4wayFly

how boring your little world you live in must be, to keep your mind on something that idiotic so busy, so much!? suck it up, cupcake! Quote It's called sarcasm. Cupcake.

They don't show photos of Goodyear tires either though, do they?

1 - USPA does not include a single photo of the team that won all 4 categories at USPA Nationals in the write-up of the event 2 - USPA puts of a photo of another country's national 8-way team (which is in direct competition to USPA's own 8-way team) on cover of its calendar 3 - USPA puts a photo of another country's (2nd place) 8-way team in the cover of USPA Magazine which contains the write up of the World Meet, at which USPA's own 8-way team took gold. If it's not a 'conspiracy' (a word I have NEVER used on this thread), it represents some insensitive photographic selections which deserve questioning. Please take a look at other nations' associations' magazines and what they do when their teams win the World Meet.

You seriously don't think it's even a tiny bit weird that the USA 8-way team (Airspeed) wins the World Meet in 2001 and the USPA official magazine puts a photo of the (losing) French 8-way team on the cover of the magazine that contains the official write-up?

Where is that, exactly? All I ever see is CRW and articles with titles like 'Remember when?', 'Look at this skydiving helmet from the 50s' and 'Back in the good ol' days when we was jumpin' rounds'. Kidding aside*...agree, it would also be good to have a lot more info for, and by, newbies. The USPA could also follow the English mag's lead and invite contributions aimed at newer jumpers from its vast number of skydiving stars in every discipline (not necessarily talking Knights/ Fire/ Majik/ Airspeed, also up and comers like Fury, Divewerkz, Rookie teams and so on). Make the most of the massive talent we have on our doorstep (many US jumpers get published a lot more in European skydiving mags than they do in Parachutist - explain that one). * I AM kidding, the last Parachutist had some great articles on swooping, camera work and freeflying. (And obviously the Nationals report.) The new look is much better. Maybe it is making a move away from 'Remember when...?' into 'What's going on now', which would be good. Comments above are just suggestions to add to that.

Sorry Bill, I did not mean to insult you. I thought you were being deliberately obtuse by implying that partcipants on the World Team and competitors at the World Meet had the same relation to one another.

Same reason they put the French 8-way on the cover of Parachutist when the USA won the 8-way World Meet in 2001?... http://www.uspa.org/publications/parachutist/2001reprints.htm

I think that would be fine. Although there are many shots of US jumpers taken in the US by US photographers. Mike is one of them and I'm sure he submitted many. The content of the photo makes a statement whether you *think* it should or not. No I would not complain. The objection is straightfoward and consistent as you will see in my posts. It is the national team of another country on the cover of the national parachute association of the Unites States' calendar. It makes no sense. Why don't you check out the French and Brit calendars and see if they are so PC?

Well, I think that closes the debate in my favor nicely. You'd never catch a US skydiver doing anything like that. Well, not in a thong. Well, not in public in a thong.

Just select any US team or individual, it's not that hard. (And all those teams have been around since before the Nationals). They don't have to represent or have represented the USA, they don't have to be world champions, and they don't have to be Airspeed (I never suggested that). Just not the main representatives of another nation at world level competition.

Use one of those teams on the cover of the calendar then?

If you just showed the particpants who represented the Australian contingent at the World Team in Thailand on the cover of the USPA calendar, that would be a little odd, when you could have chosen to show those who represented the US contingent. Just as it is odd to show the French national team when you could have shown any US team or individual (how about Fire, since they actually won gold afor the US at the last World Championships?) The World Team is nations working together to achieve something. World Meets as you know are teams from other nations competing against each other to win. It's not that hard to understand, Bill.

I aplogise, I was referring to the World Championships (at Gera in 2006) which is generally referred to as a World Meet. My point is that it is a photo of the French national team. Where it was taken and by whom is not the problem. Most world level competitors jump and compete all over the world.

Collective 'world' events with members from several nations is an entirely different issue. By your definition, Skydiving World Meets and World Cups, which put teams and nationals of different countries in competition with each other, are also 'provincial'.

Personally I don't think the cover of the United States PA calendar is the place to 'acknowledge' the French national 8-way team. It's not the USPA remit.

It should better support its own competitors, role models and nationals.

If you look above you will see that is exactly what you have done, word for word.

"In its governing role, USPA is officially recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the representative of skydivers in the United States" (USPA SIM) Remy you seem to be implying the USPA has no more relevance to the USA than any other nation's Parachute Association. That just doesn't make sense. The USPA also 'select and train the United States' parachute teams' (paraphrased) - it is a slap in the face to promote the national team of another country on the front cover of the calendar. Otherwise let's just call it World PA and be done with it.

There is a photo of the French NATIONAL team on the cover of the USPA Calendar. They represent France at international competitions. At the last World Meet ( and the next one) Airspeed represented (and will represent) the USA and the French national team represented France. I am not saying the calendar has to show Airspeed, just not the national team of another country on its cover.

I would think it far more appropriate to have on the cover of the USPA Calendar a photo of a US skydiver who died, than the French national team. They do not represent the USPA, they represent France!

No, I don't. I said that a photo of an individual OR a US team (any discipline) would have been better on the cover of the USPA Calendar. (The Parachutist Magazine issue concerns photos accompanying USPA Nationals coverage). What you describe as being a 'partisan cheerleader' I would see as representing the body of membership in the United States. The USPA should represent US jumpers over and above those of other nations. That's one of its functions: "In its governing role, USPA is officially recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the representative of skydivers in the United States" (USPA SIM) Putting the national team of France on the cover of the USPA calendar is not acting as the representative of skydivers in the United States. There is little enough exposure for US jumpers. Other nations have their own associations.

Maybe the editor of the Brit mag has made arrangements to have a DZ rep at every DZ submitting pieces for every edition? Maybe the editor encourages more of a sense of community by supporting the national teams more actively and inviting submissions from them? Maybe the editor covers local news such as achievements of British athletes in every skydiving discipline, at every level? Maybe the UK Magazine doesn't object to articles on tunnel use as a training tool for skydiving? Maybe the Uk Mag doesn't require exclusivity? Why don't you take a look at the UK mag with that in mind and get back to me? There are apprx 5000 BPA members and over 30,000 USPA members, go figure.

The first part of which is one definition of 'a nation', surely? Nationalism = n. Devotion to the interests or culture of one's nation. [American Heritage Dictionary] Nation = n. A relatively large group of people organized under a single, usually independent government; a country. The territory occupied by such a group of people [American Heritage Dictionary] So you don't think the United States Parachute Association is devoted to the interests of parachutists in the United States? What exactly is its purpose then? Unless you think the USPA represents the entire world of skydiving, and every nation which takes part? Why bother to call it the 'US'PA at all? Why not the World Parachute Association? (Or even Team America World Parachute Association, perhaps?)

I know it is hard for you to understand, but that post contains two issues. One relates to Parachutist's coverage of USPA Nationals, and one relates to the USPA Calendar. Sorry for the confusion.

"Depends on whether you think each country's respective Para Assn, or that assn's magazine, should have a nationalistic agenda". But since you brought it up, the magazine cover names it as "Official publication of the United States Parachute Assocation". I don't care if Parachutist includes photos of other nations' skydivers, in fact, that's great, if there is space. (Bear in mind though, there is apparently no space to include a photo of the winners of 4 categories of the United States Parachute Association's National RW championships in the official write-up). My main gripe is the photo of the French national team on the US National Association's calendar cover.