Tourney: WHBPC 2011: Seattle 08-11.09.2011

I say bathing, not bitching like a baywatch actor outside of the water...

@ snoops.

This year gonna be like past. We are talking about for 2012.

The UK Champs decides our euro spots? Is this not the case this year? Tried and tested formula no? makes perfect sense? am I missing something?

UK champs decide world spots. London qualifier decided euros.

I think it's strange that people want it out of the city into the country, but out of the country into a larger geographic region becomes too far.

UK champs decide world spots. London qualifier decided euros.

I think it's strange that people want it out of the city into the country, but out of the country into a larger geographic region becomes too far.

i like playing the other european teams. I'd prefer nationals then beyond that some kind of euro comp. City is outdated.

city is ridiculous as all the cities in the uk could start playing and then what do you do? national is just how things have been done, I am totally cool with national qualification, I think that's how it should be. I understand Kevs worries but I dont think that negates(?) the idea of standings from uk champs leading to euro qualification.

I have no idea what you're saying there, Gorms.

I agree city it not ideal. Seems to me open qualification tournaments are a better way of doing it though. It's unfortunate monetarily, but they're not a requirement for entry if there are wildcard spots. Just seems like the "fairest" way (not in a hippy way, Pique - in a "best teams make it" sort of way).

city is ridiculous as all the cities in the uk could start playing and then what do you do? national is just how things have been done, I am totally cool with national qualification, I think that's how it should be. I understand Kevs worries but I dont think that negates(?) the idea of standings from uk champs leading to euro qualification.

It requires an arbitrary number of spots to be assigned to a country. As of now, I don't think anyone plays in Norway. A team can decide they're now the Norwegian team and get automatic entry just as you worry about cities in the UK. It's not as much of a problem, but it's the same problem.

We could keep using the geography thing, but as it's already been pointed out it's far from perfect:

• No actual representation of nationality/origin.
  
• No way of continuing the international polo teams mix-up.
  
• Guarantees (or completely ignores) growing polo scenes/countries.
  
• Inconsistency from country to country of qualification process/format/rules.
  
• Excludes the "bad" teams from competing against a more varied (in skill and location) variety of teams.
  
• Forces each country to organise their own smaller qualification tournaments with less support from other scenes/polo players.
  
• Encourages the same teams from each country to become the default "star" teams (my opinion, based on the fact we all get predictable when we play each other more and more).
  
• Arbitrary/unfair allocation of spots to countries.
  
• Relies on countries to be organised with good planning so they can "submit" their winning teams in time.
  
• Makes polo seem like a smaller deal that it is in Europe... especially in emerging/growing scenes.
  

The best teams in the country should always qualify.

The best teams in the country should always qualify.

Didnt happen this year for the euros

If Cosmic had a terrible day and missed out getting through,
I would be upset knowing 3-4 teams in another city had been battling out with less competition to have a better chance to qualify.

I know it's a tough one to decide.

so which is your preferred qualification method?

UK Championship decides best teams.

forget about national champs... "the best in Europa should always qualify"

whatever country they are

UK Euros Qualification Tourney
UK Worlds Qualification Tourney.

Ok well it could be

UK "Euros" Tourney

Best Teams from Euros go to Worlds.

Snoops, Imagine that the first tourney is in the 'Dam, Cosmic make it in the second place, you done, you have your ticket for the Worlds, you dont need to travel any more

With first place going to Dutch Cosmic? I like this plan.

I'm still in favour of UK champs deciding Euros spots, and final Euro rankings deciding Worlds places. If it becomes standard (and I think it should) for major tourneys to always have a prelim or qualifying tournament, then any 3 players - irrespective of city, country, whatever - who didn't make it through their nationals can still travel to said big tourney and have their shot at qualification.

after talking in the pub last night, i think that flying in to Vancouver and out of Vancouver is the best idea.

In september around the time of the EV Crown, i looked into flights and they were £300 return to Vancouver.

We could go down to Seattle, down to portland and back to Vancouver. (They were talking on their listserv about doing the East Van Crown the weekend after worlds)

I just checked flights for september 2011 and found flights for £470 return direct flight

after talking in the pub last night, i think that flying in to Vancouver and out of Vancouver is the best idea.

In september around the time of the EV Crown, i looked into flights and they were £300 return to Vancouver.

We could go down to Seattle, down to portland and back to Vancouver. (They were talking on their listserv about doing the East Van Crown the weekend after worlds)

I just checked flights for september 2011 and found flights for £470 return direct flight

Depending on how you decide to travel once over there, I was looking into Amtrak between Portland, Vancouver and Seattle for May time for another holiday and that was fairly cheap. I think it was around £100andsomething to go Vancouver > Seattle > Portland. That didn't include a bike but if it's zipped up in a bag then that doesn't matter anyway.

Yeah the Amtrak is pretty cool, you don't need to bag your bike you just put it in the luggage carriage. It's a really nice train too, but I'd rather road trip it!

after talking in the pub last night, i think that flying in to Vancouver and out of Vancouver is the best idea.

In september around the time of the EV Crown, i looked into flights and they were £300 return to Vancouver.

We could go down to Seattle, down to portland and back to Vancouver. (They were talking on their listserv about doing the East Van Crown the weekend after worlds)

I just checked flights for september 2011 and found flights for £470 return direct flight

I'm doing this! How long for do u think max is this a three weeker or can it be squeezed into two?

I'm gonna try and squeeze it into two

at least just over? three weekends; three tournaments.

I'm coming...