4wayFly

I'll refer you to a recent post I made in this thread: "Let me just be clear as the two issues seem to have become confused. 1 - In the official USPA report of the RW Nationals there is not one photo of the winners of all 4 categories in that report. I find that odd. 2 - On the cover of the USPA Calandar, there is a photo of a non-US team. I think that is wrong." Two issues, one relates to Parachutist's coverage of USPA Nationals, and one relates to the USPA Calendar. Sorry for the confusion.

What we are discussing is the photo of the French national 8-way team on the front cover of the calendar, which incidentally, is called the 'United States Parachutist Association 2008 Calendar'. Let's not be making the personal attacks eh?

By being the United States Parachute Association it already has an implied nationalistic agenda. If it didn't then anyone with USPA membership could medal at the USPA National Championships or represent the USPA at world level competitions, at any time. As it is, there are 'nationalistic' stipulations that must be fulfilled in order for that to happen.

They receive hundreds of pictures. Photo of freeflyer from Michigan = not political. Photo of French national 8-way team = political

Yes it is. Don't you think featuring the team that beat the US most recently also makes a political statement? And that the natural choice would have been some US team or skydiver?

Why?

Me too. There are thousands of US skydivers in every discipline who have never been featured in the magazine or the calendar. Photos of the French national team have appeared in plenty of worldwide skydiving media. It remains a strange choice for the cover of the USPA calendar.

Be sure to ask them how they felt when Parachutist put the French team on the cover after they (the US) won the World Meet, too. Have a look at other countries' national publications (for example Skydive, the British mag) and what they do in the same situation.

I have, thanks, on numerous occasions. Some have been published. Jingoism = n. Extreme nationalism characterized especially by a belligerent foreign policy; chauvinistic patriotism. [American Heritage Dictionary] I am simply talking about whether the selection of a photo of the French national team on the cover of the United States' Parachute Association's calendar is the best choice. I hardly thinks that makes me a fascist. Brains: That is what I am questioning. As I have mentioned more than once, I will be writing to the USPA and I have submitted items myself. Discussing the matter on here is also allowed.

I meant in terms of the reporting of the actual event at which they won all 4 categories, apologies for the confusion. Let me just be clear as the two issues seem to have become confused. 1 - In the official USPA report of the RW Nationals there is not one photo of the winners of all 4 categories in that report. I find that odd. 2 - On the cover of the USPA Calandar, there is a photo of a non-US team. I think that is wrong. I have trained alongside the French team and personally like them. I also like Airspeed and many other US teams/ individuals. This is not personal, it's just about some odd decisions that I think have been made lately regarding USPA publications. I think the USPA do a great job in general and staff work hard, but this is an area that deserves questoning. I'm sorry if this offends people, I don't mean it to.

They are all good sportspeople, I'm sure they won't say a word, no matter how they feel :)

Do you know how hard the US teams work and the 'pay' they get? To put the French national team on the cover of the USPA calendar is not right. If you competed I feel you might have more of a sense of why it is insulting to do this to skydivers (your peers) who represent your country. I have. It has been. That's not the issue. Mike McGowan submits hundreds of pics of US jumpers. One of those could have been used instead, in my opinion.

I assume you aren't a competitor?

That's not the issue and never has been. They are on the cover of the USPA calendar. Of course it would be healthy to cover skydiving excellence worldwide in the mag... if there is space.

Admittedly, it's a controversial thread title to attract attention to what I believe is an important discussion. Maybe I broached the subject badly. But look, if you like having a photo of the French team on the cover of the United States' association's calendar, that's great. I just don't think it's very healthy or positive for the sport of US skydiving, but that's just my opinion

As said I plan to write to them. I don't think it's unacceptable to post for discussion on a public skydiving forum also, though. It is a more effective medium for debate than the magazine.

Agreed, that is a nice pic, just a shame nothing included as part of the official write up of Nationals as a news event. Photos of the winners very much pertain to the news story, a big part of which is that Airspeed won four categories. A clean sweep is a huge deal, I think it's only been accomplished twice before.

Thanks Betsy. I would be interested to hear if other skydivers feel the same way.

I wasn't implying that, sorry if it sounded like I was. I meant to imply that Mike is bound to have submitted many photos of US jumpers and teams and the USPA chose the French over them, which I think is bad form. In Paramag is one thing. On the cover of the USPA calendar is quite another.

As far as the calendar cover goes...Airspeed is not the only US team - I would be happy to see any other team or US skydiver on the cover, but please, why feature a FRENCH team? YOU COULD EVEN FEATURE AN INDIVIDUAL, but at least celebrate our OWN country before our greatest global RW rivals. It's incredibly disrespectful to teams who dedicate their lives to the sport and representing their country, and it disrespects all US jumpers. ONE PIC in the Mag noting the clean sweep - just a little one. This is a selection year! Not even one. Then again if memory serves (correct me if I'm wrong) I believe the USPA did the same thing when Airspeed WON the World Meet in 2001; they put the French team on the cover of Parachutist. Do you think other nations or other sports do this?

Of those dozens, do you think there could be a few that are both appealing and representative of the UNITED STATES Parachute Association? Mike is based at Skydive Az as you know - you think he has a couple pics US teams/ jumpers anywhere? It's just an 8-way pic after all - nothing really mind-blowingly special about it, although it's very nice. You think the French put a picture of Airspeed in their calendar? Not to mention that the French have been arch-rivals of the US teams for years and the 8-way took gold off the US in Gera 2006. What a way for the USPA to treat its representatives. And I am still not getting how Airspeed can make a CLEAN SWEEP at Nationals and not even make ONE PIC in Parachutist. Do you know how rare a clean sweep is? And to come back from a 40 in 10-way to take gold has never even been done before. The standard of skydiving excellence in this country is incredible, and the people achieving these great things are all but ignored by their own association. I will write to the editor, I hope others do, too.

Ok, so can anyone tell me why in the latest issue of Parachutist, which covers USPA Nationals, at which AIRSPEED MADE A CLEAN SWEEP of 4-way (highest average ever), 8-way, 10-way and 16-way, THERE IS NOT ONE PHOTO OF AIRSPEED? Not in the air, not collecting medals, nothing. To the disinterested observer, you have to admit, it looks a bit odd. And why, on the COVER of the 2008 USPA calendar, there is a PHOTO OF THE FRENCH 8-WAY TEAM? I mean, come on, are we mean to believe there are no decent photos of US teams which could take that slot? I find it insulting, to be honest. Unless I'm missing something. (I apologise as I posted this in The Bonfire before realizing that's for non-skydiving stuff, I think it would be better posted here, sorry for messing up.)

So there is NOT ONE photo of a 'home team' (any US team or even INDIVIDUAL would do, don't even have to be Nationals winners, although that would be nice!) that could both represent the UNITED STATES Parachute Association and be visually appealing? This is the COVER of the USPA calendar, not the French calendar! (You think the French put a picture of Airspeed in their calendar?) Mike McGowan, who took that photo of the French, is based at Skydive AZ and is one of the best skydiving photographers in the world. I'm sure he could have provided another appropriate pic, if asked. Not to mention the French 8-way team have been arch-rivals of the US teams for many years and took gold from them in 2006 at Gera. Ridiculous. You don't see other nations' associations treating their representatives like that. And no photos of Airspeed in the November mag Nationals write up? IT WAS A CLEAN SWEEP, do you know how rare that is? Even if only in the name of objective journalism, I think one picture could have been squeezed in. What is going on here?

Ok, so can anyone tell me why in the latest issue of Parachutist, which covers USPA Nationals, at which AIRSPEED MADE A CLEAN SWEEP of 4-way (highest average ever), 8-way, 10-way and 16-way, THERE IS NOT ONE PHOTO OF AIRSPEED? Not in the air, not collecting medals, nothing. To the disinterested observer, you have to admit, it looks a bit odd. And why, on the COVER of the 2008 USPA calendar, there is a PHOTO OF THE FRENCH 8-WAY TEAM? I mean, come on, are we mean to believe there are no decent photos of US teams which could take that slot? I find it insulting, to be honest. Unless I'm missing something

My misunderstanding, you stated it as fact: No slanging match but just confused as to your point