PWCA Format: a Concept Proposal for 2014 and Beyond

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The SuperFinal format has been voted by PWCA members until and including 2013 season. Run for 5 years it has followed many years of Tour format. A format has to be described and voted for 2014 and beyond during the next General Assembly of the PWCA members that will be held during the World Cup in Serbia, August 2013.

All proposals describing possible new formats are welcomed by PWCA Office. There is usually a dichotomy of opinions and proposals in between Tour and SuperFinal formats. Here is my proposal in which I tried to mix systems by taking the best pieces of both worlds.

A/ Description of the Proposed Format

A1/ Tour

Format

  • A yearly Tour based on 4 World Cup Events.
  • A yearly Tour is preferably but not necessarily built on:
    • 1 event in the Americas.
    • 1 event in Asia/Oceania.
    • 2 events in Europe/Africa.
  • A World Cup Event is run over a week and made of 6 tasks.

Classification

  • PWCA World Cup Event: adding points in all tasks flown in the event without discard.
  • PWCA World Cup Tour: using FTV (33%) on all tasks flown in the Tour.

Title

  • The winner of one event is a PWCA World Cup Event Winner.
  • The winner of a yearly Tour is the PWCA 20XX World Cup Winner.

A2/ SuperFinal

Format

  • A SuperFinal every second year.
  • A SuperFinal event is run over 2 weeks and made of 10 tasks. As an option to reduce time consumption, it could be reduced to 1 week and made of 6 tasks.
  • All Word Cup Events in between two SuperFinals are selective for the next SuperFinal. More precisely, given the 3 months notice for running the registration process of an event, it would be all World Cup Events in between 3 months before two SuperFinals. This makes an average of 9 competitions to qualify the best possible pilots (8 World Cup Events plus the latest SuperFinal).

Classification

  • Using FTV (25%) on all tasks flown in the competition, if run on 2 weeks and 10 tasks.
  • Or adding points in all tasks flown in the event without discard, if run on 1 week and 6 tasks.

Title

  • The winner of the SuperFinal is the PWCA 20XX World Champion.

B/ Analysis of the Proposed Format

B1/ Pros

International Competition Scene

  • The proposition conveys benefits from both Tour and SuperFinal formats.
  • The proposition is looking into the future without backwards thinking.
  • Convergence:
    • If an agreement is reached, which basically requires separating individual from nation FAI Worlds, PWCA SuperFinal and FAI World Championship could be merged to crown a unique World Champion.
    • If no agreement is reached, PWCA World Champion title will be created.

Competition Quality

  • The SuperFinal can be organized at any period of the year.
  • The SuperFinal can be organized in any place of the world.
  • The SuperFinal remains the best possible event in the paragliding competition scene.
  • The Tour format increases pilot quality of individual World Cup Events.
  • The last event of a Tour still attracts attention and interest because it qualifies pilots for the next SuperFinal.

Pilot Time Consumption

  • Regarding pilots’ time investment for PWCA competitions, on average this system relies on:
    • 2 or 3 weeks per year for pilots aiming at SuperFinal only.
    • 4 weeks per year for pilots interested in the Tour only.
    • Alternately 4 and 6 weeks per year for pilots playing for both Tour and SuperFinal.
  • Convergence compared to current situation:
    • If an agreement is reached, PWCA SuperFinal and FAI World Championship could be merged and 6 weeks are saved for pilots over 2 years.
    • If no agreement is reached, 4 weeks are saved for pilots over 2 years. In that case SuperFinal shall be held on even years, to complement FAI Worlds run on odd years.
  • Saving weeks allows developing other competitions, like participating in more numerous National Opens, pre-PWCs or Open Distance events.

B2/ Cons

International Competition Scene

  • Every year there are two winners: a World Cup Winner and a World Champion (FAI on odd years, PWCA on even years). This is not really different from the current situation.
  • Whilst easy to understand, the system may lead to confusion:
    • Because it takes a while to explain it.
    • Because convergence on the competition scene may not be reached.

PWCA P&L

  • A lower number of events could lead to less net margin for covering fixed costs of PWCA operations.
  • A SuperFinal run on 2 weeks is time consuming. A 1-week SuperFinal could be more compact, more convenient, generating equivalent margin whilst a little less high game.

C/ Conclusion

Feel free to react and distribute! I would be glad to answer or amend. And again, do not hesitate to draft your own proposals and send them to the PWCA Office.