing-career :)



This is the real ghost that had been let out of the bottle by the 3 inventors of the Laser 35 years ago: If you have talent, are tough and work really hard and have some luck, you can make your way in racing most successful - no matter how old you are or when you did start sailing.

Personally I don't think, that the ISAF does not already has recognized, that sailing the Laser not only is sailing just a dinghy. It is by far more.
People of the Laserclass are every where (f.e.: Jeff Martin, who hold the one speeches of honor to ISAF-exPresident Mr. Henderson, when he retired and the whole civilization of "celebrities of sailing" at Kopenhegen was listening to his words.) I know about Laserites that have been senators at our national parliamant. Laserites are workingat he Nasa, seamen or are teachers, medical doctors, plumbers engineers cooks etc. etc.
One of the best big-boating-sailingpro's, Russel Coutts, is a Laserite. I bet, if it would bring him something, he would already some of the most active chatters here.

It would be the really best advertizing to our class, if finally also the "cool guys" would come to the opinion, to join to the other 2600+ TLF-members. This at least would prove, that the Laserclass is something like a paragon of all the ISAF-kids and in order has two boats running for the Olympic medals.

So, come on, all you cool guys, give yourself a kick. On the water you too aren't so shy to get the windward mark as the first, aren't you? ;)

See you
LooserLu

[@MasterMike: Alfa Romeo Spider... one of my favourite cars from Italy - really a kind of "Cult"mobil, too ;) ]
 
Yes, TLF has a link on the National website. Bradley is involved with creating the new website. He has also recently started advertising the forum in the Laser Sailor. You should understand that TLF has been quite unofficial, but is slowly gaining stature. I haven't checked out the International website to see if there's any link there, but I would be surprised if there is.

Maybe we should officially invite the International officers to post here. For all I know they have and do. I'm not keeping up with the International scene. The paid North American Class staff are members and have posted a few times. The District Secretaries are not paid--at least I haven't noticed any check in the mail--except purely in satisfaction. :rolleyes:

Merrily
 
The class hierarchy, other than Tracy, ought to once in a while chime in.

The list is gone...this is it....the primary means of communication in the class.

When I see all these genius' in FL (although I think Tracy might actuallly be one, which of course pisses me off (kididng)) I iwll, of course, complain.

That is if I can get in a word edgewise between Raab, Lineberger and Landt.
 
Mark Grinder said:
The class hierarchy, other than Tracy, ought to once in a while chime in.

I will, of course, complain.

That is if I can get in a word edgewise between Raab, Lineberger and (expletive deleted).

Complaining time is supposed to be over. We need to get the old farts together and decide upon a plan to get the kids to take over the class and run it for us. We can't be running things forever. It is time to make the youngsters grow up and challenge them to do a better job than we have done!!!

Rabb and Lineberger are great guys. I hope you get to see them.
 

Back
Top