2007-2008 USFA Dates, Event Locations & Deadlines

[Fencing Mom]

I think I've posted this info on three separate threads. A tournament is not necessarily in a city because a city/division bid on it. The USFA picks locations on its own. The 2005 Pittsburgh NAC was a USFA pick. The division did not, nor any club, nor any organization bid for it. Reportedly, one of the reasons the USFA picked Pittsburgh was because it was easy to get to from the northeast, the southeast, and the eastern midwest.

[Beowulfman6]

I'd rather go to Alaska then Charlotte.

I agree. Charlotte is too damn hot- I hate the heat, and I'm seriously considering moving to Alaska to get away from it.

As an aside, that's partly what the recent USFA survey was about. In order to get convention centers, etc. interested in bidding for our events, they want to see what impact we bring to the local area. Ie, finding out that we fly in, spend all our money inside the venue with visiting fencing vendors, and then fly out, isn't what local business & political leaders want to hear...

John Farmer
Coach, Oak Ridge Fencers Club

I've alwayse thought that it would be a great idea to have national events in places that have a lot to do when you aren't fenicng. At summer nationals especialy, if you fence more than one weapon you may find you have several days to kill between events. This can be great for the host city, becouse these fencers will be hanging out and spending money. Obviously scenic places like Alaska and Hawaii are out of the quyestion becouse of their distance from everywhere else- but there are plenty of great destinations that could offer the fencer the ability to have a vacation and a fencing tournament as well. This strategy would encourage more people to spend the time and money to go.

I'm all for having NAC's in Charlotte, becuse thats where I'm from, but when you realy get right down to it there isn't much to do in Charlotte exept watch NASCAR, and I've come to revile that farce of a sport.

[Dee EffEll]

I think I've posted this info on three separate threads. A tournament is not necessarily in a city because a city/division bid on it. The USFA picks locations on its own. The 2005 Pittsburgh NAC was a USFA pick. The division did not, nor any club, nor any organization bid for it. Reportedly, one of the reasons the USFA picked Pittsburgh was because it was easy to get to from the northeast, the southeast, and the eastern midwest.

Did your report also disclose what the competing bids for other locations were, if any?

The over-riding consideration for placement of a national tournament is *convenience to the USFA.* There are many things that make up "convenience" and surely price is tops on the list, but thems that dos the work gets to make the choices....

Fairly, the USFA has gotten much better at producing national tournaments in recent years. They deserve some thanks.

[KD5MDK]

I agree. Charlotte is too damn hot- I hate the heat, and I'm seriously considering moving to Alaska to get away from it.

The terrible heat of February?

[Fencing Mom]

Did your report also disclose what the competing bids for other locations were, if any?

I have no idea what the other options for the USFA were. No one in the W. PA division even knew the USFA was looking at Pittsburgh until the schedule was announced. All I am saying is that the USFA obviously does some scouting of host locations on its own, since I don't think the Pittsburgh convention center sought out business from the USFA. Obviously cost is a factor, but based on info from the USFA on its selection of Pittsburgh a few years ago, the ability of fencers to travel to the location seems to be another factor.

What Pittsburgh, Hartford, and Sacramento seem to have in common is a location not too far from other big cities and a location in the middle of a geographically dense population of fencers. It was relatively easy for New Yorkers, New Englanders, and even New Jersey residents to get to Hartford by car. If fencers from the east coast were flying, flight time was probably an hour or so nonstop. The same could be said, more or less, of Pittsburgh and on the west coast, Sacramento. What is difficult is getting from one side of the country to a smaller city on the other side. That's when airline craziness takes over.

[arc]

That's great, sure, but 2007-2008 is the second year in a row that there's nothing on the East Coast above the Mason Dixon.

Meanwhile, Arizona gets events two years in a row.

Disparity?

The reason that two events are being held in Tucson is because the USFA is trying to commit to having two events at the same location in back-to-back years; hence the reason for going back to Richmond in December, and the reason for the two back-to-back November junior NAC's in Albuquerque, for example ...

[KD5MDK]

If only they'd picked somewhere with easier flight schedules...

[Inquartata]

Like Dallas-Ft.Worth?

Just grab Westley by the ankle and ask him to fly you to Tucson on his next acid trip.

[oso97]

Like Dallas-Ft.Worth?

Just grab Westley by the ankle and ask him to fly you to Tucson on his next acid trip.

*chuckle* actually, as someone who regularly flys out of DFW, I can say from personal experience that its pretty easy to get from there to just about anywhere in the US. There are some obvious holes though - like Tuscon. I was seriously considering not attending to referee because of the hideiousness of the schedules.

I've heard similar complaints from other people as well.

[teacup]

Someone is doing some serious work at USFA. The 2007-2008 schedule is out already! Not all locations are there but the year schedule is already done! I'm impressed! Someone needs a raise over there.

I think Christine Simmons does a fantastic job!!!

With that stated posting the calendar, although it is nice to know where a few of the venues will be next season, no one can make firm travel plans until the event days are posted and that information isn't up to Christine, it is up to the volunteers who run the tournament committee.

As for the dates, national events are always held on the same weekends and usually the same events. (NAC A, second weekend in October, NAC B around Veteran's Day, NAC C second weekend in December, NAC D Martin Luther King weekend, JO's President's Day weekend, with the NAC's in March and April maybe a little more flexible and Summer Nationals around the fourth of July.)

Wonder when the schedule for Summer Nationals will be posted?

[Inquartata]

*chuckle* actually, as someone who regularly flys out of DFW, I can say from personal experience that its pretty easy to get from there to just about anywhere in the US.

Have they finally repealed the Wright Amendment? The last time I tried to get to Arlington for an NAC my choices were (a) fly to somewhere else and stay overnight, paying about half again what a flight of that length should have cost, or (b) fly one of the privileged airlines, which charged---what a coincidence!---about half again as much as the discount airlines. The latter were prohibited from having direct flights into or out of that airport...

I ended up driving 18 hours each way instead. Could have used some of those special NASA diapers.

[Allen Evans]

I agree. Charlotte is too damn hot- I hate the heat, and I'm seriously considering moving to Alaska to get away from it.

My friend, I don't think you have any idea what you would be asking for.

Allen Evans
Ex resident: Fairbanks and Ester, AK

[oso97]

Have they finally repealed the Wright Amendment? The last time I tried to get to Arlington for an NAC my choices were (a) fly to somewhere else and stay overnight, paying about half again what a flight of that length should have cost, or (b) fly one of the privileged airlines, which charged---what a coincidence!---about half again as much as the discount airlines. The latter were prohibited from having direct flights into or out of that airport...

I ended up driving 18 hours each way instead. Could have used some of those special NASA diapers.

Umm... DFW my friend, not Love Field. The hub for American. Southwest services Love Field. I usually fly out of DFW and can get to pretty much where ever I want easily (Tuscon being a NOTABLE exception). And, I've found that the prices on American are competitive for the places I want to go, when I want to go, given enough advance planning. YMMV.

[oiuyt]

Umm... DFW my friend, not Love Field. The hub for American. Southwest services Love Field. I usually fly out of DFW and can get to pretty much where ever I want easily (Tuscon being a NOTABLE exception). And, I've found that the prices on American are competitive for the places I want to go, when I want to go, given enough advance planning. YMMV.

Competitive to what the other airlines charge flying out of DFW, or competitive with what airlines charge for similar flights that don't involve a protected competitive environment?

-B

[oso97]

Competitive to what the other airlines charge flying out of DFW, or competitive with what airlines charge for similar flights that don't involve a protected competitive environment?

-B

Both, actually. Depends upon the location you're heading of course. I'd hardly call DFW a protected competitive enviornment, though. At least, no more so than Chicago, Denver, Atlanta or one of the other big hubs. But we were discussing number and availability of flights, not cost. Cost is going to depend greatly on a lot of different factors - orignation, time of year, day of week, time of day, flexibility of schedule, willingness to spend time searching for flights... it goes on.

[Inquartata]

Well, sure, you guys don't care about cost, you don't have to pay your own fares. The rest of us, well---it matters.

At the time, it would have cost me more to fly from Phoenix to DFW and back than to fly to the east coast and back. Not what I'd call "competitive".

Round-trip fares to LA were about $60 at the time, and the best fare I could find for Arlington was in the mid-$300 range if I remember correctly. So the distance was three times farther, and the fare was more than five times greater...

[KD5MDK]

LA is on the East Coast? Amazing.

[Inquartata]

You may perhaps have noted the paragraph break.

Or not.