06 Open Nats Gossip Thread...

[Steve Moneypenny]

Congrats to all the winners. And thanks to Tom Fee who put millions into building an awesome facility!!!! More men like this are what USPSA needs. A top knotch facility makes everything much more appealing to TV and spectators. hummm Maybe some camera towers.

Regarding mike Voit's gun incident ... everyone who saw the hole on that stage after squad 23 shot it... yes you CAN shove your gun right through that screen!

I hated the steel, it really made the match demoralizing for me and a bunch of other minor shooters. and undoubtedly skewed the results below top 16 in ways that had nothing to do with shooter ability at all. I'm sure the USSA crew will get them fixed and opperational. But I won't be buying anything from action target what attrocious R&D.

I can't wait to find more good eating places in Tulsa. I'll be creating a thread or posting in one that has been created. And also adding to my website. a Shooters guide to Tulsa. First thing in the guide is don't stay in the Laquinta on 169.... unless you want to lose your truck!!!

This was the best time i had at a match in a Long time.. thanks everyone! Great to meet you all.

[XRe]

So my question is if you didn't finish in top 16 but finished first in say "B" or "C" (140th overall), etc. you don't get to visit the table until there is nothing left?

No, you visit the prize table before 17th place if you finished first in your class (first B was 70th for the Open match).

[SmittyFL]

Great match, great time.

Stages were the best of any Nat's I've been to. As has been mentioned the range is just amazing. It's better than any other range I've seen now, I can't imagine what it's going to look like when they get done. Can't wait to get back there.

Thanks to USSA and USPSA for making it happen.

[carinab]

First thing in the guide is don't stay in the Laquinta on 169.... unless you want to lose your truck!!!

Lose it, like can't find it in the parking lot....or lose it, like stolen complete with police report?

[XRe]

or lose it, like stolen complete with police report?

This would be the one.... David Long from Precision Bullet had his truck (complete w/ $5K worth of tools) stolen one night during the match... Ken Hicks had to help him get his trailer full of bullets home...

[GeneralChang]

I took the wife and kids and she found lots of stuff to do. Aquariums and zoos come to mind. The match hotel was nice except for all the trash and food we found underneath the bed on our first night. It was odd to see my one year old playing by the bed and one second later almost putting an old lollipop in his mouth that he found underneath the bed. On awards night there was a west coast swing group dancing and I observed a few shooters joining the party.

[Jack Suber]

From what I hear about the range, wouldn't it be REALLY cool if we could get a World Shoot and say, a PanAm there? Perhaps I can make it there next year. I am looking forward to seeing the facilities first hand.

[shred]

To get a WS, they've pretty much got to host a big IPSC match first-- like maybe a Pan Am, or North American championships. That also would be cool.

[Rob Boudrie]

To get a WS, they've pretty much got to host a big IPSC match first-- like maybe a Pan Am, or North American championships. That also would be cool.

I am not aware of any such requirement.

[Jake Di Vita]

I don't know if it is a written rule or not, but that is how it has been for the past couple of world shoots...including the one coming up.

[Chuck Anderson]

Requirement or not, I would imagine that the RD's of IPSC would like to see what the range could do with an IPSC match or a larger regional or National match. I'm looking forward to seeing what's gonna happen next year at USSA. I'm sure they'll be able to fulfill any requirements that IPSC would have to hold a World Shoot there.

[BDH]

There was McNeals (Not sure of the correct spelling) POUblic house about 3 blocks over and down. Good food and a 4 page beer list. I am shure there were a couple others, but we didn't find them.

I think you meant McNellie's. In addition, there was a Mexican place, Caz's Chop House, and a Spaghetti place about three blocks North of the match hotel (other side of the train tracks). Not super convenient, but not a bad walk either...

Regarding mike Voit's gun incident ... everyone who saw the hole on that stage after squad 23 shot it... yes you CAN shove your gun right through that screen!

And YOU would know!!!

[Jim Norman]

OK, So the requirement is to hold a Nationals.

Excuse please, but didn't we just do that last week?

By next year they will have enough ranges to hold the match twice at the same time and still have open pits for training.

This place is awesome! If IPSC can't see it and doesnt want to come here, then they deserve nothing from the US.

Steve, The only prop from Action that was bad was the release on teh FFPs. Their other targets were flawless. I would use them any time. I don't like FFPs on any level, but if they redesign them with a drop hook and use some sort of bumper to absorb the force of the falling popper rather than letting them hit the frame and knock themselves out of kilter, I would even consider them.

As to the Match Hotel, I will likely not stay there next year. If for no other reason than I don't like being one block off the train tarcks and listening to whistles blow all night. Room could have been cleaner and for the price, i am sure that the Hoiday Inn Express or a Marriot Suites would be a better choice. Keep in mind, not only did we pay for the room, we paid for parking and an inflated breakfast cost.

There have to be dozens of other hotels to stay at that have local eateries and attractions.

Will I go back to Tulsa? In a heartbeat. Sadly I have to get back to NJ time, no more Tulsa time. The people at all levels were great and we felt welcome no matter where we went.

Jim

[Ramas]

I envy you guys, looks like you have fantastic match. Big cheers for Chris and TGO!!!

[BritinUSA]

I think the criteria for a World Shoot is at least 30 bays (preferably 35), plenty of local hotel space, close to international airports.

I stayed at the match hotel and got the car parking for free, I quoted the USSA code for the match and got the complimentary parking.

The trains drove me nuts !

[Jim Norman]

There was McNeals (Not sure of the correct spelling) POUblic house about 3 blocks over and down. Good food and a 4 page beer list. I am shure there were a couple others, but we didn't find them.

I think you meant McNellie's. In addition, there was a Mexican place, Caz's Chop House, and a Spaghetti place about three blocks North of the match hotel (other side of the train tracks). Not super convenient, but not a bad walk either...

Corrected spelling noted. Keep in mind I did remark that they have a 4 page beer menu!

We found a really good, albeit upscale Italian place down on Peoria and a couple other palces out that way. The spagetti place we heard wasn't up to NY/NJ Italian, could be wrong.

Depending upon the schedule next year, I may bring family. Has to be summer, my daughter hates missing school. (Thinks summer recess is a waste of her time)

Jim

[bgary]

Room could have been cleaner and for the price, i am sure that the Hoiday Inn Express or a Marriot Suites would be a better choice

+1

When I first checked in, I actually went back down and asked for a different room, because the one they gave me was not-all-that-clean and sorta run-down (dripping faucet, peeling wallpaper, water stains on ceiling, grubby carpets, etc). Turned out the second room was just the same, so I gave up... they are *definitely* not up to the usual "crowne plaza" standards. I noticed that the property was, until recently, called the "Adams" hotel, so I wonder if CP recently acquired it and hasn't yet renovated it?

Bruce (I spend *way* too much time in hotels...)

[Sgtsvi]

I had a great time meeting a bunch of you guys and ladies finally. Saturday night was CRAZY in the upstairs portion of the Irish bar. I got to meet Flex, Steve Moneypenny, Shootergirrl, Steve Anderson, and a bunch of others that are too numerous to list. I also got to squad with Flying40. He is a hell of a shooter and helpful to a fairly new open shooter like myself. You all made my first Nationals an experience I won't soon forget. I will glue my comp back on my gun and try again next year.

[XRe]

FWIW, the room Bryan_W and I stayed in was nice enough - and the pricing in line w/ a downtown hotel. There *was* an old stain on the carpet in between the beds - we were debating whether it was barf or brain matter, but...

The one that got me was the waitstaff in the restraunt... heh heh... One of the ladies in there whined and moaned about how the ROs came down, ate, and left their coupons, and no tip. Then, she proceeded to screw up in just about every way imaginable, and all we could think was "And you're surprised you're not getting tips???"

I will glue my comp back on my gun and try again next year.

????

BTW - anyone know what happened to Brandon Strayer's open gun? Noticed he was shooting a Sighttracker later in the match... ??

[Sgtsvi]

I will glue my comp back on my gun and try again next year.

????

I had some issues with my comp that are being taken care of as we speak.

BTW - anyone know what happened to Brandon Strayer's open gun? Noticed he was shooting a Sighttracker later in the match... ??

Brandon didnt have enough trigger time or practice with an open gun so he shot the match with a gun he was comfortable with. He has a whole year to get ready for the next one.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Sgtsvi

[BDH]

Corrected spelling noted. Keep in mind I did remark that they have a 4 page beer menu!

And I never made it off page one!

I had a great time meeting a bunch of you guys and ladies finally. Saturday night was CRAZY in the upstairs portion of the Irish bar. I got to meet Flex, Steve Moneypenny, Shootergirrl, Steve Anderson, and a bunch of others that are too numerous to list.

I probably split too early. Deb and I were pretty whipped from the match, ate dinner there, and were getting ready to split when Chris Tilley and others started coming in. I was tempted to head upstairs, but instead headed back to the hotel. Ran into Jake D, and Henning on the way back, who were also headed there. Oh well, at least no hangover! Is McNellie's the 'official bar' of the Tulsa Nationals???

The one that got me was the waitstaff in the restraunt... heh heh... One of the ladies in there whined and moaned about how the ROs came down, ate, and left their coupons, and no tip. Then, she proceeded to screw up in just about every way imaginable, and all we could think was "And you're surprised you're not getting tips???"

That's actually too bad. We (Deb and I) tipped them every morning, and from most of those sitting around us, I think they did too. Maybe the tips just weren't big enough? Then again, all they really did was bring us a coffee or water...

[shred]

To get a WS, they've pretty much got to host a big IPSC match first-- like maybe a Pan Am, or North American championships. That also would be cool.

I am not aware of any such requirement.

Hence the "pretty much". If you want a room full of IPSC delegates to vote to put their once-every-3-years eggs in your basket, they'll want to see that you have all your ducks in a row, and the best way to do that is a 24-stage continental championship first. I don't know for sure about South Africa, but Bali, Ecuador and Brazil all put on a continental championship matches before they got the WS vote. I wouldn't be surprised to see a bid from Europe either-- the Czechs put on the European Championships a couple years ago and were thinking about a WS try, which would sort of fit the unofficial Europe/Africa->Americas->Asia rotatation they've been on.

A US Nationals is a good start, but not all they'll want, since there were somewhat less than a dozen international competitors this time around. I'm all for a Pan Am there in the next couple years anyway. It's been a while and would be cool.

[XRe]

Brandon didnt have enough trigger time or practice with an open gun so he shot the match with a gun he was comfortable with. He has a whole year to get ready for the next one.

That would make sense... that dot takes some getting used to...

That's actually too bad. We (Deb and I) tipped them every morning, and from most of those sitting around us, I think they did too. Maybe the tips just weren't big enough? Then again, all they really did was bring us a coffee or water...

I had the same thought...

[TRNinTX]

I think the criteria for a World Shoot is at least 30 bays (preferably 35), plenty of local hotel space, close to international airports.

The requirement is for 35 stages not bays. At WS XIV there were at least one bay each day that had two stages in it. With the large bays in the back, eight AP bays, three rifle ranges, shoot houses and the 360 bay, there should be no problem fitting 35-36 stages at USSA.

[BritinUSA]

Hence the "pretty much". If you want a room full of IPSC delegates to vote to put their once-every-3-years eggs in your basket, they'll want to see that you have all your ducks in a row, and the best way to do that is a 24-round continental championship first.

Purely for information;

The Africa World Shoot was at a totally new range, they built it specifically for that match. UK held the '93 WS at Bisley, also their first big match.

Previous experience is not a criteria for the WS selection. Any country can put in a bid, they then make a presentation at the General Assembly at the current World Shoot and then the members vote on it.

The winner then has three years to organise a competition for 1000 competitors, 35+ stages, about 700+ rounds per person, opening ceremonies, closing ceremonies, trophies, targets, custom forms etc.

It is a major undertaking but at the end of the day, no prior experience is required.

There are 20 bays complete at USSA and another bunch being built as we speak, we could hear the machinery all through the match. Once those are completed then USSA will not need to 'double-up' stages on a single bay.

I think USSA is the only place that could host a WS in USA in the near future. Barry might be able to but it would be a squeeze.

In my opinion the 2008 WS will not go ahead in Bali, I just have a very bad feeling about that place. If the situation gets worse then they may need to find another venue.