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I am a big fan of ATB comps but I have questioned to myself how much comps actually do for the sport as I have always been of the opinion that the best thing for the sport is to get as many people involved as possible and personally I can’t see how ATB comps help do this.

My reason for thinking this is because before I used to ride myself I had never heard of an ATB comp and therefore an ATB comp was never going to get me into the sport and therefore I can’t imagine it would many other people.
In my opinion demos done recently by ATBers at extreme sports events or at festivals are much better for gaining newbies. This is because it allows other sports fans to convert and gets the public talking about the sport. I can imagine the demos that will be and have been done this year will have given a lot of people an opportunity to see the sport that would not have otherwise seen it.

On the other hand I do think that comps do a lot for the sport and those who have been involved for a while.

ATB comps are a great way for meeting new people and strengthening the ATB community. They are an effective place to advertise for all the ATB companies, with banners going up, tents to show off new kit and their riders getting involved. This all means that the market is strengthened and so the companies are able to secure their place on the market for the distant future.

So if comps don’t gain newbies as much as would be liked then how can things be changed to help things.

My suggestion is that e-mails and flyers are sent to skate, bmx, blade, mountain bike shops and sites around the country so that people that are inclined to do extreme sports know about them, and are likely to become involved. This would really up the numbers going to comps and of ATB members doing the sport full time.

Please give your opinion on the ATBoarders Forum about what you think could be done to get newbies to comps and I’ll give a mention to the person with the best idea on my next article.

Muller