Im gonna start out by giving some credit. I really appreciate the effort the team in Singapore put into this competition. Really good job, also by trying to recruit good flyers and teams from around the world to the competition. Also you guys did a superb job at showing it to the audience. For the first time, I feel like we are going somewhere.
I have spent the last 12 years of my life following this sport and trying to keep up with it. Travelling the world and learning from all my friends. I know almost all the flyers in this competition, and I am proud to call you all my friends. You guys are also showing some really impressive flying. Thanks for the inspiration! But what is the point? It seams really clear to me that the Judges have no idea what they are looking at.
I have competed myself, for years, and felt this on my body myself. We, as athletes, have tried to give feedback to the judging of our competitions, but with very little success. Now it seams like the problem is getting bigger.
To clearify, I am referring to the neo freeslyle pro competition. Compared to 2-way artistic tunnel, or jumping, or D4W (dynamic 4 way), here there is just one flyer and really easy to see what they are doing, no?
I realise that the competition is 8 rounds, and what I am seeing in this video is just a short clip. I also agree for sure, based on what I see, that the russian winner for sure deserved his win. Wow! Really cool and clean flying dude! When can we fly together? But my question is, why is the margin so tight from 2 til 8 place. I mean, are the judges just giving random scores based on guessing, not being able to select and score the best flyer? I know that artistic competitions always will be hard to judge, and subjective, but in this case based on the short clips I see I wonder what happened? Would like to see more video before I make up my mind. But, in my mind the difference in skill level here is big, not marginal, the way the results show!
How is it possible that Alex Verner did not end up in 2nd place, by far? I mean, did the judges not see the insane three and a half windmills, using plural because there are two in a row, coming straight after the crazy backfliptwist, followed by the awesome breaker! Nice! those moves are way harder than what anything his close competitors performed, that I saw? And Guizmo, man, super nice flying dude! Lets fly soon! Same to you other guys, but the crazy thing is, I bet the flyers, and judges also, feel the same as me. It seams clear that the judges are not able to keep up with the evolution of the sport.
For our sport to move on we need to change something. The judges need to live and breathe the sport, be athletes, be able to fly the stuff themselves, know the names of the moves and the history behind them and base their scores on this. The athletes have been asking for this for years. And tried! I went to a judging course myself, in Norway. I watched Martin Kristensen try to become a judge after dominating the sport of freestyle. Eventually he quit, because of the insane process of becoming an international judge. I mean, thanks for the effort my friend, but for me it really proved the problem, even if it now is about 5 years ago.
By the way. Here is the movie I am basing this on!
P.S. Big respect to all the athletes! Sick flying guys, and specially to the kids! Go the kids! Yess! Wow!
Enjoy the video!
H
Skywalkers 