Kevin Burns
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2014
- Messages
- 100
Food for thought
1995/96 the IMPBA had about 2700 members. I have a 95/96 member list.
2020 the IMPBA has less than 900 members. I just checked the IMPBA site.
Thats a huge loss.
No matter what ya all say, it's not the nitro engine tuning, cost of fuel, noise, or cost of hobby or lack of affordable boat racing class or lack of water. The city I live in offered a huge quarry for sancand races to be help, with no donation, showers, bathrooms and free camping for the weekend and best of all no noise restrictions. It's also not that large scale gas or FE, is taking over because there is less than 900 total members racing in all classes.
Let's look at Nitro cars. R/C nitro cars are not cheap, and there is really lesser places to race them. "1/8th scale tires are toast after 3 tanks" Glow plugs burn up faster and piston/sleeves wear out sooner. (Nitro car racing has a stupid huge following).
On the other hand there is a wealth of high end parts and they are available to the general public without having to know the secret codeword or handshake. Members don't get butthurt either.
I have been trying to say about the the IMPBA and membership and racing; I said maybe look at the individual who is a newcomer and not worry so much on the affordable boat to attract new pwr boaters.
Notice the advert for a nitro buggy race.
Jr novice (12 under)
Novice/Beginner (13 upto Any age)
40+
Sportsman and pro (The seasoned non paid pilot can hone skills with the pro's) or basicly it's an Open class.
The beginner class of racing is what sucks people in and keeps them while they learn how to race.
RC Boat racing has been in decline. Like I said, maybe if there was classes where newcomers weren't racing against 40 year vets with impeccable pilot skills, maybe more people would last in this hobby/sport.
If your worried about the future of r/c boat racing and or the IMPBA, changes need to be made asap to our hobby that will actually attract newcomers and keep them. Actually the issue is not attracting people, it's keeping them.
You might think I have been out of the hobby, I do keep track of what is going on. I said it before if you all like racing against the same 12 people than keep it as it is until it's no longer.
I have not seen one post where the individual was thought of. I guess it makes it easy to be a record holder with no members. I guess it's easy to take a 1st place with only 5 boats in a class. But that's just me and my opinion.
When more ppl race rc boats, then and only them will the market be flooded with parts at an even more affordable price, more manufactures would offer marine engines and such.
The cost of manufacturing would be a feasible gamble.
(produce 1000 engines one year and sell only sell 400 of them the cost skyrockets per unit) hence why engines cost 500 plus nowadays. The more members, the more sales, the cost goes down.
When the cost goes down, even more ppl will join.
Back in the 90's rc nitro car racing was without a beginner class and it was relatively a small group of people racing against themselves, much like the IMPBA today.
I wonder why nitro rc car is flourishing now, the only change was the advent of novice and beginner class that opened up the sport to newcomers. Why is the rc nitro boat a dying sport? The only thing that hasn't changed, I could wrong but maybe, just maybe... because no novice or beginner class.
1995/96 the IMPBA had about 2700 members. I have a 95/96 member list.
2020 the IMPBA has less than 900 members. I just checked the IMPBA site.
Thats a huge loss.
No matter what ya all say, it's not the nitro engine tuning, cost of fuel, noise, or cost of hobby or lack of affordable boat racing class or lack of water. The city I live in offered a huge quarry for sancand races to be help, with no donation, showers, bathrooms and free camping for the weekend and best of all no noise restrictions. It's also not that large scale gas or FE, is taking over because there is less than 900 total members racing in all classes.
Let's look at Nitro cars. R/C nitro cars are not cheap, and there is really lesser places to race them. "1/8th scale tires are toast after 3 tanks" Glow plugs burn up faster and piston/sleeves wear out sooner. (Nitro car racing has a stupid huge following).
On the other hand there is a wealth of high end parts and they are available to the general public without having to know the secret codeword or handshake. Members don't get butthurt either.
I have been trying to say about the the IMPBA and membership and racing; I said maybe look at the individual who is a newcomer and not worry so much on the affordable boat to attract new pwr boaters.
Notice the advert for a nitro buggy race.
Jr novice (12 under)
Novice/Beginner (13 upto Any age)
40+
Sportsman and pro (The seasoned non paid pilot can hone skills with the pro's) or basicly it's an Open class.
The beginner class of racing is what sucks people in and keeps them while they learn how to race.
RC Boat racing has been in decline. Like I said, maybe if there was classes where newcomers weren't racing against 40 year vets with impeccable pilot skills, maybe more people would last in this hobby/sport.
If your worried about the future of r/c boat racing and or the IMPBA, changes need to be made asap to our hobby that will actually attract newcomers and keep them. Actually the issue is not attracting people, it's keeping them.
You might think I have been out of the hobby, I do keep track of what is going on. I said it before if you all like racing against the same 12 people than keep it as it is until it's no longer.
I have not seen one post where the individual was thought of. I guess it makes it easy to be a record holder with no members. I guess it's easy to take a 1st place with only 5 boats in a class. But that's just me and my opinion.
When more ppl race rc boats, then and only them will the market be flooded with parts at an even more affordable price, more manufactures would offer marine engines and such.
The cost of manufacturing would be a feasible gamble.
(produce 1000 engines one year and sell only sell 400 of them the cost skyrockets per unit) hence why engines cost 500 plus nowadays. The more members, the more sales, the cost goes down.
When the cost goes down, even more ppl will join.
Back in the 90's rc nitro car racing was without a beginner class and it was relatively a small group of people racing against themselves, much like the IMPBA today.
I wonder why nitro rc car is flourishing now, the only change was the advent of novice and beginner class that opened up the sport to newcomers. Why is the rc nitro boat a dying sport? The only thing that hasn't changed, I could wrong but maybe, just maybe... because no novice or beginner class.
