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FAI, soaring and Olympic Games



 
 
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  #1  
Old August 17th 04, 10:19 AM
iPilot
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Default FAI, soaring and Olympic Games

It's been under discussion for several times, but I want to bring it up again.

There have been several pro's and con's towards soaring in Olympics, but nobody argues that it'd
rise the popularity of the sport. So it is important for soaring community. Therefore my question is
following:

Wich way is soaring worse than sailing?

None of the cities that have organised Olympic games in the past would have any geographic troubles
on organising soaring competitions (Moscow had troubles with organising sailing competition which
had to be held in Tallinn - 900 km away).
None of the latest summer games that I remember have had such miserable weather that the competition
would have to be left unheld.

The main argument against soaring is the fact that equipment can make a difference here. Well. Here
is the challenge for igc. They have to face that their first trial of monoclass failed and they have
to try again. This time with relatively high-performing, yet still not expencive standard or 15m
class design.

As a matter of fact I don't believe that sailing deserves to have 9 different classes on Olympics
and soaring none. I personally think that FAI has failed bigtime to find the concensus amongst all
air sports to get air sports represented on Olympic games. It shall be the biggest argument towards
Olympic Commety - there's no air sports in Olympics nowadays. And the most suitable sport would be
soaring because it's competitive, not so dependent on equipment and directly measurable. Making
soaring TV-friendly shall not be a problem as well today. And with racing tasks only allowed on
olympics it shall be understandable for general public as well.

How can we do it?

Regards,
Kaido


  #2  
Old August 17th 04, 02:47 PM
COLIN LAMB
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Default

One could make it more of a spectator sport by having synchronized soaring,
with loops, rolls and spins judged while synchronized, with points deducted
for less than perfect landings.

The new Sparrowhawk sailplane would be perfect for this event.

Colin


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  #3  
Old August 17th 04, 03:54 PM
Ted W
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Any sport that wants to crack the Olympic shell must pass these two tests:

1) People must want to watch it, which means it must have a visual appeal
and must work on television. (Unfortunately, soaring might be the least
direct and television-friendly sport I can think of.)

2) It must demonstrate the above by successful participation in the
International World Games Association (IWGA), a collection of 30-odd Olympic
wanna-bes that have their games every 4 years, one year after the Olympic
games. (Think of the IWGA as the Olympic "farm system".) The 2005 IWGA will
be in Duisburg, Germany.

The IOC alway visits the IWGA to select which, if any, of the IWGA's sports
might be suitable for inclusion as demonstration sports at the next
Olympics.

If a sport manages to get selected as an Olympic demonstration sport, it
must then pass the test of succeeding in an actual Games. Good weather will
not be enough for soaring -- see (1) above. Like it or not, the Games are
about revenue, period.

The FAI has been working hard since the mid 1980s to get one of its
airsports into the Olympics. (Remember the "rings" freefall formation over
the opening ceremonies at the 1988 games.) Parachuting (4-way Formation
Skydiving and Accuracy Landing) has been an IWGA participant since Finland's
1997 games, and was the largest spectator ticket seller at the 2001 games in
Akita, Japan. (The Accuracy Landing event is very popular with spectators.)

Alas, the IOC elected not to include parachuting in the 2008 Beijing games,
so the FAI will be without a representative for at least 8 more years.

Interestingly, the 2005 IWGA will feature "Air sports: parachuting, gliding,
free flight (hang gliding, paragliding)". It might be worth a visit to the
FAI and IGC web sites to what form "gliding" will take at Duisburg. I'm
certainly looking forward to watching the results up close -- I'll be there
to support the parachuting events, but will be following the other air
sports closely.

More can be found at the IWGA web site: http://www.worldgames-iwga.org

-ted w.
"2NO"



"iPilot" wrote in message
...
It's been under discussion for several times, but I want to bring it up

again.

There have been several pro's and con's towards soaring in Olympics, but

nobody argues that it'd
rise the popularity of the sport. So it is important for soaring

community. Therefore my question is
following:

Wich way is soaring worse than sailing?

None of the cities that have organised Olympic games in the past would

have any geographic troubles
on organising soaring competitions (Moscow had troubles with organising

sailing competition which
had to be held in Tallinn - 900 km away).
None of the latest summer games that I remember have had such miserable

weather that the competition
would have to be left unheld.

The main argument against soaring is the fact that equipment can make a

difference here. Well. Here
is the challenge for igc. They have to face that their first trial of

monoclass failed and they have
to try again. This time with relatively high-performing, yet still not

expencive standard or 15m
class design.

As a matter of fact I don't believe that sailing deserves to have 9

different classes on Olympics
and soaring none. I personally think that FAI has failed bigtime to find

the concensus amongst all
air sports to get air sports represented on Olympic games. It shall be the

biggest argument towards
Olympic Commety - there's no air sports in Olympics nowadays. And the most

suitable sport would be
soaring because it's competitive, not so dependent on equipment and

directly measurable. Making
soaring TV-friendly shall not be a problem as well today. And with racing

tasks only allowed on
olympics it shall be understandable for general public as well.

How can we do it?

Regards,
Kaido




  #4  
Old August 17th 04, 04:10 PM
Tony Verhulst
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Default


There have been several pro's and con's towards soaring in Olympics, but nobody argues that it'd
rise the popularity of the sport. So it is important for soaring community. Therefore my question is
following:

Wich way is soaring worse than sailing?


Because in sailing, you can "park" a bunch of boats, with the requisite
TV crews, along the couse line. People will be able to watch the event -
not so in soaring. Yes, I'm aware of the proposals to transmit GPS
coordinates of the competitors to be displayed in some fashion. It ain't
the same, IMHO.

For other would be Olympic events, see:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=5746437

Tony V.
http://home.comcast.net/~verhulst/SOARING

  #5  
Old August 17th 04, 05:02 PM
Bill Daniels
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Default


"Tony Verhulst" wrote in message
...

There have been several pro's and con's towards soaring in Olympics, but

nobody argues that it'd
rise the popularity of the sport. So it is important for soaring

community. Therefore my question is
following:

Wich way is soaring worse than sailing?


Because in sailing, you can "park" a bunch of boats, with the requisite
TV crews, along the couse line. People will be able to watch the event -
not so in soaring. Yes, I'm aware of the proposals to transmit GPS
coordinates of the competitors to be displayed in some fashion. It ain't
the same, IMHO.

For other would be Olympic events, see:
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.j...toryID=5746437

Tony V.
http://home.comcast.net/~verhulst/SOARING


The only way I can see soaring as a spectator sport is as a very technical
one. Not only would it require real-time GPS tracking, it would require on
board TV cameras on every competitor. Several camera aircraft would be
needed to follow the leaders plus a staff of color commentators to explain
why the pilot in 3rd place is taking a big chance by passing up that 5 knot
thermal in an effort to claim 1st place.

You couldn't do it real-time, you would have to cut away to another sport
while the drama develops. Most of it would be edited recaps of the last
hour or so of the action with color commentary. Long final glides just
aren't very interesting except to the pilot.

The rules would have to be vastly simplified so the audience could
understand them. Start gates, finish gates, simple speed triangles and
maybe even free distance would interest the audience.

On the other hand, soaring is a visually compelling activity. There are
very talented videographers who could produce stunning video clips that
would hold a very large audience.

The technology to do it just barely exists and it the cost would be
astronomical. However, do it right and you would have half a billion people
from around the world on the edge of their seats.

I've got a feeling that it will happen sooner or later.

Bill Daniels

  #6  
Old August 17th 04, 05:05 PM
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Default


How was gliding presented in the 1936 Olympic games?

Perhaps that could be the marketing hook: make Hitler's dream a
reality! Make gliding an olympic sport!

  #7  
Old August 17th 04, 08:16 PM
Mark James Boyd
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Olympics are athletic. Soaring has avoided (for the most part) having
medals or awards for endurance (long hours = crash).

I dunno, the sailing olympians all look like they're in great shape.
Pretty physical, that sport. And bosled even. I dunno if
soaring really meets the hardbody "Olympic" concept.

But hey, I guess there's no harm trying...I suppose an Olympic
"cluster ballooning" event would be nice too...

In article , iPilot wrote:
It's been under discussion for several times, but I want to bring it up again.

There have been several pro's and con's towards soaring in Olympics, but nobody argues that it'd
rise the popularity of the sport. So it is important for soaring community. Therefore my question is
following:

Wich way is soaring worse than sailing?

None of the cities that have organised Olympic games in the past would have any geographic troubles
on organising soaring competitions (Moscow had troubles with organising sailing competition which
had to be held in Tallinn - 900 km away).
None of the latest summer games that I remember have had such miserable weather that the competition
would have to be left unheld.

The main argument against soaring is the fact that equipment can make a difference here. Well. Here
is the challenge for igc. They have to face that their first trial of monoclass failed and they have
to try again. This time with relatively high-performing, yet still not expencive standard or 15m
class design.

As a matter of fact I don't believe that sailing deserves to have 9 different classes on Olympics
and soaring none. I personally think that FAI has failed bigtime to find the concensus amongst all
air sports to get air sports represented on Olympic games. It shall be the biggest argument towards
Olympic Commety - there's no air sports in Olympics nowadays. And the most suitable sport would be
soaring because it's competitive, not so dependent on equipment and directly measurable. Making
soaring TV-friendly shall not be a problem as well today. And with racing tasks only allowed on
olympics it shall be understandable for general public as well.

How can we do it?

Regards,
Kaido




--

------------+
Mark Boyd
Avenal, California, USA
  #8  
Old August 17th 04, 08:18 PM
iPilot
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Your fist point is achievable and in theis regard soaring can compete (I
don't say it currently does) with many other sports. At least I do not know
anyone who wants to watch 8days of constant swimming.

Your second point is good information, but in order to succeed soaring needs
to have a successful monoclass before and PW-5 just isn't that. We have to
get our own things ok before we jump to the IWGA. Otherwise we're just
another wannabies.


"Ted W" wrote in message
...
Any sport that wants to crack the Olympic shell must pass these two tests:

1) People must want to watch it, which means it must have a visual appeal
and must work on television. (Unfortunately, soaring might be the least
direct and television-friendly sport I can think of.)

2) It must demonstrate the above by successful participation in the
International World Games Association (IWGA), a collection of 30-odd

Olympic
wanna-bes that have their games every 4 years, one year after the Olympic
games. (Think of the IWGA as the Olympic "farm system".) The 2005 IWGA

will
be in Duisburg, Germany.

The IOC alway visits the IWGA to select which, if any, of the IWGA's

sports
might be suitable for inclusion as demonstration sports at the next
Olympics.

If a sport manages to get selected as an Olympic demonstration sport, it
must then pass the test of succeeding in an actual Games. Good weather

will
not be enough for soaring -- see (1) above. Like it or not, the Games are
about revenue, period.

The FAI has been working hard since the mid 1980s to get one of its
airsports into the Olympics. (Remember the "rings" freefall formation over
the opening ceremonies at the 1988 games.) Parachuting (4-way Formation
Skydiving and Accuracy Landing) has been an IWGA participant since

Finland's
1997 games, and was the largest spectator ticket seller at the 2001 games

in
Akita, Japan. (The Accuracy Landing event is very popular with

spectators.)

Alas, the IOC elected not to include parachuting in the 2008 Beijing

games,
so the FAI will be without a representative for at least 8 more years.

Interestingly, the 2005 IWGA will feature "Air sports: parachuting,

gliding,
free flight (hang gliding, paragliding)". It might be worth a visit to the
FAI and IGC web sites to what form "gliding" will take at Duisburg. I'm
certainly looking forward to watching the results up close -- I'll be

there
to support the parachuting events, but will be following the other air
sports closely.

More can be found at the IWGA web site: http://www.worldgames-iwga.org

-ted w.
"2NO"



"iPilot" wrote in message
...
It's been under discussion for several times, but I want to bring it up

again.

There have been several pro's and con's towards soaring in Olympics, but

nobody argues that it'd
rise the popularity of the sport. So it is important for soaring

community. Therefore my question is
following:

Wich way is soaring worse than sailing?

None of the cities that have organised Olympic games in the past would

have any geographic troubles
on organising soaring competitions (Moscow had troubles with organising

sailing competition which
had to be held in Tallinn - 900 km away).
None of the latest summer games that I remember have had such miserable

weather that the competition
would have to be left unheld.

The main argument against soaring is the fact that equipment can make a

difference here. Well. Here
is the challenge for igc. They have to face that their first trial of

monoclass failed and they have
to try again. This time with relatively high-performing, yet still not

expencive standard or 15m
class design.

As a matter of fact I don't believe that sailing deserves to have 9

different classes on Olympics
and soaring none. I personally think that FAI has failed bigtime to find

the concensus amongst all
air sports to get air sports represented on Olympic games. It shall be

the
biggest argument towards
Olympic Commety - there's no air sports in Olympics nowadays. And the

most
suitable sport would be
soaring because it's competitive, not so dependent on equipment and

directly measurable. Making
soaring TV-friendly shall not be a problem as well today. And with

racing
tasks only allowed on
olympics it shall be understandable for general public as well.

How can we do it?

Regards,
Kaido






  #9  
Old August 17th 04, 08:27 PM
nafod40
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Default

iPilot wrote:
It's been under discussion for several times, but I want to bring it up again.


While soaring is a sport, and it is competitive, I have a real hard time
viewing the participants as athletes. If you can sit in a lounge chair
for hours on end, playing Nintendo with a joystick, you've got the
athletic stamina and dexterity to be a gold medal soaring pilot.

Why isn't chess an Olympic sport? Or playing Doom on a Nintendo GameCube?

  #10  
Old August 17th 04, 08:38 PM
Tony Verhulst
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Default

Mark James Boyd wrote:
Olympics are athletic.


Well, that's the idea, anyway. I recently saw a picture of the US men's
archery team. To call their physiques anything close to "athletic" would
be a charitable.

Tony V.

 




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