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Zippy8
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STACK International

Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:47 pm

Did you know that the STACK International Executive Commitee (SIEC) is up for election soon ?

Did you also know that of the five places, two have no candidates ?

Is STACK dead as a pan-european body ?

Mike,
ex-SIEC Chairman (but I've been good since then)
 
aphelps
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Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:22 pm

Is STACK dead as a pan-european body ?

There is also the argument of "does it really matter". The TPWC was organised okay and STACK (Europe-wide) was not involved at all. Certainly the World Team Championships could be selected the same way. However the Eurocup would almost certainly cease to be organised if the SIEC itself ceases to function.

It all depends upon whether or not competitors and other interested flyers want to see it continue. Certainly there would not appear to be a practical alternative at the moment. Unless of course anybody has any suggestions? Nobody?? Nobody??
8)
Andy
 
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Zippy8
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Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:32 pm

aphelps wrote:
Certainly there would not appear to be a practical alternative at the moment

nobody


I think you may have answered your own question there Andy :wink:

With the amount of cross-border competition at such low levels is there any point to anything formal, other than for a bit of rules fiddling with AKA and AJASKA ? SIEC didn't even manage to communicate that there were qualification procedures for the World Team Champs. to interested parties.

Mike.
 
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mobius
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Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:16 pm

If I'm perfectly honest, my belief is that SIEC/IRBC has lost touch with the flyer..

Lets look at the evidence.. we get new figures that are impossible and no-body wants to fly, we get international judges pushing up their own fliers for scores and making the distribution of marks look like something that's come out of a physics teacher's class experiement (which then has to be corrected afterwards so the curve goes up and not down to meet with what 'should' have happened).. and now we face the SIEC being reduced in size (again?).

Is this game over man?
Dave Morley
 
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Zippy8
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Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:26 pm

mobius wrote:
Is this game over man?

Don't answer a question with another question :-)

If SIEC can't even rustle up the necessary staff, it seems bleak.

What's the view on the field though ? Has STACK comps. time passed (at least in the UK) to be replaced with Trick <insert word du jour here> instead ?

Mike.
 
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mobius
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:23 am

I think you're probably right Mike.. but the key thing is that we need competitions that a) have the fliers enthusiastic about them.. and b) a specticle to the public to recruit the next generation of fliers.

Currently I just don't see STACK competitions doing either. This means the current fliers are going to eventually die out leaving no fresh fliers to take their place.

All the 'new' fliers are trick fliers. Take STACK UK's "precision" day held recently.. only one pair turned up wanting help with precision.. everyone else wanted to learn about tricks.

Of course I could have got this all wrong.. but that's how I see it currently.
Dave Morley
 
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:20 am

Of course I could have got this all wrong.. but that's how I see it currently.

I think you are exactly right. The group of flyers interested in IRBC-based competitions will continue to dwindle. To be honest, there is also limited interest in the UK in the Tricks Party format (takes cover).

However there are some flyers in the UK now who appear to be very serious about TP and perhaps that is exactly what is needed to kickstart it forward.

In the meantime there is the Trick Thang format, which in the UK appears to have the broadest appeal.

STACK UK will continue to run IRBC competitions whilst there are sufficient competitors to make them viable.
8)
Andy
 
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:48 am

aphelps wrote:
.....IRBC-based competitions will continue to dwindle.


where does that leave those of us who prefer 4 lines? The various trick prefix formats suit dual line flyers. Does anyone see a future format for quad comps?
 
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 1:11 pm

The various trick prefix formats suit dual line flyers. Does anyone see a future format for quad comps?

I am certain that National-level Competitions will continue to take place, with or without the SIEC. As long as there are enough competitors to make the whole thing viable. Quad-line competitions are comparatively easy to stage because the space requirements are typically less than dual line competitions. It would be relatively straightforward to stage Quad-line competition as a side-event at a regional festival, whereas this would be unlikely for Dual line (which tends to need the arena).

With regard to future format, I think that Trick Thang works well for Quadline kites too. We might want to think about a separate class for Quadline but apart from that...
:D
Andy
 
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:47 pm

:oha:
Eddie Hilligers is working on a format for quadline pilots to be ad to tricks party event in Holland have a look here:
http://www.vliegerwereld.nl/phpBB/viewt ... sc&start=0

I dont like the name "Rev Party", they should have ask Mike and call it "Flame Party" :oops:

Ohh and one comment on the new elected SIEC head juges team Hans Jansen op de Haar and John Mitchell...
:lolmen:
 
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Mark E Mark
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:09 pm

Could someone explain the differences between 'Trick Party' and 'Trick Thang' and any other existing competion formats; I find it all a bit confusing.

Andy, could tou explain a bit further as your comments seem to be contradictory. On one hand you say:

there is also limited interest in the UK in the Tricks Party format


but in the next sentence you say:

However there are some flyers in the UK now who appear to be very serious about TP


Are you refering to the same thing? If you are - I don't get it. If not - could you explain a bit more; many thanks.
 
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Neil E
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:15 pm

It also seems as though when AP goes at the end of this summer that STACK UK looks like its in trouble - unless weve missed news of any possible volounteer's who are willing to take over.

From a Northern UK perspective people are already considering not bothering to join STACK this year as everything seems to have such a southern bias. With Andys considerable committment in the past few years weve felt at the very least a bit 'in touch' with things, but when the big man goes - well, it looks bleak.

I dont know about cross-border difficulties, but just cross the M25's northern boundry and you can forget about STACK involvment most of the time.
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Jason
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 4:21 pm

Mark E Mark wrote:
Could someone explain the differences between 'Trick Party' and 'Trick Thang' and any other existing competion formats; I find it all a bit confusing.

From my second post here http://www.fracturedaxel.co.uk/phpBB2/v ... php?t=3221
Jason wrote:
There are three trick competition formats at the moment.

Trickout Fliers are drawn in pairs and fly head to head in each round. The winner of each round, usually voted on by the public cheer-o-meter and the other fliers, goes through to the next round. Visually it's very good, especially at festivals, for the general public. More info here... http://www.andywardley.com/kites/freest ... ckout.html

Trick Thang Take it in turns to fly for a minute in front of three judges who give you a rechnical and a freestyle score. Very accessable format as there is no compulsory tricks. You just do your thang. More info here... http://www.andywardley.com/kites/freest ... index.html

Tricks Party More like what you're describing above with values for each trick. Quite a complex format, especially to judge, and requires a certain amount of forethought and strategy by the flier when choosing tricks but certainly finds the best trick flier on the day. http://www.tricksparty.com/
Jason.
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:09 pm

Neil E wrote:
It also seems as though when AP goes at the end of this summer that STACK UK looks like its in trouble - unless weve missed news of any possible volounteer's who are willing to take over.

From a Northern UK perspective people are already considering not bothering to join STACK this year as everything seems to have such a southern bias. With Andys considerable committment in the past few years weve felt at the very least a bit 'in touch' with things, but when the big man goes - well, it looks bleak.

I dont know about cross-border difficulties, but just cross the M25's northern boundry and you can forget about STACK involvment most of the time.


So are you putting your name foward as ND for next year then?

(not only to you Neil, I know the efforts you have put in, but if you want something out of the system you have to be prepared to put something in, STACK is too small to not have everyone involved in some way or another)

Whilst I fully agree with the sentiments here, we (us southerners) need to know there is some interest 'up north' for STACK events. The recent winter (non-)league suggests not :-(

Remember, until the direction the competition wind is blowing changes, STACK UK is still primarily a precision competition facilitator.
Keith
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National Director 2006-2012

ExGrads pairs, fourth in Europe 2011!!!
Airheads team, 10th in the world 2012
 
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Mark E Mark
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Tue Feb 21, 2006 5:09 pm

Thanks Jason - sorry, never actually read that thread.

rechnical and a freestyle score
I hope that's mothing like rectal!! 8-[

Do any of the three formats mentioned include compulsory figures?