Ideas for a Freestyle Competition format.

Subject Ideas for a Freestyle Competition format.
From abw@cre.canon.co.uk (Andy Wardley)
Date Wed, 8 Apr 1998 07:55:59 GMT
Newsgroups rec.kites 
Colin Douthwaite wrote
> In music competitions the test piece of music is usually chosen by
> the adjudicator(s) and is something little known to competitors but
> copies are available to entrants once the festival is announced so
> they can get a copy and do as much preparation as they wish before
> the event.

OK, that sounds pretty fair. One of the things I would like to emphasise by such a competition is that Freestyle is not about rigid practice. It is much more about an interpretation of the music and mood at the time. I like to think of the jazz musician. He has a basic tune to follow and a few set pieces that he's got in mind, but most of the performance is raw improvisation.

That's what it is to me.

What worries me is that a single piece of music given X months in advance gives the flier enough time to go away and choreograph and practice a routine. There's nothing to say that it won't make a great performance but it won't capture the essence of Freestyle flying.

That was my reasoning being a selection of music to make the choice 'pseudo-random' without disadvantaging any competitors who might not have heard a certain piece. Sure, someone could still go and create routines for all 6, 10, 12, 16, or however many pieces are named, but it would be extremely hard to practice them all to any reasonable level of competence. And if you could, it would only indicate that you were a sad git who totally misunderstood the principle of Freestyle.

You would have no respect from other fliers, no inner harmony at the sense of having entered the spirit of it, you would loose your friends, your health and your looks. You would become a recluse and draw yourself away from the World that once shunned you. You would live in squalour with a hundred and seven cats and you would eventually die a sad and lonely old man.

And your tombstone would read: 

   __________________
  /                  \
 /     Here Lies      \
|  J Random Kiteflier  |
|                      |
|      World Kite      |
|  Freestyle Champion  |
|         2003         |
|                      |
|    ( but he didn't   |
|      deserve it )    |
|                      |

I think that's enough to keep anyone on the right side of the Freestyle tracks, eh? :-) 

> With the "own choice" segment anything goes but it is usual to avoid
> very simple stuff like "Three Blind Mice" if you want a top mark for
> your own choice. "Moon River" would be about my kiting speed
> methinks. *8-)

Hehe. I suppose you could do a really superb, thoughtful, rendition of "Three Blind Mice" and hope to Win Big in the 'Artistical Interpretation', but your 'Technical Merit' score would really suck!

While we're on the subject, are such music competitions judged on a similar kind of Technical/Artistic breakdown? It's certainly a popular approach. Are there any other sports that involve some kind of technical/artistic performance that are scored by different criteria? There's no reason why we have to look only to Kite Flying or Ice Skating. We can borrow good ideas from any other sport or competition that suits us :-)

Music being the perfect example to hand.

A 

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