Why a $15 Skim USA membership fee?

Just doing all the paperwork necessary to keep track of a contest like this takes a bit of time (and thus money). And that's kind of part of the reason for the $15 Skim USA membership fee.

But that's only the beginning. Skim USA lugs a ton of contest equipment from Delaware to the Sea Bright Beach, and have you seen the cost of gas lately? And of course, they have to buy (and replace) that equipment, too. Costs money.

Then there's the contest officials. While one does drive up with the equipment, the others come in from out of town. It takes a number of people to run a sizable contest, and they have to be there at 6 a.m. to set up the contest and be there too at 6 p.m. to tear it down. You need a head judge for the entire contest, plus people to tally the individual score sheets, set up the new heats throughout the day, post the scores, make sure the correct color jerseys are being worn.

You need someone to vend tees, and set up the heats after the contest, set up the prize bags, do the judge's schedule...almost every one of these duties is an all-day thing. Skim USA usually pays for their transportation to and from to assure that there are at least 2 people actually there.

In addition, did you know that Skim USA also offers a $1,000 scholarship every year to two lucky Skim USA members, and if there's money left over, they use it to pay for small team of amateur riders to go to a contest in a foreign country. This year, Skim USA sent 4 teamers and a coach to Portugal to compete (they each won their division). What a great experience for them, right?

Bottom line: only good-for-the sport things come from that extra $15.

Ahhh, but what about jacking the entry price up $10 this year? Well, again, no one behind the scenes makes a cent off these contests. There are permits to be bought, insurance needs to be paid for, announcers need to be paid, breakfast and lunch for the competitors and volunteers needs to be paid for, and hotel rooms need to be bought. Then there's security for the contest site, and fees for extra trash pick-up. There's gas that get burned, and phone bills, and advertising. And goody bags, trophies, event Tshirts, Pro purse..and...well, it costs a lot of money to run a contest. And the bigger the contest the more expensive it gets.

So there you have it. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Felecia Stratton, info@jerseyshoreskimcamp.com, 732-598-6029.

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