New Interpretations for VFS/VRW Dive Pool

[ederen 0]

If you are training for VFS, you will want to read this:

For the past month, there has been a major international debate regarding the interpretation of formations in VFS. As things would go, the international judging body has finally come to an agreement that, although FS has used their dive pool to define the "intent" of a formation for 30 years (thereby defining slots but allowing cheats), VFS is not subject to those same rules. So the idea of slots as a way of interpreting the dive pool is completely out the window. Don't ask. If I thought I was going to have to define slots in the rules I would have.... it's not defined in FS so why would VFS need it, right?

So for nationals and world cup, where the rules say "build the formation", all the judges are going to be looking for is grips and orientation. You can pick whatever slot you want. Yes, this means that there are now about 10 ways to build some formations. Yes, this is a radical shift from everything people have been using to interpret the dive pool for four years.

I was under the impression that if you give people a picture and say "build the formation", that would be pretty clear, but evidently, it's not.



Here is the original email from Judy Celaya, the chief judge for the US Nationals VFS event:

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The majority of the judging staff for the VFS World Cup was at Maubeuge, so we got together to go over the dive interpretation issue. As it stands for 2008, forget the original intent of the dive design. They have not been clearly defined in writing. This means you may make the formation any way you can, providing the CORRECT grips are there and clearly defined. If you are unhappy with this decision, you need to send your suggested dive pool interpretations to Fiona McEachern ( [email protected] ), Chair of the IPC Competition Committee.

Be sure you read the FS definitions carefully. A mirror image does not mean you can change a right hand on a left foot for a left hand on a left foot.
The mirror image would be right hand-left foot to left hand-right foot. If it is a block, and you mirror the first half of the block, you must carry the mirror to the second half of the block.

Rina and I are travelling through Normandy, and email is spotty. We have
found that McDonalds has free wi-fi, so have taken advantage of it. If you
have further questions, I will answer them as I can. You should also
email Pia Berggren ( [email protected] ), as she is the Chief Judge for
the VFS WC. She may be able to get back to you more quickly than I can.

Let's be safe out there!
Judy & Rina

So for those of you oldskool freefliers that don't like this new "structured" vertical discipline, VRW is now closer to a freefly dive than ever, because you can now basically do whatever you want.

-Eric

[beowulf 1]

It sounds like it will make it easier for the flyers and harder for the judges. As one formation can look different depending how each team forms it. Am I interpreting this correctly?

[freeflyimpaired 0]

Wow. That is very interesting.

Eric, if Upright and Headdown are defined and those positions do remain how many of these formations really are pervertable in your opinion? Docking from the front on the I, sitflyer "inside" the formation on the K, arms crossed on the L are what comes to mind for me from the randoms. Those don't irk me to much, but am I comprhending this correctly? I would be incredibly dissapointed to see some of the blocks get buchered. Somebody else mentioned the 2 and questioned whether or not you could do that with the "claw" portion of the formation facing the other peice. That would ruin the block for sure but I'm not really seeing how that could be interpreted as what is shown to be performed.

I'm still kinda new to the RW thing and I think I may not be understanding some of this. When you say that we need to have "defined" slots are you saying that each block/random would all be slot specific based on where you were at exit? No mirrors, B slots and we would need to reset every block? Or is this issue confined strickly to the location and heading of specific slots like those I mentioned in the randoms above?

Joe.

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."

[gary24 0]

Well where do I start.. how about What the ..! it seems to be a discrepancy between the USPA VFS rules and the FAI VFS rules..

FAI rules redefine what a formation is "Formation: consists of jumpers linked by grips, with each jumper in the correct orientation to the relative wind." - FAI Vertical Formation Skydiving Competition Rules 2008 http://www.fai.org/parachuting/documents/sportingcode2008 - the only orientation they describe is to the relative wind, and nothing about relative to each other...
USPA has a different definition "A scoring formation is a formation which is correctly completed and clearly presented either as a random formation or within a block sequence as depicted in the dive pool, and which, apart from the first formation after exit, must be preceded by a correctly completed and clearly presented total separation or inter, as appropriate." - 2008 Skydiver's Competition Manual http://uspa.org/USPAMembers/Downloads/tabid/84/Default.aspx - they state that a scoring formation is a formation which is correctly completed and clearly presented.
Merriam Webster defines formation as "formation - an arrangement of a body or group of persons or things in some prescribed manner or for a particular purpose" - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/formation paragraph 6. as in "".

Now with all the said, hopefully we can all clearly understand why we are having this discussion. We have a problem for judging US Nationals VFS this year. It's my understanding that this event is to select which team is going to represent us at the world events. It would seem to me that we need to have two competitions, one with the USPA rules for bragging rights, and one with the FAI rules to select the US World team. Cause of course how embarassing would it be that we get stomped at the world games due to lack of practice. Practice being in butchered VFS formations to accomplish quicker transitions. Cause why not be a ball of .. in the sky playing paddy cake to get 60 points in a round.

Still.. What The !! who comes up with this shhhh!t..

Blue Skies,
-- Gary

[freefal 0]

Bump.
Maybe we can make this a sticky or keep it at the top somehow. With Nationals only about 6 weeks away, this definately thickens the plot quite a bit! It would probably a good idea to put something on the www.vrw4way.com web site about this to.

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... Cause why not be a ball of .. in the sky playing paddy cake to get 60 points in a round.

Ditto!

"Ignorance is bliss" and "Patience is a virtue"... So if you're stupid and don't mind waiting around for a while, I guess you can have a pretty good life!