What has happened!!!!!!!!

[Bill C.]

All this sport has is a small grass roots following, which is fine with me.  I personally don't care if it grows because I actually prefer to be unique in the eyes of onlookers.  IMO the only way this sport is going to grow is through sales and the only way sales are going to occur is through a major TV advertising campaign aimed at teens.  Since the small retailers cannot afford that massive cost, it's up to the Boecks to do that if they want the sport to grow.  It's a huge outlay of money that hopefully would have an even bigger payback.  But until that happens, this sport is going to grow and shrink and sputter quite often.  

The Vegas show will be great fun for bockers and attract a bunch of media attention, but IMO Henry's appearance on the Letterman Show a couple of years back reached far more people and had virtually no affect on interest in the equipment or the sport here in the States.

[davidtheamazing1]

A professional stuntman jumping over a car is certainly cool, but I don't think it inspires the spark of "I could do that" for most people and teens.  When I promote the sport, I usually focus on the recreational, running (transport), fitness, and novelty aspects.  A few customers are interested in performance or acrobatics, and of course I'll send them to the cool videos by Henry, anti-gravity, etc.

[Madon]

IMO, i think when people see bocks on the Letterman show, or like the presidential show thing on TV when Obama got ellected, they think that they are custom or something. Or maybe they're just scared of them! my friends all think i'm insane.. They just don't understand how easy it really is!

[NathanCooper]

yeah, i too kinda lost the enthusiasism but now i have people up here, tbh i think the thing that would really pull everyone beack to gether would be a big meet, something even bigger than capital bocking, i know london was a big success in like 2007 but having it somewhere in the middle of the countrie means more people can come from the north?, am game for a massive meet, i drive now so just shout when a big meet is and im there, i just got new raptors from santa and i plan on using them ALOT

nathan

[Pendragon]

I'm here! I haven't gone anywhere!  I just can't bock in Michigan right now.  No sun, no board walks, everyone hates everyone.  It's hard to get the motivation to go to the store around here.  But I will be going to San Diego in March.  And yes! I'm bringing my bocks!  I'll be around more after I actually get out there.

[NathanCooper]

lol the winter has ended my bocking sessions quite alot lol, me and gaz went to town alot but since before christmas until now in north east england there has only been one dry day and i was working , bring on the summer and out come the new bocks

[Green_carl]

Well Rich, it was worth a shot i guess.....?

[Cantallian]

The French forum is very much alive and kicking which shows the sport is far from dead here however, most French don't speak English so they won't come on this board. The same applies to Germans. This board should have much more activity seeing as it is international.

I visit here regularly to keep up with what's happening on the international scene but I admit there has been very little activity since it was taken over. This has always been my favourite forum and I hope we can get it back on its feet. I'm very pleased to see some of the original players contributing to this thread and am particularly happy to see BillC chipping in (missed you Bill!).

Any ideas Trip, or anyone else has will be warmly welcomed. This sport is NOT going to die, even if the forum does, but it does need fresh life breathed into the community in order to spark off that magical enthusiasm again. While I agree with what Coach was saying, I do feel that the secret to enthusiasm comes from new blood, not the "been there, seen it, done it" crew.

While I'm not looking to make any enemies, I think this forum is ugly in its design, its logo is horrible, and there are too many separate forums which creates confusion. It needs to be kept simple and the owner needs to participate heavily. Just look at the simple but stunningly attractive design of the French forum to get an idea of what I mean.

Anyway, if there's anything I can do to assist, please let me know.

[powerbaffo]

In Italy's Forum it's the other way round. On the official forum there is the echo. In fact I try to attend to the activities of your forum.
Perhaps we should establish areas for the Italians, the French, Germans etc ...

[Cantallian]

Well, if you look at the French forum, there are also forums for English and German speakers but nobody has ever posted in them. I'm not convinced it would work.
This forum is different in that we have members from many different countries and their commonality, other than a pair of stilts, is that they speak English.

Can you let me have links to the Italian forums please powerbaffo. I speak Italian so would love to get to know some Italian jumpers.

[Bill C.]

(missed you Bill!)

Hey, people are going to start to talk.   

I try to stay away from the forum participation as much as possible these days.  My bocking is over until I get new knees next year.  Actually, my bocking is over until I get through rehab which will be another year -- so any possibility of bocking is about 2 years out for me.  My brain must be going through bocking withdrawal because I often have bocking dreams.  It's just too frustrating for me to be involved in the sport at this time and not be able to do anything.  But it's nice to be missed.

BTW...  If anyone is interested in watching a total knee replacement (actual surgery) from start to finish, you can check it out here -- but be warned.  This is not for the squeemish.  Very graphic  - but it will give you an idea what I'm about to go through doing both knees at the same time.   http://www.or-live.com/smith-nephew/2754/event/rnh.cfm?

Not trying to hijack this link.  Just wanted to explain why I'm not around much these days.  TAKE CARE OF YOUR KNEES!!!  Always wear knee braces.

[Sprog]

While I'm not looking to make any enemies, I think this forum is ugly in its design, its logo is horrible, and there are too many separate forums which creates confusion. It needs to be kept simple and the owner needs to participate heavily. Just look at the simple but stunningly attractive design of the French forum to get an idea of what I mean.

I disagree, I find the design and layout of this forum much nicer. But to each their own!

If anyone is interested in watching a total knee replacement (actual surgery) from start to finish, you can check it out here -- but be warned.  This is not for the squeemish.  Very graphic  - but it will give you an idea what I'm about to go through doing both knees at the same time.   http://www.or-live.com/smith-nephew/2754/event/rnh.cfm?

DUDE! That's awesome... But human surgery is so much more brutal than that on animals! We regularly do work on torn cruciate ligaments and luxated patellas and it's much more delicate than that, they were pretty much hacking that guy's leg open from 8 minutes onwards!

[Tricky Wicky woo woo]

Agree with Sprog on both points.. Good luck Bill hope your Bocking again soon :-) you could book yourself into a vets and get a better job by the sound of it.. And save a shed load of cash.  That's a joke by the way

[Fergus]

That knee operation is soo cool

Then I saw him saw it with a mini chainsaw... even cooler, get well soon!

[Tricky Wicky woo woo]

I have to say I just watched the video that you posted Bill, I was amazed at the replacement knee joints but also that after you've had this operation done that your still considering going back on bocks.  I know very little about how effective this type of surgery is so I might be speaking a complete load of crap but that looks like fairly major surgery to me. I don't wanna sound negative but is there any other way of getting an adrenalin rush that doesn't involve risking your new knee joint.