Since
the 1980s, wakeboarding has been consistently growing more popular throughout
the world. In 2009, the Collegiate Wakeboard Series was developed by the
organization Empire Wake as a dedicated program to college level wakeboarding (Mendieta
2009). In this program, all wakeboarding competitions and events are regulated
under one set of rules. In these rules, there includes a Beginner, Intermediate,
Advanced, Open, and Women’s division. These are the only five possible areas for
competitors to ride in, and this leads to an inequality between the opportunities
for men and women. The problem is that women wakeboarders can only compete under
a single division, while men are able to compete in four different divisions.
The
rules for the Collegiate Wakeboard Series have been the same since it was
initiated, including the single division for women riders. There were not many women riders at the time, so this division setup was most likely
functioning well and was not a problem. Since 2009 the number of competitors
has only grown, leading to more women riders. The larger population of women
riders are still only able to compete within the single Women’s division, which
is a huge disadvantage to the less skilled riders. In these wakeboarding
competitions, the riders are judged based on their style, composition,
execution, and amplitude, which all directly correlate to the skill of the
rider. With all women in the same division, the women with more experience and
skill will always win, while those who are less experienced or beginners will
never have a chance at winning. The problem not only limits who is winning in
these competitions, but it discourages some women from even trying. The
beginner or intermediate riders who are unable to land advanced tricks will
have no motivation to compete knowing that they have very little chance against
the riders who can land advanced tricks. It is simply not a competition
anymore.
This
problem is occurring nationally, as the Collegiate Wakeboard Series takes place
in multiple locations around the US throughout the season. The problem also
extends past just the events organized by Empire Wake, because many schools
hold competitions by themselves and use the same exact rules as the Collegiate
Wakeboard Series for consistency. The University of Florida, for example, uses
these rules in the annual Wakefest competition each April, organized by the UF
Wakeboard Club itself. The effects remain the same in these events,
discouraging women riders and keeping a gap between women of different
abilities. In events hosted in the Collegiate Wakeboard Series, the problem
effects not just the women, but all of the participating universities. For each
winning competitor, the university they ride for earns a certain amount of points.
These points determine the national rankings of the participating universities.
With women representing only a single division, this means only the 3 best
riders will provide points to their universities. Regarding the men, a total of
12 riders from all 4 men divisions provide points to their universities. Since
there are not multiple women divisions, the women provide less points for their
university overall.
A
possible solution to this problem would be to create a petition to be sent to
Empire Wake regarding an increase the amount of women’s wakeboarding divisions.
Creating a Women’s Beginner and a Women’s advanced division rather than just
having a single division for all women would create a fairer competition for
women and allow more women to be recognized as winners.
References:
Mendieta, Rob. "Collegiate Wakeboard Series." Facebook. Empire Wake, 7 July 2009. Web. 30 July 2014.
References:
Mendieta, Rob. "Collegiate Wakeboard Series." Facebook. Empire Wake, 7 July 2009. Web. 30 July 2014.
1. What is the broader topic that the author proposes is a problem?
ReplyDeleteThere is an inequality between men and women competing in Wakeboarding.
2. How does the author define that topic? State that definition here.
Wakeboarding competition is based on style, composition, execution, and amplitude
3. Is there a readily identifiable thesis statement which states the problem and reasons in a because claim?
yes there is."The problem is that women wakeboarders can only compete under a single division, while men are able to compete in four different divisions."
4. How is the problem contextualized? (e.g. when the problem began, what has already been done regarding the problem, the consequences of the problem, etc.)
nothing is being done to solve the problem. Competitions continue to use the sale rules. Because women compete in less divisions they give less points to the University when they compete.
5. Is the problem topic specific and located in the smallest possible category? (e.g. cats > feral cats on UF’s campus)
yes, it begins with the national competition then is being narrowed down to the competition at UF
6. Is the problem unique? If the topic is popular (e.g. obesity, gun control, abortion), does the problem statement offer a new interpretation of the common problem?
it is a unique topic that doesn't seem to have been argued before.
Self-Review
ReplyDelete1. What is the broader topic that the author proposes is a problem?
The broader topic that the author proposes is gender equality.
2. How does the author define that topic? State that definition here.
The author defines this topic by stating how women in collegiate wakeboarding can only compete in one division while men have the opportunity to compete in 4 different divisions of different skill levels.
3. Is there a readily identifiable thesis statement which states the problem and reasons in a because claim?
Yes, the author states a thesis in the second half of the first paragraph.
4. How is the problem contextualized? (e.g. when the problem began, what has already been done regarding the problem, the consequences of the problem, etc.)
The problem has existed since the Collegiate Wakeboard Series was started in 2009, but has become more serious since. Nothing has been done regarding the problem. The problem has caused women to face unequal competition in wakeboard events, with only one skill level to compete in, meaning the least skilled riders have to compete against the most skilled riders.
5. Is the problem topic specific and located in the smallest possible category? (e.g. cats > feral cats on UF’s campus)
Yes, women wakeboarding divisions in the Collegiate Wakeboard Series.
6. Is the problem unique? If the topic is popular (e.g. obesity, gun control, abortion), does the problem statement offer a new interpretation of the common problem?
The specific problem is unique, though the broader topic (gender equality) is common amongst other specific problems.
1. What is the broader topic that the author proposes is a problem?
ReplyDeleteGender inequality in competitive wakeboarding.
2. How does the author define that topic? State that definition here.
By listing all the possible divisions and then pointing out that there are less options for women than for men.
3. Is there a readily identifiable thesis statement which states the problem and reasons in a because claim?
Yes, ‘These are the only five possible areas for competitors to ride in, and this leads to an inequality between the opportunities for men and women. The problem is that women wakeboarders can only compete under a single division, while men are able to compete in four different divisions.’
4. How is the problem contextualized? (e.g. when the problem began, what has already been done regarding the problem, the consequences of the problem, etc.)
It began a problem when the number of competitors increased. Nothing has been done to address this problem. The consequences of this problem are that women competitors who are beginners do not have a chance of winning anything since all the more advanced riders will always win the medals.
5. Is the problem topic specific and located in the smallest possible category? (e.g. cats > feral cats on UF’s campus)
Yes, because it is targets a specific group of people within a specific sport at a specific level (beginner women in university-level competitive wakeboarding).
6. Is the problem unique? If the topic is popular (e.g. obesity, gun control, abortion), does the problem statement offer a new interpretation of the common problem?
Yes, the problem is unique.