The following calculations are based from South Florida, Fort Lauderdale to be precise since it is a nice midway point for IDPA shooters in the 4 county area (Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe) and may not reflect prices where you live.

We in SoFla live in one corner of the US so everything is pretty much far outside the state and with the consequent cost that involves. I selected the next 9 states matches according to the IDPA website and I will assume that each match will provide me with 2 points each for a grand total of 18 points. These point might or might not give me a spot in the WC, I do not know yet since I already know of shooters in other states that have accumulated 20+ points so far this year. I’ll take their word for it.

Let’s start with Air Travel. As origin I used Ft. Lauderdale and got estimates using Expedia.com:

• Arkansas $379
• Illinois $566
• Texas $ 609
• Alabama $ 289
• Oklahoma $ 501
• Maryland $189
• Arizona $ 369
• North Carolina $ 306
• Michigan $ 478

Total Airfare (9 matches): $ 3,686

Average hotel room is $90/night according to HotelNewsNow.com but I am a cheap SOB so I will stay in crappy motels so let’s cut that in half to $45. So for two nights per match I pay $90 and it gives me a grand total of $810 for 9 matches worth of lodging.

Food? Let’s stick to Burger Joints: $7 per combo meal time 3 equals $21 times 9 matches: $189. I should diet though.

Car rental prices for two days are so varied it is just crazy. I used Dollar Rent-a-car and they ran from $62 for Arkansas to $661. I decided to use the rate out of Miami Airport of $102 as “average”and it comes out to $918 for the 9 matches, 2 days per match.

So, the Grand Total for 9 matches comes to be $5,585 or $620 per match or $310 per point. And I cannot be sure I’d be selected to shoot the WC!

If I had that money to spend, I’d would gladly “waste” it is several new guns or donating it to my club to buy cool props.

There is a suspicion that the Meth problem in Arkansas is much bigger than initially expected. And apparently most of it is being consumed at the IDPA HQ in Berryville. The IDPA World Championship is to be held September 21st – 24th, 2011 at the Universal Shooting Academy in Frostproof, Florida but apparently the peons who foolishly want to help need not to apply because they are not wanted. A ton of Florida Safety Officers have made inquiries and have been told thanks but no thanks which have left a nasty taste in our mouths.

Although we understand that IDPA is the baby and fiefdom of Bill Wilson, basic courtesy says that in a state with clubs ripe in experienced people running sanctioned matches, you may want to select more than a few of them for an apparently important event or at least be polite enough to say “Sorry guys, we will be using only those people that have experiencing SOing The Nationals or events of that caliber” which there are many SOs from Florida like that. Instead what every volunteering SO has experienced was a  “buzz off” from HQ. People are rightly pissed

OK, so you don’t want to work but you wouldn’t mind competing in the World Championship. Then say goodbye to the old “Two Sanctioned Match and Send Your Application Overnight for First Come-First Served Selection.” We now have a points system based on how many people attend a sanctioned match.

The point-based system is three-fold. First, points will be awarded based on participation in Sanctioned matches. The IDPA National Championship and the Smith & Wesson Winter Indoor Nationals will be awarded three (3) points. Large sanctioned matches with attendance over 250 participants will be awarded two (2) points and all other sanctioned matches will be awarded one (1) point. Points will be totaled from January 1st, 2010 to May 31st, 2011 and will be tracked at IDPA headquarters from the match results received from the match directors of those Sanctioned matches

We will begin receiving applications on June 1st and the application process will be open until June 30th There will be no need to ‘overnight’ applications as we are removing the ‘first-come, first-served’ requirement. At the end of the application deadline, we will tally the applicants points and inform those who will have first choice in attending. We are anticipating squadding 400 shooters for the four day match. The cut-off for points needed will be determined by where the 400th applicant’s number of points lie.

So, pretty much unless you are wealthy or wear a shirt with a company’s logo that pays you some sort of expense to cover travel and allows you to attend a shitload of matches, just stay home and don’t bother them.

In the same email came this extra announcement:

Nominate US Respresentatives for the IDPA World Championship

IDPA Headquarters is looking for a team to represent the United States in the Inaugural IDPA World Championship.  As we are a membership organization, we would like to request nominations from YOU the members as to your representatives for this match.  Please nominate one person for each of the 5 divisions.

Log in to the member’s only area of the IDPA website to vote.

So apparently HQ in an attempt to calm the masses will allow us to have our own:

I am seriously considering voting for the IPSC Swedish Bikini Team, but probably I will wait for the results of the Postal Match to be posted and nominate those who came in dead last. (I will weed myself out because there is a chance I might be one of them)

And it was also announced the new Distinguished Master category which reeks of IPSC ass kissing or at least cheap copycatting.

In the last 15 years IDPA has watched the talent and skill level involved in the shooting sports steadily increase. Because of this continued trend and at the request of the membership IDPA has decided to add a new classification above our existing Master class. This new classification will be known as Distinguished Master.

Much to everybody’s double surprise (because a lot of people never even heard about the DM BS and certainly the rank and file was never asked to opine on the issue) we already have members that are DM. But do not bother to look for the Classifier times to make DM: they haven’t figured out that yet. Instead Royal Court at Berryville appointed those new DMs by King’s Decree. Make no mistake, those selected are top shooters but in IDPA you are supposed to earn your classification by sending rounds downrange and not by fiat.

I truly feel sorry for the sport. It took patience and many thousands to give the IDPA the status it currently has. It took a couple of meetings amongst the Uber Management to fuck it up.

Support your local clubs, your State Matches and attend those State Matches that value the rank and file shooter. Forget about HQ,  just send them the money once a year so they are out of our hair.

UPDATE: My words have reached the Official IDPA Forum, albeit plagiarized.

Warning: If you are in a shooting-related forum and happen to see this avatar…

…there is a good chance I am a member of such forum. Try not to plagiarize my stuff no matter how crappy it can be.

Over at the Munchkin Wrangler the question of what five cars would you own if money was no issue.

1) Childhood Dream: Dodge Charger Super Bee.

I was 11 years old when a relative gave me a ride in his. First time I felt the fear and exhilaration of pure raw acceleration. It stayed with me ever since. Must be factory spec.

2) Vintage WWII Afrika Korps Kubelwagen.

Ugly as sin, but always loved the military version of the VW bug. Afrika Korps logo on the door a must.

3) Lamborghini LM002

If you are going to Off Road, do it in style. 7.2 L L804 marine V12 engine capable of 130 mph.

4) Dillon Aero Tactical Yukon.

If you ask why, you are reading the wrong type of blog. Very convenient for the South Florida traffic and just in case Fidel and Hugo decide to invade Miami.

5) Ford EF

“Because it make Gaia cry.”

Hat Tip to Walls of the City

Very Nice!

In about a week, I’ll be packing my range bag, ammo and assorted gear to leave early in the morning for Clearwater to shoot the 2011 IDPA Florida State Championship at the Wyoming Antelope Club.  The Missus will be coming along as it appears I cannot fend for myself alone in the wilderness. How I was able to survive before I got married remains a mystery never to be solved, but I admit at going to Europe once without underwear or socks and not on purpose.

The Wyoming Antelope Club in Clearwater is an awesome club and not because of the facilities which they have worked hard, but for the people that run the matches there. Friendly and organized will beat anything else out there. That they also have a clubhouse that serves alcohol after the match of the day is done, only helps the friendly atmosphere. But then again I wouldn’t know since I became a teetotaler after I got married also.

Whatever your shooting sport might be, I urge you to attend a state/regional/whatever match. Besides being fun, you get to know fellow shooters from other parts and even rub elbows with the great shooters. A couple of years ago, our squad got the chance to shoot alongside Super Dave Harrington and he was a veritable fountain of tips and overall help to all the shooters. I was happy that he did not kick my ass for giving him a procedural the year before at the Carolina Cup!

My intention is to have fun, spend time with the wife and not to be dead last in SSP SS.  If you go to a match of this kind, please take the time to thank and shake the hands of as many of the Safety Officers, organizers, Score Personnel and helpers that make the match happen. Having been in that side, I can tell you they never truly enjoy the shooting and their reward is the satisfaction of the shooters that attended the match.

If you happen to attend or drop by the 2011 IDPA Florida State Championship , I’ll be in Squad 3 with the bunch of foreigners and dragging a green “tactical” wagon and being screamed at by a petite blond.  Look for the MHI patch on the front of the vest.

I know I am getting lazy and going graphics heavy…. Oh well!

.

.

.

.