jmarley7

What does everyone think about classes for the HC and MBO classes. Maybe something like in the ASA.
With around 250 shooters in each class I think maybe an A and B and maybe a Novice class would be appropriate for these classes. I think this would help to continue the enthusiasim that is displayed on the first day of shootin for the rest of the weekend and also increase participation in the larger events. I think this would be even more beneficial on the state level!
Alot of people bypass athe bigger shoots because they know they have no chance of winning or even competing for an award. And for those who say they shoot just for fun, this would have absolutly no effect on these individuals, and would probably increase there enjoyment also.
I believe the cost for this prospect would be minimal, (a couple of Extra plaques or trophies). This would be offset by the increase in attendance.
LETS HERE YOUR OPINIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JOE

keith meador

if there are any class changes, they need to be by age, like an over 40 class......after that there needs to be a left handed right eye dominate class, right handed with a aiming twitch class, one foot bigger that the other class, redneck hoot n holler class, snooty rich guy class, my truck is better than your truck class, my wife makes better bisquets than yours class, skinny arrow class, fat arrow class, movable sight over 40 with a lens class, movable sight over 40 without a lens class, fixed pins with fiber optic pin class, fixed pins without fiber class, mbo with longer stabilizer than 24 inches class, mbo with shorter stabilizer than 24 inches class, rangefinder class with 60 yard max, separate classes for people who shoot black vanes and nocks, separate classes for people who shoot bright vanes, a no binocular class, a binocular class, an umbrella class, a class for those without umbrellas, a chair class, a quiver class, bows longer than 38 inches ATA, and a class for the shorter bows.......i may have missed a few, but thats all i can think of right now.....

oh yeah, and a class for everyone who says they wont be back to snowshoe but come anyway, and a class for those who cannot wait to get back up there again.....

disclaimer: i am ranting and raving, joking so to speak, but if you feel any classes have been left out, by mistake, or intentionally, feel free to add them in. with between 1500 and 1800 shooters on snowshoe mountain, im sure we could come up with at least 1158 classes......imagine the payout....millions.....bassboats, trucks, cars, fourwheelers, bows, arrows, i may be on to something......1158 different world champions......three days of shooting, eight days of awards......what a vacation......1158 different shooting stakes, that may make the ibo build a wooden walkway throughout the range....no more mud......think of the possibilities......endless......

nys rep

I do indeed think that their are a few that you are missing, but my guts are sore from laughing!! You said that you were goin' to do it well their it is excellent!! later

fasstfletch

Jmarley,
I think that your suggestion was genuine and an effort to contribute something constructive to the IBO competition class system. I think that you should keep in mind that your efforts were read by more than 3 people and the majority chose not to make light of your suggestion. As a game we should always be open to suggestions of ways to include more people. The class system is showing a decline in many areas and suggestions of ways to gain more people in any part of the sport should be taken seriously. I'm sure that there are more than a few people that would like to go to a shoot knowing that they are shooting against archers of the same skill level or even a little better. If a class of 400 people has 20% winners, how long will be before some of the 80% start thinking about another sport where they may be appreciated.
Don't get discouraged and the only dumb questions are the ones that you don't ask.

keith meador

fastfletch, i rest my case.....400 participants, 20% winners, thats 80 people, that leaves 320 loosers, but, if you diversify enough, everyone can be a winner. but the math is scewed just a little.....20%......even with less people in the classes, still, 20% will be winners.

in all seriousness, if there were to be a change, have a national triple crown trophy class. have them shoot from the same stake as the money shooters, pay a reduced rate for the shoot, and only give trophies to the top 5 finishers. does that sound better than the over 50 shooting less than 60 lbs shooting with a scope without a clarifier with a stabilizer below 24 inch left eye dominant ford driving only stays at the ramada in yuppie class?

fasstfletch

Keith,
That kind of thinking may be your answer to a fading number of shooters but I think that there are other things that will draw and retain more shooters. If you have checked the nnumbers at the club level and up your answer may be different. If moneypay back is theonly answer, Let every one shoot Pro that wants to win money and everyone else gets a trophy. When a class that has 51 shooters pays a first place check for $86.00 for a $45.00 entry , who was the big winner, not the shooters. It is time that the system get some close looks.
When a first time post is submitted with good intentions the least that this person deserves is some serious consideration and some respect.

keith meador

fastfletch, you know you are right, thank you for showing me the error of my ways......i knew high gas prices werent keeping folks away from the shoots......numbers seem to be about normal from what i understand.....keeping people happy across the board is an impossible task. every shooter is different, and each shooter has an idea of why they come to the ibo national level shoots. any shooter with a rational mind knows there is no money to be won shooting a bow as an amature. without national tv exposure, big sponsors, and a sport exciting enough to keep the armchair deer hunter glued to the tv, or willing to fork over hundreds of dollars to come out and watch us shoot our bows from the gallery, our sport will not grow into a rich mans sport. that is something that is top driven. people quit shooting bows for lots of reasons. most dont care about the money, the ones that do, compete well for it. shooters like me go there for a break from the mainstream, chance to learn from other shooters, be with pals and friends i have met over the years. money, if my math serves me correctly, i spent somewhere in the neighborhood of 2800 dollars attending ibo national events this year. if i were going to pursue a venue to get rich it would not be shooting a bow. even if i won a couple of shoots, i would still be in the hole at the end of the year.i am part of the 80% loosers. adding classes doesnt really change anything. i am sorry you feel my jest of the question is not in good taste, and it probably isnt, but i see this same question arise on several different forums, not just this one.

locally we have diversified ourselves to death, trying to keep shooters happy. back in the day, if you were an adult male, you shot the orange stake with whatever equipment you showed up with. we now have 35 and 45 yard max classes, money hunter class, trophy hunter class, all the dirivitives of hunter class, i think diversity has happened. the ibo has changed, and i think for the good. a new shooter should progress thru the classes that are available.

all things considered, if i started playing golf in the morning, and played every day, for a year...practiced and dedicated myself to my newfound sport, i cant imagine every beating tiger woods. everyone reaches their potential. those with more shoot pro and semipro....those that dont are part of the 80%. retaining those people would be nice, but the bottom line is they either stay, and shoot, or they quit. doesnt matter if it is archery or bowling......

back to my original good idea, a national triple crown trophy class.......either way you are competing.....

keith meador

one more thing, they asked for my opinion, however bent and mutated it may be, is still my opinion......i think the ibo has done a wonderful job attempting to take care of everyone, but spreading the wealth thinner is just not a good idea.....

fasstfletch

Keith,

This could be an endless discussion with the mind set that you have and I guess that I'll just move on to other topics. If you are right and the IBO is as far as it can go in attaracting new shooters then there is no reason to suggest anything else. Maybe the new topic should be how to stop the loss of shooters without giving them gasoline to go to the National shoots. I have some suggestions for stopping the losses but I won't waste them and subject them to ridicule by persons with unlimited income.
Have a good season and lots of good health.

keith meador

fastfletch, surely you wont give up on me that easily......come on now...hang in there......as bad as i hate to admit it, you have some good ideas, but getting all the information is paramount. your concern about shooters in the money class not winning enough, well, thats not the ibo taking the money, that is the host clubs....the ibo as i understand it takes two dollars for the shooter of the year, two dollars and fifty cents to the general operating fund, and two dollars and fifty cents to the ibo world pot, from each participant in each class. the remainer of that money as i understand it goes to the host club. with that money they supply practice ranges, and targets, staff to host the shoot, and any other operating expense for the shoot itself. the shooters arent getting rich, the ibo is not getting rich, and in all likelyhood, the host clubs are getting by a little better......it is not a rich mans sport, unless you shoot pro, but they dont win a lot of money, they get most of the money from the sponsors they have. the only other money the ibo generates is off of local qualifier shoots, where they recieve five dollars from the host clubs....still not getting rich thereeither.....most clubs skirt the system and run a club shoot in conjuntion with the qualifier. that way the shooters who really want to go, can go, and the local guy at home who doesnt want to pay twenty five dollars for ibo membership, plus the qualifier fee, plus club fee doesnt have to. fortyfive dollars is quite a bit of money to shoot one shoot on a weekend, when you have no intention of attending the world shoot, or none of the national shoots.

getting the bowhunter out of the woods and onto the local 3d ranges will grow our sport on the local level, but overall, there arent that many interested in competing. just like a weekend golfer, or someone who rides a four wheeler for recreation. the lure of most larger organizations is money. how long to you think the pga would exist if the payouts were what archery tournament payouts are? or nascar? media and sponsors, period.

i cant help myself with my humor, it obviouslyruffled your feathers.......but thats is how i feel.