Progress or Regress?

Recently there was a thread on Scooter Resource where something was said that has really caught my attention. There was a dispute going on in a thread about Dalton's Sponsor Video, and soon it all got out of control. People were insulting each other left and right, and eventually Dylan Kasson came into the thread insulting someone who had nothing to do with the thread, and he made this post.

“I'd have to disagree dalton, Jordan's riding is completely worthless kids like him are the reason our sport isn't progressing quicker people like mckeen who go out and film with real cameras on real street and don't dress like they are 12 are going to help progress the sport
there are probobly under 10 people that fit this
it's not ok to film flat and driveway for a video part! it's a complete embarrassment to our sport!” -Dylan Kasson

    This rant that I'm writing tonight has nothing to do with me defending my good friend, and co owner of Inside-Scooters, Jordan Jasa. It has to do with Dylan's opinion on the sport of scootering. He seems to think that everyone who rides a scooter has to have a 1,000 dollar camera, must film tricks on “real street”, and now have to dress a certain way too? This is completely false, and is 110% garbage. The fact that people on SR look up to someone who thinks this way is beyond me. Admire his riding? Yes, I do. However, as a person in my eyes he's worthless in this sport, and he is the embarrassment. Has he forgotten where he started out riding? In his own driveway, wearing clothes that would make anyone with less than half of a fashion sense cringe. All while looking as awkward and out of place on a scooter as anyone could.

    What Dylan, and some other people in the sport don't understand is that every single person out there riding a scooter, is helping the sport, whether they know it or not. When you purchase a scooter from a store, when you show up at a skate park, when you ride down the street. If people see you on a scooter doing ANY trick, or even just riding. YOU might just be what pushes that next kid, who saw you from the passenger window of his car, to ask his parents for a scooter. Also when any rider with any skill level buys after market scooter parts, they once again are helping progress the sport. They are supporting the companies that are supporting us, and making the parts we ride. I don't know if Dylan seems to think that this sport will only progress through video parts filmed with “HV30s or VX1000” or other expensive cameras, but if he does, he's wrong. This sport would simply die and fade out if it wasn't for the constant amount of new young riders coming onto the scene, and the companies that are taking notice and making the amazing after market parts that most of us ride today.

    In conclusion, I think it's time for the older and or better riders to start setting a better example. In Dylan's case to all the riders who he feels are “beneath” him and are just an “embarrassment” to the sport. When you “Pros” are done riding and being a part of the sport you claim to “love”. It's the younger kids who looked up to you when they were just starting out that are going to be carrying on the sport of scootering. Although, keep a mentality like Dylan's, and continue to post things like he did, and you in fact might be causing the sport to regress, and not progress. Think about it.

-Written by Steven Tongson