Bib for Life

[Silver C1er]

I was thinking about a way to have a 'Bib for Life', or at least a 'Bib number for life'; not quite got all the answers yet but if it were possible it would save a lot of to-ing and fro-ing and cost and admin.

Perhaps something like:

Category - by colour: Pink = K1M, Yellow = K1W, Green = C1M, Blue = C2, Red = C1W, White = Team...etc
As for numbers: two letter (your initials then serial numbers)- hence FB1 (Fred Bloggs), FB2 (Frank Brown), FB3 (Fritz Button)
I can see that certain pairs of initial may be more prevalent than others but not insurmountable I guess.

If I make any progress I'll post it... don't hold your breath though... unless a Div 2 C1M!


PS Merry Christmas - Anyone paddling on Christmas Day - training starts now!

[alldaypaddler]

I don't have any good solutions but I'm just appreciating your choice of names (fritz button!)

[Silver C1er]

Many thanks for the feedback. Fritz and I were at school together in the 70's, rubbish paddler really!

[Dee]

This has been discussed before and sounds good but the advantages to having paddlers wearing bibs related to their start list number outweigh disadvantage of bibs going backwards and forwards.

Eg paddlers being able to see at a glance where in start list is reached and how long to their run.

Starters knowing who of those on the water are due to set off next

Timing being able to find cards (particularly when paddler is out of sequence)

Also bib for life probably means everyone needing a prem style bib, but these are more expensive and less hard wearing, so every time some one gets promoted to div 3 we will be charging them for the privilege of remaining in the sport. This might just reduce retention figures further

Perhaps we could find an alternative way of distributing a collecting bibs at start and end of season. Eg Nick will often be in attendance at the last couple of div 1 races and will collect bibs. Perhaps we could extend this method using local bib officer representatives or something.

[BaldockBabe]

It seems a lot of thought going into something that is trying to "resolve" a pretty non-existent problem if you ask me.

In the scale of things is posting a bib twice a year really that difficult?

[Nick Penfold]

I sit on riverbanks judging rather a lot and the idea of writing down random letter-and-number combinations...no thanks.

[321go]

Echoing Nick, as a starter it is often difficult enough seeing what the bib numbers are on the water when just running down numbers. To have to look at random letters & numbers.....no thanks.

The idea, though, of groups of bibs being collected in at the end of season works and could work in reverse - but would need a bit of co-ordination within individual clubs. Each club / friendship group could have a co-ordinator who gets the bib applications / copy BCU card / bib vouchers (and contribution for postage if necessary) and then sends off to the relevant bib officer (or arranges to meet them). Would this make life easier for bib officers ?