AE Bits Monday 20 September
Well, I'm sure you've all seen the results. Over all the event was lots of fun and we were able to see some incredible skydives by some VERY creative skydivers.....I was hoping that teams were going to hang around and jump on Sunday.....but seeing that the party Saturday night lasted so late ;-) Sunday's activities never really got started. After the closing ceremonies and hoping from our favorite bar Verdi over to the Plat4ma.......we winded down the evening around 2 or 3 or 5 ish....good times.....good times....
So the plan was to do some big ways on Sunday with all of the teams.....but based on what I just wrote....that never happened....The US teams decided that our time would be better spent driving around Sao Paulo for the afternoon and checking out the city. Glad we did......very cool place to bum around for an afternoon......even though it was a Sunday and almost everything was closed....people were still every where and vendors were all over the place.
Ok ok ok....back to the last batch of pictures......Oh, but before I forget. Make sure to see the Champs here to see all of the winners up on the podium......
So I know I pretty much went off the other day, but hey, what can ya do. After all, this is an editorial isn't it? But over all, I think that several things came up from this event that we as a community will try to learn from. Several things were addressed during the competitors briefing, both good suggestions and bad. But all of them were made to try and help move this sport along. Through my own experience I've seen first hand flaws in the system that have only hurt competitors. I believe that advances in the disipline of freeflying have been happening so quickly, that the pace is just too much for the judges to keep up with. As a freeflyer, to see a dive that's clean, but VERY difficult get a much lower score than a dive that is much easier, but it's pretty and flows well.......hmmmmm....how do I put this......I guess it just feels like sometimes the judges don't know exactly what it is they are seening. As a freeflyer I would be sitting in the bar watching on the dztv and be awestruck at some of the moves that were happening.....yet the judges wouldn't award points accordingly......hmmmm.....
Maybe we should do something about that......yeah I'm talking to you! Maybe as a community we can seek out some freeflyers who the community as a whole can relate to and get them into the judges training. Yes, it is a thankless job........but also rewarding. I think that freeflyer judges, judging their peers would have a greater impact and be more appropriate than the situation that we are in today. (Also......please if you are a judge and reading this......please don't take offense....but it is just always nicer to be judged by someone who has been there.....maybe not done that, but can at least imagine the move and step back and say....wow.....)
Ok.....with all of that ranting out of the way.....time for the last bit of pictures.....
So on behalf of everyone at World Parachute Championships in Artistic Events for 2004 in Boituva, Brazil.......I'd like to say thank you for all of your support, e-mails...good vibes and the like......It was a great time and a great group of competitors. Can't wait for the next one!!!
I'd also like to extend a BIG thank you to Paulo Zanella. Paulo really was the one that swooped in at the last minute and saved the day! Thanks so much for that! I'm sure all of the competitors from every where really do appreciate it!.
So from myself and Paulo.........until next time...
Brian Buckland - freekfly.com
Email Brian at Brian Buckland
Ted "T1" Wagner, Chief Engineer | Tim "T2" Wagner, Webmaster