BagStitching World Championships-2007

[Mr.Brocka]

hey people i thought about this:
why dont stitchers have their own underground competition on worlds..
i mean we pretty much hold the sport "on our fingers" aint that right?
and we deserve zero props on the tournament..
i ve never heard any speaker telling what bag is each player using while his or hers introduction before routine..
i also came up with an idea of setting a world record for fastest made 32 pannel before last worlds..
so we all know that the number of stitchers in the US and canada is way higher than europe and i expect lots of them comming to worlds..

my suggestions are
make up some disciplines

1.one of them could be - coloures,filler and thread set /maybe templates too/
2.another one freestyle in all categs
3.fastest made bag
4.stitching marathon....that one is gonna get SICK
5.freestyle stitching/templates techniques../ so the bag is not playable but looks nice /art/

the jury should be set from half stitchers and half players /on playable bags/
-my suggestion is that the bags would be marked by a numbers only so the jury dont know who made which bag..
-some categs the bag would be made on the site on some others u bring in your best peace..

i think many people spent lots of hours keeping the stitching edge high
so we all deserve something like this..
let me know people...

with all the respect u deserve
Peter BroÄ

[mosher]

I agree that stitchers deserve more attention than they get, however I think it is very hard to have a competition among them. Stitchers make bags that they feel are ideal, that often means that some people won't like them solely based on their preferences.

Also, some of the best stitchers are also some of the brutally slowest.

I know, for example, that I place zero importance on stitching quickly. My bags take forever and I am fine with that.

Heh, I bet the footfighter guys would kick ass in the speed rounds.

Anyways, props for thinking creatively. I didn't mean for this post to sound discouraging.

[smokefree]

The competition thing would be really hard. I think in the intro someone should ask what bag the shredder is using. In fact im a little shocked they don't give credit to themselves or the bags stitcher before going on.

[david]

Bags just don't matter that much. There is no need to give credit to a stitcher before you do a routine with his bag. You could've just bought one like it from some other kid.

I play with certain bags because I have the option, but if I had to play with stuff I don't like I could adapt. It's like playing in my quantums, I can if I have to.

I think devoting a world competition to something that is just arts and crafts is a bit silly, and your time should be spent on playing footbag, not making them.

[Wasabi]

I doubt I'll need to compete in stitching to express my indepth knowledge in bag schematics. It's definitely more of an arts & crafts thing. I'm already glad if players enjoy buying a bag from me and playing with them, than being remarked as a badass stitcher. I already know I am.

And yeah, I'm incredibly slow in my stitching, but I don't think I'm the type of person who spends an hour on one pent flower. That's my dealio, I guess.

[PegLegHolly]

so we could all dress up as grannies and sit in a stitching circle...?
...i dunno.

everyone likes different types of bags. sometimes i like to shred with big bags... and sometimes i like to shred with smaller bags. if all bags were made the same way by everyone, then there might be a way to judge it... but every stitcher's bag is done differently so i dont think it would work.

not for me.

[beenjammin]

Maybe you should label it as a marathon or something rather than a competition? That way everyone could just have fun and see/play with sweet bags. Who doesnt want to watch some of their favorite stitchers in action? That would be so bad ass to order a bag and watch it get stitched!

[brinard]

im down for a stitch off. im not going to race, or try to finish first. its just when i finish, im finished.

or atleast a worlds stitching circle. that may be easier.

but id like to see some out of towners stitching procedures.

but id enter a bag into a gallery type exhibit... thingy.. thats probably how your bag olympics could be judged, or atleast viewed. like on a table, with each bag labeled or something.

like each stitcher could finish one bag at worlds, or have a new not broken in, just finished type bag, and everyone could touch or atleast see all these new bags.

eh. maybe im just rambling.

[beenjammin]

I would like to touch and feel beauiful bags! Maybe bags could be auctioned off for money that somehow goes to promote footbag, or the maker of the bag. maybe Im rambling too.

[funklovesfootbag]

I think a race is the only objective way to have a competition like that because of what Mosher said, "some people won't like them solely based on their preferences."

But if you race it probably won't be as nice of a bag. Meh.

[Atom]

I like the idea of a competition at worlds that is about footbags. I've never been to one (shame on me for not making it to Montreal) but i hear that alot of footbags get traded and sold there, soo obviously that would be the best time to do one. but i think that the only people that should judges would have to be stitchers that are held in high regards for their stitching. and the comp could be just like worlds...different catagories of comps. (routine, shred 30 and so on) for example one for the tiniest 32 panel footbag that is still visually identical to a properly stitched regular 32. or one for the craziest pattern of shapes or colours. and it would be cool to have a footbag election/vote, and like Brocka said number bags so the stitchers aren't associated with the bag and everyone can vote on which they would pick out of the group. and winner takes all(bags) as a prize??

just to say it short and sweet...I think that a Footbag stitching contest would be awsome. and a stiching circle with a bunch of popular stichers would be even better.

[beenjammin]

I think everyone should have a say, but maybe the stitchers held in high regards have more say. Maybe ppl could set up their bags on tables, people feel them, fill out a ballet where they judge the bag from one to ten in different categoried to find out the best all around bag.

[sen]

I'm not sure it should be a competition, but I it would be cool to have a stitching circle with all the stitchers that came just sit around and stitch together, share their thoughts on what makes a great bag and stuff. Just talking about stitching. And then just kinda throw the bags out into a room so that shredders can test them.

You could do the numbering thing, but not make it a competition. More of an unbiased way of trying out different bags. Each stitcher makes a bag, then players use them all. They can make a brief note on what they thought of them (using the number assinged to the bag) and at the end decide which one(s) they liked best. After that they could be told who made what bag. It'd be a way to try new bags without a biased thought about the stitcher going in. It could also be a good way for new players to have their bags noticed and played by good players.

Just some thoughts.

[HG]

Dont get me wrong here, i LOVE stitchers because it makes it so i dont have to go through the pain it takes to make a bag.


But like... would you guys honestly wanna take time out of your stay at worlds to sit down for three hours and quietly stitch a bag? Maybe my view would be different if i could make a footbag that is even kickable, but who knows.

[james_dean]

Of course they would, the ones that love stitching, anyway.

Tony, that's an awesome idea! I too agree that bag preferences vary too much to have a competition.

[Mr.Brocka]

2mosher: man stop talking shit,u know u are one of the best out there.. i wrote that u could bring one already made.. do all the freestyle playaz compete in shred 30? got it?
2david:i just hope u are kidding man.. i am not about to waist a word on your so called ideas on the art
2wasabi: one poimt is respect from player another one is respect from stitcher cos he sees much more in the bag than just a cool thing to shred with..he sees work and art/craft not only fucking colour combo..
2peg:what the hell? u had a bad day before writing this? what do grannies have with bagstitching??stitching circles are only one possibillity..
the performance is one of the categs.. i wrote that there could be one about evenness and perfection or style only,without concerning the playabbillity..
it would work every player plays in differrent style, so does we.. u judge the technique..
2blurryben: yes sir! it does not have to be absolutely strict.. i want to have fun while stitching and partying with my fellow stitcherfriends..
2brinard: i agree
funklovesfootag: in shred lots of moves end up being The.. but if you re a pro they wount.. the same here...
atomicfootborgasm: thats what i said i guess.. except the bagstaken..
sen: i would love that to happen just let people know who we are what we do and that we invest our energy into the sport..
HG: who wants to be quiet??? we wanna have fun doing it..
at least we have to set one night for the first annbual STITCHERS PARTY

thanks people for your thoughts..

respect
Peter BroÄ

[HooD]

Fastest made bag, I wouldn't mind. I have great respect to stitchers and I love purchasing new hand stitched bags. Every event I go to I always talk to stitchers and such, but I think having events dedicated to them isn't needed. If you want stitching competitions and stuff, I'm sure they're out there. Go to craft conventions or something else. When you hear people in events they say the name of the competitor and where they're from, nuff said. If that person wins and they get a little mic time, sure they can shout out to a stitcher or something.

I'd compare it to most other sport. You never hear someone calling out the competitor and then they tell them what equipment they're using. "So and so is using handcrafted Tokobi Ayashuri ice skates and grandma miller stitched socks." "Kobe is just dunked with his favorite Nike V1.2 basketball stitched by some underage malaysian kid" To any passerby, who the hell is Lonn Irish, Carol Wedemeyer, Ilka Mitrafanov, etc ? Anyways, stitch away, sell your bags, but Worlds is for playing. Sorry if I'm harsh, just tellin it how I sees it.

[mosher]

Hey Peter,

Sorry if I started a trend of negativity, I had hoped more people would disagree with me.

Props for coming up with some cool new ideas.

And to Henry/Hood/anyone else that thinks footbag events are just for playing, stitching at an event is VERY COMMON and you will find clumps of stitchers hard at work at events all around the world. You never noticed because you don't give a shit about stitching. And you don't have to plunk down and miss 3 hours of fun, you can stab a bit here and there throughout the event during downtimes.

Anyways, lets have some stitching circles at worlds, it'll be sweet.

[HooD]

stitching at an event is VERY COMMON and you will find clumps of stitchers hard at work at events all around the world. You never noticed because you don't give a shit about stitching.

I've been to plenty of events and yes I notice people stitching. Like I said before, I'm fond of it all and I like sitting down and talking to stitchers. Assuming Hen and I don't give a shit is well, just a poor assumption. I've stitched, I suck at it, and so I've always bought mine. I look forward to getting new bags at events and seeing what stitchers have to offer. It's a social gathering to give a little income to one person for a service they've done. Stitchers are far from unappreciated. They have their place in footbag to where everyone can't wait to talk to them and try to get their hands on the bags before they're sold out. I just don't see a competition as something interesting for the footbaggers and spectators, to what little we have.

[david]

Mr. Brocka, please don't end your posts in "respect" when you obviously have none for half the people you mentioned. I gave you my view and it obviously doesn't correlate with yours, but that in no way makes it a "waste".