Competition or Entertainment

[Jorge]

FJT had some good comments in the WB-EOT thread.

I always expected that State level and above, certainly National or EOT matches to be challenging.  In the past, the ones that I have competed in, they had their challenges, some more than others.  After most "Big" Wild Bunch matches, I am mentally fatigued.  I, and I have heard others say, that Wild Bunch is more fatiguing and difficult that Cowboy Action, and that the latter seem easier after a Wild Bunch match.

More targets, more difficult targets, more control needed for the firearms due to the Power factor,  more brass to retrieve, and more movement on tough stages have made it more challenging.  Then you add in more equipment/ammo failures and often more penalties to add to the situation.  Challenges abound.

Perhaps for some, these aspects are too daunting; some want to be entertained with less of the above.

It will be interesting to see how having a challenging shooting sport can mesh with having an entertaining shooting sport.

[Boggus Deal]

Well, it is called Wild Bunch ACTION SHOOTING! If I want entertainment, I’ll turn on the movie and watch it.
For me the fun is in the challenge. Figuring out how I can shoot a stage to the best of my abilities. What can I do to better myself. 
I’ve said for years that WBAS isn’t for everyone. Neither is benchrest shooting, NASCAR racing or brain surgery. 

[CC Moonshine]

Howdy all,

I don't disagree with the concept that larger matches have to be something extra special.

As a match director, range owner, and shooter for 20+ years. I might offer this train of thought.

As the match moves up the scale (state, Territorial, region, national, world) I believe the attendance (number of competition ) starts setting the bar for how hard the match is. Meaning small errors, a miss, P, bad mag change, malfunction or jacked round can cost you several places at a big match, where at a small match maybe one or two spots or not at all. So that in it's self increases the challenge. Next, yes I think the targets can be out there but not more then a yard or two farther then normal placement. I say this because we shoot matches throughout the year and are all showing up to use our skill on what we have been doing, in an attempt to "best" a big field of competitors. This shouldn't be " the one that wins is the one that adapts the best to survive ". 

WBAS is an entertainment sport as is CAS, as is NCOWS, as is zoot, ect..... It's an entertainment sport because no one makes a living doing it. In fact we all pay money to do it, use our days off, practice ( some do 😂) and we don't win money or have to level up to get to the world championship. We sign up. 

If we want to increase the competition and self induce the adrenaline of competition then push yourself outside your comfort zone on the stage, try and pull off a 12 second stage. But remember, a match is not judged on attendance the first year, it's judged by those that return the next year. 

In 2005-2010 We had a CAS match Director that absolutely believed that the best match was one that was almost imposable to clean, and sweeps that provided several "P's" in a match. In 2010 I made a change and  we brought things around and tried to average 18-30% clean, main stream sweeps, but maybe heavier movement or gun transition were added. Our attendance within 6 months went from 20 per month avg. to 45 avg. Our state shoot went from 103 the last year under the old guard, to 180+ just 2 years later. People enjoyed it more, plan and simple.

We keep our matches at Paradise Pass, very entertaining, challenging, but extremely reasonable for the average shooter to at least not feel defeated at the end. 

Remember the same people win, no matter the difficulty of the match, and that's ok, because they worked for it to be prepared and practiced. We as match directors should never approach a match with a wish or will to put all those outside of first place in feeling they didn't enjoy the event.   

Have a fantastic evening,

CC Moonshine

 

 

[Jorge]

I suppose that any sport or activity done as an amateur, not for pay, Professional, could be called entertainment then.  Yet I would wager that many who do any particular "sport," take it more seriously than just for the entertainment value.  

Now the costume contests might be considered entertainment.  That would be another thread, indeed

The fireworks that you often have with the Big Matches are Entertainment.

As far as having a match, really at any level, I would think that the successful matches are well thought out so they are perceived as a fair challenge for the competitors, as you allude to.  A match Director wants the event to be well regarded both for reputation and for the returning business (Dollars).  It does take money to have good matches, no doubt.

The matches that I have attended at Paradise Pass have been for the most part fair, reasonable matches, to you and your Match Directors credit.  But I have never gone to a match to be entertained.  

[Flying W Ramrod]

As we've seen in the past, if you make the match too challenging, (so no one can clean it, P traps, weird sweeps, target size and placement) and the shooters aren't having fun, "entertainment", they won't come back, "loss of revenue".

No club can withstand loss of revenue.

 

 

[Frederick Jackson Turner]

One of the boilerplate axioms in the entertainment business is, "The audience will let you know."  Without arguing semantics, one of the reasons folks spend the time, money and effort that they do on this, or any other sort is for fun.  Whether or not that's entertainment, you can argue on your own time.  If the time effort and money spent doesn't offer some value or return on investment, then they will find something else to do. Most of us work hard for our money, and this should provide an escape or a pleasant getaway from the realities of modern life.

After a match designer, be it legendary T.A. Chance, RePhil, or Lassiter, or your local guy/gal, designs stages for any length of time, they will find that shooters tend to comment on stages, favorably, or otherwise.  The  good ones should go into a file folder that you can trundle out again occasionally, and the ones with lots of "P"s or misses might go into another, rather more circular file.

No more that one trick per stage.  Par times should be roughly equal for all stages.  Difficult scenarios should have easier target acquisition; tougher targets should have simpler instructions.  Have a good mix of sweeps, but don't try to re-invent the wheel.

Data mine your matches, listen to your shooters.  Keep that file folder.  And the audience will let you know.

And always, respect to all those hearty souls who stay up late designing those stages, huck the steel before the match, and put it away when most of us have already headed home.

Cheers,

FJT