World Series Freediving competition series announced

[x_yeti]

Wal, I'm pretty sure the no packing rule will stay no matter how much you object to it. Packing was excluded from the SSI education system, so it would be hypocritical of them to allow it in their competitions.

The way I see it you can either opt not to compete in WSF at all or you can start training without packing and compete in WSF when you are comfortable with it. If you are keen to win the prize money then do the latter. If you are worried about keeping your 'position' as the top freediver in Oz, then I don't think you need to worry too much. The WSF performances will be weaker than your AIDA ones. Get a publicist or PR person and let the public know.

 

[Walrus]

There is still DNF and CNF at WSF as far as I can see:

That's not the case for the first comp. Without packing, those that use it are indeed "handicapped", in terms of being able to perform to the the best of their abilities.

 

[trux]

Asking to be permitted to pack in a competition where others do not pack is the same as if you asked that you can use roller blades in a marathon race. Of course you would perform better with roller blades, but the others would too if they did. However others do not want to use roller blades in a marathon race, and the rules do not permit it. Hence you can either accept measuring your performance with others without the skates, or just attend roller skates competitions instead.

 

[Simos]

That's not the case for the first comp. Without packing, those that use it are indeed "handicapped", in terms of being able to perform to the the best of their abilities.

AKA "handipacked"

 

[watts]

World series cricket- wsc was started in the 70s and revolutionised the sport if cricket with one day games and was started by Kerry Packer..
World series freediving - was started in 2012 and aims to revolutionise freediving but you can't PACK. rofl

 

[tcrusson]

Competitions are an intricate development of the ancestral game: "who's got the biggest one?".
What it gives us is basically an official ruler, that we can use to measure the object of the competition. And then we can view results publicly, get praised, appear in newspapers ("journalist: how did you get it so long? athlete: It was really hard"), train to get longer, etc.
Until now, rulers were measuring in centimeters.
WSF is basically talking about measuring in inches.

My modest contribution to this debate, which is turning a bit farcical

 

[Kars]

Competitions are an intricate development of the ancestral game: "who's got the biggest one?".
What it gives us is basically an official ruler, that we can use to measure the object of the competition. And then we can view results publicly, get praised, appear in newspapers ("journalist: how did you get it so long? athlete: It was really hard"), train to get longer, etc.
Until now, rulers were measuring in centimeters.
WSF is basically talking about measuring in inches.

My modest contribution to this debate, which is turning a bit farcical

Sorry but I don't get your comparison. Do you realise centimetres are about 2/5th of an inch?

 

[x_yeti]

Sorry but I don't get your comparison. Do you realise centimetres are about 2/5th of an inch?

Yeah Tanguy, you cocked that one up!

 

[trux]

Sorry but I don't get your comparison. Do you realise centimetres are about 2/5th of an inch?

What Tanguy meant is that the egos suddenly shrink with the rule change, which makes happy those who always measeured in inches, but unhappy those who use to measure in centimeters.

 

[chrismar]

Speaking of egos, I had an unfortunate online run-in tonight with Mike. In order not to colour anything my way, I will provide only what occurred and no commentary.

Below is a private message thread initiated by Mike after I posted the attached on the WSF wall in response to one of their claims. My comments were deleted and I wasn't fast enough to save my second. It's highlighted in Mike's reply though.

Hi Chris

Just a few points for your consideration

Please note that from the WSF office, Myself (Mike Wells) Hayley Griffin and Emily Haigh, all Admin this page....and not one of us knows you personally or professionally.

You are very welcome to join the Odex-Treme Competition on Sept 8-9th 2012

Your are very welcome to post supportive content and good wishes for others to the WSf FB wall.

You are encouraged to query us for information on Freediving competitions and other valid questions (which we are happy to answer / as Hayley did today for you)

You are also most welcome to be positive and supportive to other Freedivers who are taking part in the upcoming ODEX-treme competition.

However

You are not welcome to post your dispirited gripes on the wall...It is completely unsporting to all other entrants and also very unprofessional.

We are a young Enthusiastic company with a philosophy of fun and amiable business ethics, and none of us suffer fools lightly, in the nicest possible way, please kindly take your poison elsewhere.

Kind Regards

Mike Wells

------------------------------
The comment:
Chris Marshall (August 25, 2012): So not the best then.

Who has entered?

Content URL: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?....254461334673746.56620.254426994677180&type=1

Mike,

I have no problem with you & SSI getting into freediving competitions. My only problem is your claims. If you refrain from posting quantifiably untrue statements, I will refrain from repudiating them. This sort of behaviour is the only thing stopping me from entering your competition - after all I will be at ODEX.

I know that we, as in experienced freedivers, are not your target audience and I know you don't really mind what we think about the way you've been going about all of this, but we do notice and it does get on people's nerves when you claim records you've never achieved and state that your organisation is the leading organisation for competitive freediving without having ever officiated a competition.

If you start acting in good faith and in the interests of the sport rather than your own and your company's, I would be happy to be part of what you do. I ask you sincerely to please consider doing so. If you want to discuss this, I'd be happy to provide you with my contact details.

Regards,
Chris

ps. Can you please let me know why you consider my comment poisonous? It may correct the comment you made, I don't consider the truth to be poisonous.

Ah, I see you've deleted my comments. That probably answers my good faith question.

You should probably delete the WSF comments made in reply. The thread looks a bit odd now. Don't worry too much though, I can post to deeperblue to clarify if you prefer.

Regards,
Chris

My god i am in awe of your pronounced self-importance!

I have no idea who you are, but you seem to think you are some sort of authority on me?..i am confused.

you have nothing to do with me or SSI or WSF so why do you feel empowered to request actions from any of the aforementioned.

I suggest you mind you own business, smile more and frown less!

I wish you good health and a happy fulfilling life

Mike

All I asked is for you to refrain from posting things that are clearly untrue. It's not a particularly unreasonable request?

It's not hard for you to go about all of this in good faith. As a freediver, it saddens me that you've decided not to. I can't force you to do anything, though all I did is make a polite request. As for knowing you, I know of your approach and behaviour through your public actions and those that know you. That is all.

Most annoyingly, I sort of wanted to compete in this. After this, I don't really want to anymore.

Mike,
If you feel that I have misrepresented you in any way in the above exchange, please let me know publically or privately and I will correct it. I despise things being done in the dark and value honesty and transparency.

 

[x_yeti]

Chrismar, would you say an organization should be considered 'worldwide' when it has representation (or had at some stage) in 4 S.American, 2 African and 6 Asian countries?

If you're going to clean up the blatantly untrue marketing claims in freediving, then you are going to have many an unhappy 'champion' or 'record-holder' freediver posting on your Facebook wall.

 

[Will]

Chris, you should just come to VB2012 instead. It will be the biggest freediving event in the history of the Universe. All the best freedivers who have ever lived will be there.

P.S. no one better repudiate these claims, or I'll make the internet crash!
(smile).

 

[trux]

All the best freedivers who have ever lived will be there.

How many centimeters is the entry limit?

 

[Walrus]

Tanguy Crusson is best friends with the very person who is writing the rules for WSF.

 

[Kars]

Chris I share your desire for consistent truthfulness.

At the same time I comprehend marketing and pr talk, employing sophist techniques to gather customers.

One can jump high and low upon these things, fact is most people are moved and guided by people they feel are authorities. People want fantasy more then reality.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTfBgJdyyBM]Starsuckers 1 of 2 [2010] (46:33) - YouTube[/ame]

At the same time I think Mike is an excellent salesman, doing an outstanding job selling breath-hold diving to a wide audience.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuVgrY4FjY0]FreeDive.mov - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Nth Qld Spearo]

From what chris marshall has posted there it seems mike wells is a total tool with zero integrity!!! How can anyone not see this???

The fact is Walter steyn owns mike in all performances and has earned his respect as australias best over a long time, no point in trying to weasel around this fact which it seems to me is what mike is trying to achieve.

 

[Mullins]

You are not welcome to post your dispirited gripes on the wall...It is completely unsporting to all other entrants and also very unprofessional

And the award for hypocrite of the year goes to.....

 

[trux]

I believe that Wal can stay assured that his performances are known and appreciated, and nothing will change even if someone else claims a new inferior national record. First of all the values should be lower (and if not then the higher performance desires the full respect), and then it is not the same category.

It reminds me the situation in Austria. There are some fine freedivers, among others also certain Herbert Nitsch and certain Christian Redl. Herbert, one of the biggest freedivers ever, holds some 30 world records (sanctioned by AIDA). Christian Redl, just a bit better average freediver, holds perhaps 50 freediving world records (sanctioned by Guinness, or just self-appointed) - all of them are more or less just fun records, or records in some specific situations, but they attract a lot of media attention. Possibly even more than the records of Herbert. Still, I never heard Herbert complaing about that, or accusing Christian that he steals his glory.

Of course, the false claims on the website of WSF are entirely something different, and they should go away in the best interest of WSF, because besides putting the entire business into a really strange light and damaging them in the community, they may risk some legal actions. I believe that current record holders, AIDA, or CMAS could succesfully challenge them in the court, but I hope it won't be needed to go that far.

 

[tcrusson]

Tanguy Crusson is best friends with the very person who is writing the rules for WSF.

Walter steyn is best friends with Voldemort

 

[Kars]

I agree, Tanguy, let's stop using the sophist technique of ad hominum.Leave the persons in peace. Just point out the behaviour we disapprove of. We can only ask them to change. The more force applied, the more resistance.