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.
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