IWWF vs AWSA

[ral]

As @Horton requested.

 

@Horton , with my local IWWF membership, I can go to tournaments everywhere but in the USA. In USA, I need to be an USAWS member (and have the SafeSport certification...). IWWF relies mostly on AWSA boat certification for tournaments.

 

What rule changes or other impositions from the IWWF do you believe are being unfavorably forced into USA skiers?

[Horton]

Repost from SafeSport thread.

 

It is my understanding that most of the tournament skiing in the world happens in the United States. Most elite skiers regardless of national origin live in the Florida. This is not some nationalistic or jingoistic bias; it is the demographics of the sport. So why is it that USAWS inevitably follows most if not all IWWF rule changes.

 

The new age divisions for kids or new boat speeds for the older female divisions are good examples of USAWS going along with IWWF rule changes even though it might not be the best for USAWS skiers. It is my understanding that these USAWS rules were changed mostly to stay aligned with IWWF. The result is the largest number of skiers ( globally ) were forced to abide by rules that were not created with their best interests in mind.

 

If someone wants to go on rant and explain why I am wrong about this please create a new thread.

 

[Horton]

My underlying philosophical problem is that I think leadership should represent the majority of the public and the greatest common good. I suspect that at the top of IWWF things are bureaucratic and political. Rules are created and pushed to all national federations without enough consideration for the majority of the skiers.

 

To be fair I distrust all bureaucracies. The bigger, more centralized and more layered they are the more I distrust them.

[ral]

On the speed rules and age divisions, what would be the negative impact on USA waterskiers?

 

In the Senior Worlds, the USA women waterski has both the largest presence and almost all the podiums in slalom in the older female divisions. I do not see that changing.

 

What about the new age divisions for kids? What is the impact in Pan Am games/ Junior Worlds?

 

What else?

[ral]

@Horton , I would not disagree on your comments on politics. In sports, maybe there is even more of that than in other areas, as we can see in the IOC, FIFA and the like. Has been historically like that, and I am afraid it will still be.

 

I can tell you from first hand that things might be very political at the leadership level in the IWWF (as in all IOC federations...), but not that bureaucratic, believe it or not...

 

However, we need some way to organize when we have continental/world competitions.

[Horton]

@ral EXACTLY. The US has the largest percentage of those older division female athletes but I believe if you surveyed them you would find that the majority of them were unhappy with the most recent adjustment to slower speeds.

[Horton]

I would speculate that if you surveyed parents and those who have spent a lifetime in the sport that majority of them would not support so many junior divisions. Maybe those who attend the international events would support it but the average local skiers would not.

 

The problem with all these divisions is that there's not enough skiers to fill them out so the juniors do not have a competitive environment at tournaments. maybe at regionals and nationals there's plenty of kids but on a local level with so many divisions the kids are skiing alone.

[Horton]

oh I have to make a correction. USAWS did not in fact slow the boat speed or women's 4 but for those who wish to compete internationally they have to jump between boat speeds. Either way the international rule did not represent the majority of the competitors.

[ral]

@Horton , what do you mean on so many Junior divisions in IWWF?

[Horton]

maybe it's not international's fault but we added divisions to align with their structure. Boys & Girls 4&5 is the example.

 

[Horton]

@ral to be fair international has led the way on some subjects that I applaud such as the adoption of GPS boat path monitoring systems.

[ral]

@Horton I do not see much alignment in divisions.

 

IWWF: U10, U14, U17

 

Only one of the AWSA categories lines up (U17).

 

Far more categories in AWSA (U9. U11, U13, U15, U17). One every 2 years. Very “periodical”, and unrelated to IWWF’s.

 

Fail to see any imposition or infulence on these by IWWF.

 

[lpskier]

@horton If you are a 50 yo female skier that now has to ski 52k in 45+, you can ski 55k in 35+.