Welcome to Omnibits for Thursday, 28 August (Day 4) 0630 0712First load of the day just took off! Unfortunately I can't tell you which teams, I can't hear the manifest calls from here.
A commonly heard comment the last couple of days is that the judges took too long in the first round, watching each jump 3 times. They have resolved to do the majority of scores with 1 or 2 views and use a 3rd only when necessary. Which will be necessary the rest of this week! Bryan Burke -- Martin's assistant Meet Director -- got the jury to agree to start each day an hour earlier for a chance at doing all scheduled rounds. That took a lot of coordination with hotels (moving up breakfast schedules) and transportation. He'd also like to get all the 4-Way teams to agree to 50 minutes on the ground, but I'm not sure if he's still pursuing that. First load is landing shortly so I'm headed out to the copy stations to assist the first wave. Scores will appear automatically on the results pages as soon as the judges save them. Oh ... and visit our sponsors please! They make this web site possible :) 0840Round 2 of 4-Way (Open) just completed. The US team punished the judges with a 29-point grinder busted down to 27. Canada posted 28 and Belgium a very nice clean 29.The drop zone is really buzzing now. I wonder how many folks across the pond are watching! [Edit: talking about beating Murphy is BAD KARMA.] 1045Things were moving along smoothly when the power went out again. Tuesday night it was the building's power, so we put all the judging equipment on the generator output yesterday. And this morning, the generator quit :)1130Still struggling with power issues -- Martin is all over it -- but we're judging again. 4-Way (open) Round 3 in progress.Each time the power drops out, we lose Internet for 20 minutes or so ... Before I forget to ask ... will the person who "borrowed" my competition shirt Monday or Tuesday please return it to the back of my chair. 1200Freeflying! Round 1 is about 2/3 done. Really enjoy watch those jumps here.In 4-Way FS Round 3 just completed for the Open with Belgium holding a 3 point lead over US and Canada. Those two busts for the US are looking really big already. (To see scoring details, click on the cumulative score under the "TOT" column.) The power has been steady for an hour now, but if it drops again before the generator technicians resolve whatever's wrong (they are on the way), we're going to shut everything down and move the scoring equipment back to the building power. ... and it happened ... lost power ... another extension cord juggle ... midday electrical madness :) 8-Way coming up!!! 1340Judges are starting 8-Way and VFS now ...A half hour later Round 1 of 8-Way is done, France and Russia tying with clean 19s and the USA busting an otherwise fine looking skydive from 25 down to 24. Just went for a breath-deep walkabout (frustrations high from dealing with the power outages) and heard from Bryan that they're hoping to get 5 rounds of 8-Way done today. I would be thrilled if they got 4: it's supposed to be world record material. A 25 (scoring formations, not points) in Round 1 points to something in the mid-30's for Round 4. 1500Delayed by another power outage. I need Valium ...
1600We've moved all the judging equipment back to the building's power again.Chatting with The Bryan, he's hoping to get 5 rounds of 8-Way and both Artistics done today, and 4 rounds of VFS. 4-Way released today after 3 rounds, and they open the schedule tomorrow morning. Judging wise VFS is halfway through round 2. That is really amazing stuff to watch. I think it would take me two years of full time training just to learn how to fly with my head down, much less do all that flipping and lateral motion. 1720Whew, 90 minutes without loose juice. Judges are confirming USA 8-Way Round 3, looks like a 17 ... two replays are reduced speed ... for some reason the videographer uploaded the wide-angle copy, requiring the judges to take a closer look ... busted down to a 15, ouch, but still good for a solid 11 point lead after 3 rounds.I had an email from an alert observer that the Ladies 4-Way was not sorted in standing order. No clue how that happened, but it's fixed now. 1810VFS Round 3 is complete except for Australia ... no idea why they're missing. Judges are taking a short break before starting 8-Way Round 4.Vibe out in the packing area when the US landed after their Round 4 jump was not good -- meaning the 1997 team's record is safe. Something about an oopsie during the climbout. I think Scott Rhodes may have bribed the point to slip. We'll see what happens ... 1900OUCH!!! USA flat out funneled their exit on 8-Way Round 4. Not an oopsie during the climbout, but on the count. Lost about 10 seconds out the door. After that and a bust, they still had the best score in the round by one point.Finally, here's Australia VFS Round 3. I sure love watching this event, especially when the videographer kicks butt. It tickles the eye. 13 points for AUS Round 3. France is cleaning clocks in VFS like the US is in 8-Way. Thierry, the French FS judge, had this excellent suggestion: have the US 8-Way team and the France VFS team each sit out one round. Just to make it fun. Meanwhile in the Artistic Events, Freeflying is completed through Round 2, and Freestyle is halfway through Round 2. The AE judges are in for a long night -- teams are close to finished jumping Round 4 as I type this. Russia 1, France 2 and Norway have early leads, but in AE, much can change in short order. I missed this SMS at 1600: 27.8.2014
16.00 UPDATE. 4WAY +4WAY FEMALE RELEASED TILL TOMOROW 6.45. THEN
STANDBY 6.45 AND 15 CALL. AE+8WAY+VFS+SP RELEASED TI TOMORROW 7.45,
THEN STANDBY 7.45. Round 5 of 8-Way just started judging. 2030The FS judging crew has called it a day, all caught up except for 3 teams who didn't make it to the copy stations before they got shut down for the day. (Faster next time folks! Planes had been on the ground a half hour!!!)The AE judging crew just started on Round 3 so half their work is done. Glad they don't need sleep :) How about the France VFS team. WOW. I have never seen such air skills, at least not since I last turned in a thermal with a red tailed. Hypnotizing. Not sure if I'll have another report tonight -- it's pushing 9pm and my alcolytes are getting low, and the AE judges will be working two more hours. The AE score updates for rounds 3 and 4 will have to wait until tomorrow morning, when I can get to the database again. Ciao t1 http://justsoar.com/contactus.php |
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