Main Discussion Area > Bow of the Month Contest
Is BOM melting down?
PEARL DRUMS:
Making categories wont make better bowyers. If a fella wants to compete with the best you work your tail off until your work can compete with the best. If a guy is happy with his bows, that's all that matters. You cant fault a guy that pours his heart into every bow and makes them "perfect". Ive been around here a long time and have watched some guys excel from bent yard sticks to amazing works of art. In that same time frame Ive watched guys start with bent yard sticks and still make bent yard sticks to this day. I wont feel sorry for anybody that cant win BOM that is settled on mediocre work, to each their own. I didn't enter my first 50 bows, I knew better. I didn't ask for any special categories or judging, or ridicule those that can make gorgeous bows as elitists. I put my nose down, worked my ass off and got better at making bows! Motivation is easy to find, but its a lot harder to put to use.
mole:
I was sent the e-mail, so I'll throw in as well. I voted for the BOM contest loyally for a long time. I voted for what bow I liked most---it often wasn't the best bow from a technical stand point and it almost never was from one of the "leading horses". Not a single bow I voted for ever won. If every single time my chosen bow didn't win, my vote didn't matter. If my vote didn't matter it wasn't worth my time. APATHY. When I would receive the e-mail reminder, I would delete it without looking at it.
It seems to me that limiting candidates to subscription holders only can only hurt things when the contest is having trouble drawing enough interest in the first place. You need fresh blood, not a small stock of diminishing people. Talented bowyers holding back their work is also not good. Winning is much less satisfying when you know the deck is stacked to favor you or when talented competition is withheld.
I was a subscriber for many years, but let my subscription lapse for 2 main reasons. 1) I didn't have time to read it. I was working about 70 hours a week and have many unopened copies put away still in their mailing packaging. 2) I found one particular reoccurring author to be highly annoying. I don't give a care about someone's expensive, guided elk hunt that he had to travel to another state to do. That's not hunting in my opinion---that's wanting bragging rights and the desire to kill. I want to read about the guy who jumps into his pickup, drives for a little while and takes a white tail or grouse or maybe just a rabbit in his backyard. I enjoyed all the other articles, but that one guy at the beginning left a sour taste for all that followed. The how to's and build-alongs were the gems.
I can't really comment on how efficiently the BOM was being run since I ignored it, but I do recognize that it takes a lot of effort---much more than most would imagine---to take on such an undertaking.
I just bought a new subscription and promise to at least vote for BOM until it runs out. The magazine really is much better than all the other popular journals and the BOM contest helped to make it stand out a little more.
Steve Stanfill:
I have identified the problem. The verification is to difficult.
bubbles:
I can't say I ever paid much attention to the BOM contests, Probably because Im not a subscriber. I'm going to fix that though. A subscription is a small price to pay for the wealth of Bowyers knowledge contained on this site.
I would like the the contest to include all the best bows, otherwise it's not much of a contest. Even if they are not subscribers. I think it would raise interest in the mag if you wernt a subscriber but your bow was featured in it.
Perhaps there doesn't need to be different categories for backed and self? Would that stream line it a bit?
As far as hats...
I don't know if there needs to be a hat distributed for winners. A man only needs so many hats. Maybe just a certificate? Or a promo code for a few dollars off your next subscription? (The same amount as the cost of a hat) :)
Parnell:
I really don't know what to say on this, at this point. I'm simply getting the feeling this isn't wanted or valued much by the organization. Cipriano is a great guy and has my respect.
I volunteered to help. I haven't heard anything. It'd be great if the event could be salvaged but I'm not chipping in, again.
At this point, it's all rhetoric to me. Hope something is done.
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