Well said, Martin, but don't think that it's just about contests and pointscores.
Of course, the grom who is the beneficiary of the KSUSA community will have to want to and be able to go, and naturally will have to have to be cleared to go by parents and teachers. But if we can pull this off, the groms that go to Phillip Island will also be ambassadors of both the USA and the KSUSA to Australia. They won't be there just for the contest either, but for the opportunity to share and explore a culture and a landscape different from what they're used to. This is an unprecedented opportunity, certainly one that many of us never had when we were teens.
This opportunity is made possible by this community, this world wide community, and the support of our brothers and sisters in Australia who've stepped up to the plate with offers of lodging, transportation, and mentoring while our groms are away from home. This wouldn't be possible without all of us, digging deep not only into our pockets but into our hearts and time as well.
Phillip Island is also a premier event, a social event among kneelos as well as a first rate contest. It's one we should all try to make it to, and one I'd like to attend some day as well. To be considered to go should be an honor.
And, if we can pull this off, it's an honor we'd like to reciprocate as well, by hosting one or more Australian groms to OUR premier kneeboarding event. It's just one way to give back to kneeboarding, to keep firing the stoke, and to ensure that we don't go the way of the dodo.
