Introduction
The International Downhill Federation (IDF) board and membership has voted for the dissolution of the organization, and as such, the World Gravity Sports Federation (WGSF) proposes to take responsibility for the management and safeguarding of the remaining IDF assets. These assets are crucial resources for the downhill skating community, which can be utilized to support event organizers in running safe and professional events.
Currently, the IDF board’s plan is to distribute the assets and cash to national organizations. However, we strongly believe that members paid their fees to support an organization that aimed to create an international series and unite riders from all corners of the world. While supporting national organizations is important, we aim to carry forward this dream and legacy without dividing up the current resources and spreading them too thinly.
In 2022, we made a promise to ensure a well-produced, exciting, and widely watched television series, and we delivered exactly that to the community. The series has reached millions of viewers online and has captured the attention of TV networks worldwide, who are now eager for more and asking about the next series. This increased reach will act as our funnel to attract more people to our sport.
Building on this success, we have softly launched an amateur series under the WDSC, aiming to provide support and assistance to event organizers while establishing a pathway for aspiring riders to progress to the elite level. The amateur series requires further help and support, and it is where we will allocate our resources and fully utilize the available assets.
By taking charge of the IDF assets, we are committed to maximizing their potential and leveraging them to benefit the entire downhill community. Our focus will be on enhancing the amateur series, ensuring it serves as a strong feeder system for the WDSC. This approach allows us to invest wisely and extract the full value from the assets at hand.
As the WGSF, our primary goal is to ensure the sustainability and growth of downhill skateboarding and street luge. We will diligently steward the assets, maintaining the legacy established by the IDF, and expanding possibilities for the sport’s future. Together, let’s continue building a vibrant and united global community.
Proposal
We propose that the WGSF becomes the guardian of all the existing IDF assets, taking responsibility for managing, maintaining and safeguarding them to ensure their useable life can be extended for as long as possible and used to benefit the downhill racing community in a sustainable way.
The IDF’s assets will be used to support event organisers in running events safely and professionally and keep costs down as much as possible for both organisers and competitors.
The WGSF will create an ‘Event in a Box’ which event organisers can borrow to help run their event.
The Event in a Box would contain items such as:
- Timing system with transponders
- 8-10 POV cameras with mounts, kit etc.
- Laptop with charger
- 12 Long-range high-power radios
- Sets of standardized marshalling flags
- Branded course flags; start line, course, finish
- Start line snapline/bluetooth speaker
- Hi-vis jackets/vests
- Loudhailer
- Tools and equipment
- Power bank with various adapters
The Event in a Box will be purchased using some of the available IDF funds and made available for events sanctioned by the WGSF, with a small fee to cover shipping and maintenance. It will require a refundable deposit to ensure that all items are returned in good condition. In addition, a small fee will be charged to hire transponders to ensure that new transponders can be purchased to keep the system going for as long as possible. Currently there are less than 50 working transponders with the IDF timing system, and at least 100 need to be purchased for the system to be used for the foreseeable future.
The POV cameras that will be included are mainly to be used to film the semi-finals and finals to assist race officials with potential protests but will also be used by the WGSF for race round-up videos and social media content with the aim of growing a bigger following for the sport.
A mid-spec laptop will also be included to run the timing system software as well as edit and upload the video footage as required.
High-powered, long-range radios will be included with additional batteries, chargers and headpieces so that key personnel within the event team such as the starter, marshals, timing team, medics and uplift drivers can stay in constant communication.
10 sets of large, standardized flags (green, yellow and red) will be provided so there is consistency with warnings and messages to riders on track to ensure a safe and professionally run event.
The power bank will be a replacement for an onsite petrol generator and will have the capacity to charge and run the timing system laptop as well as charge the radios and POV cameras on site.
In addition, we propose that the WGSF is provided with a copy of all existing IDF footage with the unrestricted rights to edit, use and share it where they see fit to promote and benefit the downhill community and sport as a whole – growing both interest in the sport for future competitors and simultaneously expanding coverage to a wider audience.
Looking to the future, the Event in a Box kits could be duplicated if there is enough demand for them, and standard kits could be modified and adapted depending on practical usage. These duplicates could be placed at various strategic places around the world to keep down the cost of shipping.
The remaining cash assets will be ring-fenced and securely kept with the sole purpose of maintaining and replacing the boxes of equipment as and when necessary, and NOT used for any of the following: subsidising WGSF travel, expenses or running costs (other than ones associated with the care and maintenance of equipment), management fees, prize money, subsidies, refunds, salaries or loans. To bring further transparency and integrity to what the WGSF will be doing, each year there will be a balance sheet of remaining funds along with what the money has been spent on along with an inventory list of the available equipment and its location and condition.
The spirit of the use of these assets is to benefit and grow downhill skateboarding and street luge. The expected lifespan of the assets will be around 8 to 10 years.
We hope that you will agree that our joint aim, both as the IDF and the WGSF, is to do everything we can to run and maintain a professional and engaged community in a sustainable and responsible way, caring for what has already been invested in time, money and effort whilst simultaneously growing and expanding what is possible for the sport’s next chapter.