When considering our 2017 IDF prize budget allocation, we wanted to split the payouts in a way that reflected our beliefs and goals for the World and Continental Championships.
The IDF is focused on growing the race communities on all levels; local through international, Junior through Masters and everything in between. We believe that recognizing and rewarding riders’ achievements in each individual continent and category will help us foster that growth.
Based on the prize budget established during January’s AGM, the amounts will be distributed as follows:
We strove for a mixture between two opposite approaches: on one end, a proportional payout based on exact dues-paying competitors per class; on the other end, a completely equal split for all divisions. Existing membership fees fund our budget, but we also want to help spur growth, so there is merit to both arguments. In choosing a “weighted average,” our goal is to reward the biggest categories while also incentivizing participation in the smaller ones. We believe this is an effective way to foster overall community growth, rather than just enriching the Open Skateboard World Championship.
Prize money has been further redistributed by investing heavily in Continental Championships. These are the engine and the indispensable basis for the growth of downhill athletes and community at a world level. Similarly, we decided to add cash prizes for Juniors, our next generation of racers who are essential to our future. We hope this reward will help cover the travels and investments they and their families made in 2017.
It is hard to pick exactly the right dollar amounts for every category, and some people may object. However we have looked long and hard at the numbers and the future of the IDF, and are confident with this approach. With a limited budget, we hope to suitably thank, reward, and give back a global incentive to the whole community of downhill skateboarding and luge.
Thank you for an excellent year, and stay tuned for the 2018 Rulebook!
