It's a shame really, because I rather enjoyed the Bondi to Bronte swim, but I've decided to boycott all swims that contract IMG in preference to oceanswims.com for their on-line entries.
You've put your (rather considerable) guts into promoting ocean swims and it's a true passion for you. You're at as many swims as you can physically get to, you write lengthy (some would say rambling but I'd never say that) reports, take great pictures and you are a genuine and long-term enthusiastic advocate for the sport of ocean swimming.
I wouldn't have become as involved in the sport as I am without your website and your enthusiasm and I'm sure that's true for many other swimmers. In fact I truly believe that your website has at least doubled the number of participants in the sport in Sydney, probably elsewhere as well.
Competition is supposed to be good but I don't want some johnny come lately corporate entity "dominating" the sport of ocean swimming and squeezing out genuine people like you who've given so much to the sport.
And I call on all other lovers of ocean swimming to follow my example. Swim organisers, chooce whoever you want to use to promote tyour events - but don't expect me and other oceanswims.com fans to turn up if you screw with the web site and the person that made it all happen in the first place.
People power (or swimmer power) rules, ok!
Steve Hall
You've put your (rather considerable) guts into promoting ocean swims and it's a true passion for you. You're at as many swims as you can physically get to, you write lengthy (some would say rambling but I'd never say that) reports, take great pictures and you are a genuine and long-term enthusiastic advocate for the sport of ocean swimming.
I wouldn't have become as involved in the sport as I am without your website and your enthusiasm and I'm sure that's true for many other swimmers. In fact I truly believe that your website has at least doubled the number of participants in the sport in Sydney, probably elsewhere as well.
Competition is supposed to be good but I don't want some johnny come lately corporate entity "dominating" the sport of ocean swimming and squeezing out genuine people like you who've given so much to the sport.
And I call on all other lovers of ocean swimming to follow my example. Swim organisers, chooce whoever you want to use to promote tyour events - but don't expect me and other oceanswims.com fans to turn up if you screw with the web site and the person that made it all happen in the first place.
People power (or swimmer power) rules, ok!
Steve Hall
Well said Steve, I too acknowledge Paul's contribution to raising the profile of ocean swimming over the years, I acknowledge a vested interest with the calendar, but I'm sticking with the community of oceanswims.com
ReplyDeleteKind Regards, David Helsham
Damn blowins. I'm sticking with Ellers, too. And what Glistening Dave said. "Respect". @getmysurfboard (aka Greg Smith, aka @prlab, aka mr_bondi, etc).
ReplyDeleteI'm a supporter of Mr Os.C and his passion for the sport. However I do think a bit of competition is a good thing and talk of boycotting other swims which don't use his system strikes me as a bit silly. The Bondi to Bronte is a well organised swim and benefits the local surf clubs. Mr Os.C shouldn't ignore them, but view them as potential customers next year and try his best to win them over. Or if he doesn't care, he doesn't care, which is fine, and then neither should we.
ReplyDeleteA boycott of the events not run by swimmers (a la Fairfax and it's cut and paste from the City to Surf in the Cole) - now that's a different proposition all together.
I wholly agree with Tommo! Like many of us, I owe my enjoyment of the sport to Os. C and his relentless and passionate promotion. But to boycott a swim just because someone else has a different entry system is senseless and hints of tribalism. There are many regional swims that have different on-line entry choices and to boycott them, denies regional communities funding. By boycotting a swim event that has a very reasonable price tag, such as B2B, that also promotes the sport, and raises money for a good cause is deconstructive. You are actually showing your support by participation. What do achieve by boycotting? You miss out!!
ReplyDeleteHaving had much to do with IMG in the past, I agree. Oceanswims.com have helped to raise the profile and provided us all with a great service. Let's stand by them. IMG will only raise the prices in order to gain financial benefit from what they see as a vulnerable and growing market.
ReplyDeleteWe had a saying. IMG = It Means Grief.
Hi, I'm not asking anyone to join me, but I question what, if anything, IMG is going to bring to the swim and why the surf club would ignore the person who has helped them and the swimming community so much in the past.
ReplyDeleteYou say competition is good. I say bullshit. If we were talking about banks or phone companies I'd agree but what will competition do for oceanswims? Encourage Paul to go to more swims, write better reports, give better service? I don't think so.
All competition would do is reduce his revenue and possibly give some swim organisers a slightly better rate per swimmer while still feeding off the publicity oc.s provides.
If IMG put together a great site like this one, write reports on all the swims, whether theirs or someone elses and invest the time and effort that Paul has then good on them and I'll support them.
I'll also vote for the local Martian party candidate, see the NSW government ban developers and watch a Channel 9 program go to air on schedule without ads.
W-hoo! Don't ya love teh interwebz? Can't seem have a grown-up discussion without resorting to sarcasm and Martians.
ReplyDeleteSteve, I think you're confusing what we get from Oceanswims.com as swimmers with what swim organisers get.
Paul offers a service to swim organisers by running their online entries and publicising their swim, for which he is paid. That's where the competition comes in. If someone thinks that they can offer that service to swims better than he can then good for them. They've obviously convinced some organisers like the B2B that they can offer a better service than Paul can, rightly or wrongly. This side of OS.C is a business, just like those banks or phone companies you mention, and the swim organisers, not us the swimmers, are its customers.
If they don't use OS.C's entry system, then they don't get a link on the calendar page. Seems fair enough to me. But as a swimmer, rather than a swim organiser, I'm still going to swim in it, enjoy it, and support the sport.