Published July 2007 | Complete result list | Photos London


London IKSA promo event - Kick in the Park

Sunday 8th of July 2007 great promo scooter races were organised in Hyde Park during the festival of cycling. Races took place on a closed road 3.5km circuit around Serpentine lake in Hyde Park with lots of spectators. Part of this track was also used in Openings Prologue Tour de France day before. So great facilities, flags, banners, souvenirs. On Sunday right before the scooter races the Tour de France departed from London.

Here a short report of Thijza Brouwer (Netherlands).
Living in an active scooter country and also travelling to IKSA eurocups gives a heavy summer planning. One week you kick NC sprint in Breda, following weekend 55 km together with 987 scooterists in Rotterdam, following weekend 22 hours organising a great 245 km scooter tour/race, a couple days later departure for a 6 day trip to eurocup in Northern Italy. On arrival back home just 2 days and packing for London.

Sportdevelopment can be demanding. But if it is nice, then it is rewarding. Here in Netherlands we almost have every weekend now some scooter event in summer. Ofcourse one needs to keep priorities: the national developments are so important and contribute very strongly to the international situation. So folks support your national events! (and if you can travel, or want to be challenged then) visit the eurocups too!

When we heard in IKSA about the London promotional options through David, we did put the info the same day online. That's how fast it can go, if things are complete and whell organised. So keep on the look out for more promo events. Also we need to start in several countries now a national competition. Just start organising and coordinating.

London report
It's Friday July 6 and we are departing from the Lowlands for Duinkerken, once again on the road this week to a foreign nation in name of footbike sport.
After driving through Belgium and 30 minutes in to France we arrive at the coast and travel further by ferry to Dover (UK). Cheap trip only 85 euro per car for a return ticket France<>UK (included is 4 people).

The weather is a bit like home, stormy winds (7 to 8 windforce) on the Northsea. But we are in good mood... Not all passengers seem to be..... several deposite their just consumed (and expensive) ferrydiner in the toilet area. I think it was very calm sea and a real good stabilised boat, but also I found out that sticking your head out over the railing, with winds 7 outside, can be a salty moment.

After arriving at the white cliffs of Dover we moved the car on the left side of the road. It takes a couple of minutes to adjust. The only problem I allways have is that it scares the hell out of me to see a driver passing without stearingwheel in his/her hands...

TomTom lead us deep in to London to the embankment with all the rowing boathouses of various schools at river Thames. At the Boathouse of Westminster School we are welcomed by David Riches and his family. Great place, great people! The building has a great riverside view and is not that far from city Center (7 km by footbike). We parked the car and walked to a restaurant. During the night the Finn team arrived in London.

Rowing versus kicking concludes in rowing & kicking
Next morning some rowers were training on the Thames already in early hours. Now I clearly remember again why I stopped some years ago with rowing. All the hassle with getting the skiff in to the water or transporting your boat, or in case of large rowingclub reserving a boat on time. Or getting at 07.00 hours out of bed on a Sunday morning for 4 person boat training.... it is just too much for me... compared to just getting on a footbike when ever you want and riding of.

For those who row: kicking is a great training in your rowing programme!! I spoke to a Dutch Olympic rower who uses scootertraining! :) The only risk in the end is that you end up more kicking then rowing... which is not bad. It's a great combi.

... continuing: The hole of Saturday we used for shopping, sightseeying. In the hart of London some key roads werre blocked for traffic. Victoria street, and the streets around Buckingham Palace. I'ts a great experience to be able to scoot right through the hart of this major city with no traffic at all.

I went in to city center by Kickbike and visited the StarWars Exhibition (30 years Ann.v). Realy assume if you are a real fan. Via StarBucks I ended up at the prologue of the Tour de France. Millions of people came with up with the same idea. The others of our Dutch team took metro and did some serious shopping.

Kicking through London is not that bad. I had expected it to be wurse to be honest, being a spoiled Dutch with so many bike tracks at home. The only tricky thing is that you sometimes have to get rapidly to switch to the sidewalk. Over 30 people started talking or asking questions about my scooter. So still some serious promo work to do there in the UK.
Official request to everyone living in UK to promote scootering. Take flyers with you or mention the websites. We need ambassadors on the streets !!!!!

Late Saturday afternoon more Dutch arrived in London, and we had diner together. Also Welschman Rob (and his son David) and Pete (mister Kickbike UK) did find the route to London. First a beer was the collective expression on arrival from Wales...

Next morning everyone kicks to the city center. First a visit to the Tour de France bikershome of Rabobank. To wish the Rabo guys good look. Rabobank is a Dutch bank which also sponsors not only a pro-Biketeam but also lot of local sport events in Netherlands (also some scooter races). And we appriciate that very much !!! more banks should do that. Scootersport has a high PR value! It's attracts awide public, catches the eyes, it's healthy and every one can relate to it. So start sponsoring! if you're company(or own a product) that can relate to hip, healthy and fit community.

After the Tour we focused on more serious matters and kicked in direction of the participant zone in Hyde Park. David Riches gave everyone a free TDF t-shirt and some instructions. In the 7 km race 25 people started. That does not seem to be many. But for a promo race it is a very excellent starting grid with 6 different nationalities.

Right after start a fast group forms. And it doesn't take long before Hannu and Karel start to play Tom&Jerry. Lot of catch me if you can untill up finish line. Great for the public and in the end a close sprint to finish.
Hannu Vierikko (Finland) wins and Karel Cvalin (CZ) finishes second. Also the battle for 3d and 4th is great. Marco Grevel (NL) beats his team mate Albert Klompmaker (NL). These 2 guy just founded a new team "WOW Gelderland" in the Netherlands and they do a great job for our sport. James Cowly from Australia finishes 5d. See more results down here.

Also a chear to Mike King and John Ellis (both UK), who next to London also took part in first eurocup this season in Netherlands on behalve of UK. Super guys, ambassadors of our scooter sport in UK. We need more of those guys!


RESULTS - 2 rounds of 3,5 km Hyde Park London - 2007

My race went oke, could be better, but beying never fit and not training... I was happy. During the race I was overtaken by young David Wachowski. A young fellow from Wales. But lucky for me I do eat more and so went faster downhill in the end. But proficiat to David, he did a great job by challencing his fellow riders. In the result list the young are classified as junior. But guys like David are still in pupilles (10-12y) or cadettes (13-14y) class. So his effort is superbbbb. We need more of those young folks in our sport.

Later that afternoon we had also a sprint scooter race. I decided to support the guy with the mike in his hands this time and give some sport info over the speakers. Promoting sport is so essential in this fase of our sport. During the bike race before our scooter sprint several bikers fall of the bike and had 4 were taken by an Ambulance (another reason why one should start footbiking). So the races were delayed a bit, but that offered some oppertunity to tell about scooter sport to the London public at the side line. It was great sprint also the kids races were fun and much appriciated by the public we noticed.

After the events the price ceremoney happened in the Peoples Bikers Village. A great promotion festival zone for biking in Hyde park. On a yellow stage they gave a way free TDF-stuff and after that ceremony started. Just great in 1 word.

Many thanks to David Riches (and family) who organised and coordinated this event.

Groet, Thijza

Complete result list including sprint >

Photos London weekend 2007 >