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Widgeon

Competition Training Camps

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Do you already know how to swoop? Do you understand current competition regulations and rules for the specific events you are interested in competing in? How many of you would attend a camp if you had one scheduled far enough in advance in your area? I know of a few places where these training camps will be held this coming season but wanted to see how much interest there would be from the people they are intended for.

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The PST/CPC will be running competition training camps during the 2006 season at a PST sanctioned Swoop Park. The camps will also allow selected CPC pilots the opportunity to qualify for their "Pro" card.

These PST competition camps will include pro coaches, inflatable comp courses, electronic scoring system, lazer sensors, entry gate buzzer, chief judge, training rooms and more. Limited slots will be available for both the amateur and pro ranks. These camps will be listed on the PST's 2006 schedule coming out after the new year.

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The PST/CPC will be running competition training camps during the 2006 season at a PST sanctioned Swoop Park. The camps will also allow selected CPC pilots the opportunity to qualify for their "Pro" card.

These PST competition camps will include pro coaches, inflatable comp courses, electronic scoring system, lazer sensors, entry gate buzzer, chief judge, training rooms and more. Limited slots will be available for both the amateur and pro ranks. These camps will be listed on the PST's 2006 schedule coming out after the new year.



we got somthin brewin on the east cost also...

east coast represent...!!! 7 out of top 10 in the cpc finals!B|:P;)

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Anyone interested in learning any and all things about competition at the professional or CPC level feel free to PM me, call me, e-mail me or whatever and I will either (A: teach you here at Raeford for free or (B: direct you to another professional swooper in your area who will also train you for free.

If you want to come here to Raeford and don't mind getting your hands dirty helping set up courses, come on over. I have a full set of IPC/PST regulation course markers, five years of professional swooping experience, and the desire to see people get the training they need without being fleeced. Bring cheap beer and a good attitude. I may not win any meets, but I can damn sure tell you how to compete successfully and safely.

No, that's not a joke.

Chuck Blue
D-12501

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That is realy awsome of you to invite people out like that! We need more of that! In fact I know of some peeps that would offer the same, minus all the gadgets, to people interested in getting into swoop compition! Cross keys just had a realy impressive comp this past weekend( Swoop for the Cause)! These guys throw down big! Im sure they would be more than willing to share there knowledge, evven if its not as much as chuck! CHuck you rock!
E~

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Actually, just about any competitor I know would be very happy to help people out. The problem is, it's like pulling teeth in some regions just to get people to compete at all. There are tons of "beer line swoopers" at most every dropzone, but it's incredibly rare that any of those guys asks me a single question about competition-type swooping. Even when I went through the trouble of getting a sponsor to finance the purchase of state-of-the-art course markers and volunteer to run my district of the CPC I got very, very little participation. Conversely, there are places where people just want to wing it and don't give a rat's ass about asking qualified people for advice. In my opinion, if you want to learn about competition, ask a competitor. Why don't people get that?

Anyway, I welcome the opportunity to train and mentor others on competitive flying. Thankfully, there are a couple of guys at my dropzone (and in my region) that are starting to take it seriously.

Want to learn setups? I can train you to do them right. Want to know about RDS systems, how to rig them, use them, and stow them safely, and when it's worth it to use them? I can show you all of that and tell you the best place to buy the hard components. Want to practice through regulation courses? I have the real deal. Once again: bring cheap beer, the requisite minimum jump numbers to compete in the CPC, and a good attitude. I will gladly set up some regulation courses, talk you through the basics, answer any questions you have, and talk you to death over beer. I will even help you make your own RDS (minus the slider).


Chuck

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Actually, just about any competitor I know would be very happy to help people out.



Granted I only have one year's worth of competitive swooping experience to my credit, but I echo this statement. I ran a lot of gates this summer practicing for the CPC and I learned a lot about how to read the winds, how to setup and how to make the gates (10 footers). I still have tons more to learn about competitive swooping, but I would be happy to talk about what I learned to those trying to get into it (ie if you're someone from western Canada wanting to get into competitive swooping, let's talk as I'm moving up there next week and will be looking to continue to press forward not backward with my short competitive swooping career).

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Even when I went through the trouble of getting a sponsor to finance the purchase of state-of-the-art course markers and volunteer to run my district of the CPC I got very, very little participation. Conversely, there are places where people just want to wing it and don't give a rat's ass about asking qualified people for advice. In my opinion, if you want to learn about competition, ask a competitor. Why don't people get that?



Hopefully things will change in the not too distant future. This was the first year of the CPC and we can't get too critical about something that's just starting. It was disappointing at the CPC Championships to see hardly anyone from Illinois, Texas and the Northeast (what happened to all those swoopers at the Ranch and Crosskeys), but at the same time I see that there is a current strong contingent of swoopers coming out of Georgia with some good existing talent in Oregon, the Carolinas, California and yes here in Colorado as well. Give us a few more years and local grass-root swoops comps could become the norm. Then again there will probably always be the beer line swooper who doesn't give a rats ass about running gates as they're likely only swooping to be seen and not swooping to learn how to push their limits.

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Anyway, I welcome the opportunity to train and mentor others on competitive flying. Thankfully, there are a couple of guys at my dropzone (and in my region) that are starting to take it seriously.



I welcome the opportunity learn from those who started before me. I've already received some good coaching on how to fly my canopy and I think my repetitive practice this summer running gates took care of how to setup for competition swoops. But I have tons to learn about the new RDS type of gear which is out there and I still have tons to learn about refining my swoops to make better distance, speed and accuracy jumps (and freestyle is tons of fun if/when you're not afraid of getting wet). So who knows what will happen this year Chuck. I may be calling you when it's time to visit Raeford (if you don't mind giving me some tricks to help me get better and ultimately finish ahead of you on PST events if/when I'm ever allowed to take the pro qualifier). ;)

Oh and if I can wing it, I might just be at the SkyQuest swoop comp competiting at sea level for the first time. I'm hoping to make the Ground Launch Championships as well. But we shall see what happens once I'm settled in after my move next week and see if I can find someone to take care of my pet in my absense.


Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

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C'mon......I want to see more responses from the people this intended for. The only way to make sure these events happen and continue to happen is through attendance and demand. Don't just lurk this thread, post your thoughts about it! EVERYONE that has never been in an actual comp will benefit from these camps and you also might learn about your future competitors.;)

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C'mon......I want to see more responses from the people this intended for. The only way to make sure these events happen and continue to happen is through attendance and demand. Don't just lurk this thread, post your thoughts about it! EVERYONE that has never been in an actual comp will benefit from these camps and you also might learn about your future competitors.



Specialized camps couldn't hurt. But what you're asking for already exists. It's called the CPC and it's the premiere amateur swooping league. Why not enter you local CPC swoop comp and start learning there?

I would however highly recommend that prospective competitive swoopers first seek advanced coaching from reputable swooping coaches and then shoot the gates in practice before you subject yourself to the pressures of competition. But once you've got a little HP canopy coaching and have practiced some gates in the lower stress environment of practice, then there's nothing you can't learn during a season on swooping on the CPC than what a specialized camp could offer. In fact I think you'll learn a lot more competiting for one season on the CPC.

Plus don't be one of those guys who says "I'll only compete when I know I can win". There's only one winner at a swoop comp yet there's plenty to learn even if you're bringing up the rear most of the season. It's all about being able to consistently hit the entry gates and making it through the desired course and it's nothing that 10,000 jumps can't fix.


Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

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Steve, great post and right on the money!

You will learn more about competition swooping in your regions 4 or 5 competition CPC events during a season then you will by going to 1 or 2 camps during the swoop season. The progress i saw just in our region and from what i saw at the championships was phenominal, it really was. I know a lot of the guys in the Oregon/Washington region have never had "formal" training by any of the pro's and if they had it was very little, most of it was just feeding off each other during the comps and the video review afterwards.

Now don't get me wrong, if there are supposed to be "competition training camps" going on most likely i'll be attending at least 1 or 2, i think it could only help me and my goals. but to be honest, when you're in an actual competition, no matter what sport, you have a completely different mind set then if you are at a training camp or swooping the beer line.

but in short, yeah, if there are comp training camps then i'm in just tell me when and where. hopefully there will be one in Oregon/Washington area.
Slip Stream Air Sports
Do not go softly, do not go quietly, never back down


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This will be a little different



Why?

Is it because you need help trying to setup for making the entry gates? This is where your one-on-one HP canopy coaching comes in. Or is it because you don't know the rules of the distance course, the speed carving course and/or the zone accuracy course. You don't need a camp for these. Just check out the details here on the canopypiloting website.

Don't get me wrong, a low stress, low expectation swooping camp (something we've sort of talked about in Colorado, but this was for the existing local CPC competitors) isn't a bad idea. But I still think that the proper progression is:

1) Seek basic canopy control coaching.
2) Build the appropriate canopy control experience.
3) Seek HP canopy control coaching.
4) Build the appropriate swooping experience with no gates.
5) Seek more HP canopy control coaching hitting gates.
6) Practice, practice, practice (hop n' pops are best)
7) Find a local swoop comp, enter it and don't worry where you finish.
8) Know that there is someone always better than you.
9) Be safe, be smart, have fun and set realistic goals.


Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

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I understand the rules, and I agree that coaching is the best way to improve consistency on setups.

If you need clarification between a camp like one of these and an actual competittive meet, I'm sure whoever is hosting one near you can explain the difference.

Obviously, the best way to improve is through experience and practice and I hope to gain a clearer idea of what and how to practice through one of these camps to supplement the one on one caoching I'm already getting. Hope that makes better sense. Sorry if you misunderstood.

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Anyone interested in learning any and all things about competition at the professional or CPC level feel free to PM me, call me, e-mail me or whatever and I will either No, that's not a joke.



Ditto for me too. I still think I'm a nobody, but I've learned a few things I'll be willing to share with anyone who asks. On the other hand I'll take anyone up on their offer of advice and opinions.
----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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Just got the e-mail from the WSA, and I've got to say BRAVO! It's time.....sounds like fun, and should produce some great results, not only because of the Pro's there, but the sharing between participants. Competition is where I've learned just as much as practice....
----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

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Hey you have no idea how much hope you have just given me. I've been trying to get in contact with the Ground Launch guys for along time now just to get info on upcoming camps and it seems like they're more interested in already experienced competetors. Well that counts me out and not to dog them but I thought it was for anyone to try when first advertised. I'm not out to be a swoop queen now. I'm in the chicagoland area and would love to come out to raeford. Things are crazy for me now so I'd be thinking sometime after the winter blues. What do you think?***is it dark yet?
is it dark yet

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