Return ratio

lowteck · Post by **lowteck** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 7:38 pm

I wonder if there are any statistics about the number of return visitors to the Bman festival. I have gone twice 06 and 04 loved them both albeit at times questioned my sanity as the dust storms were starting to get to me. At 55 I see myself as 15 years older than the average burner Music is not the reason I go but if rap became mainstream I would never return I would like to go back after I retire and spend more time at Tahoe and make the trip worthwhile.

Post by **Elderberry** » Mon Sep 22, 2008 8:06 pm

I'm 60 and have been twice now. So far, it's gotten better each time. It's nothing I ever would have imagined myself doing for 'vacation', but it just has a way of growing on you. I guess you either love it or hate it--there's not much of an in-between.

JK

EB · Post by EB » Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:42 pm

Anecdotaly, I've taken 12 others over the seven burns I've attended.

Only one person, my brother, has ever returned. None of the others had a bad time (to the contrary) but it just wasn't something they needed to do over and over (and over.)

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 8:25 am

WE have been to BM 8 times.. I'm 71 this year.. My campmate is 86.. I just bought the runing gear for the MV for 09

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:05 am

I think I read somewhere????
That the median age for BM returnies...returning burners is 53?

First off...I think part of it is you really have to know who you are, and be COMFY with that information? I think most peeps dont know that till round 35-45?

Second off...you need to be able to afford to go to BM...hahaaaaa
I wont even try to explaine that!

I hate rap too. But Im old.
42 going on 50!

unjonharley · Post by **unjonharley** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:25 am

pinemom wrote:I think I read somewhere????
That the median age for BM returnies...returning burners is 53?

First off...I think part of it is you really have to know who you are, and be COMFY with that information? I think most peeps dont know that till round 35-45?

Second off...you need to be able to afford to go to BM...hahaaaaa
I wont even try to explaine that!

I hate rap too. But Im old.
42 going on 50!

pinemom, I thought you were about 21 and a little woren from a rough paper route..

pinemom · Post by **pinemom** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 9:56 am

Honey!Unjonharley!!!!

You just made my rough paper route days! Delivering in Lake Tahoe in 30- WAS rough days!
(major exaggggggerated...I sold timeshare's in the 70-80's! hahaaaa)

But nope...Im on verge of "Geezer hood"...and looking forward to it with every inch of me.

Damn its alot easier as you get older~

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Tue Sep 23, 2008 2:42 pm

Return business is highly profitable!

Thanks for visiting Larry Harvey's BurningMan (R) !

magicmarty · Post by **magicmarty** » Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:58 pm

I'm 76 and 2008 was my second year. I'm all packed up to go in 2009. Seems to get better each year!!

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:49 pm

lowteck wrote:I wonder if there are any statistics about the number of return visitors to the Bman festival.

I saw somewhere in "06 or "07 it was a 50% newbi rate.. Like I said somewhere here or there...
http://afterburn.burningman.com/07/

dr.placebo · Post by **dr.placebo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 10:03 pm

When you get really major expansion you get a lot of first-timers. Probably less so in 2008. And if the 50k cap is enforced this may be the way it goes for a few years.

BTW, I'm 58, and I've done 10 consecutive burns, and I'm already planning for number 11 (see, it does go to 11!)

ibdave · Post by **ibdave** » Sat Sep 27, 2008 8:40 am

Oh, Age 50 for me and 11 years in a row and wondering if I'll make it to 12 in a row.... Life happens.......

Natasha · Post by **Natasha** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:11 pm

My SO and I worked greeters this past year and we both found that we processed more virgins that greeting people who were returning. Most people returning brought a virgin with them.

Pinemom - you are NOT approaching Geezer hood. You just need to stop hurting yourself - injuries take a while to heal.

SpaceCowboy · Post by **SpaceCowboy** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 3:55 pm

WOW!!!

I am 59 and have been twice, 07 and 08. Already thinking about 09 and already excited. I might just be bring 4 or 5 virgins in 09.

I am surprised by the ages I am seeing on this post. it seems when I am out on the playa I appear to be the oldest person there. Maybe it is all those young titties.......no that can't be it.

It is refreshing to know that I am not so old after all. Attending BM keeps me young, at heart anyway.

Rap would not only keep me away from BRC, it would keep me out of the entire state of Nevada.

SonOfUgly · Post by **SonOfUgly** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:24 pm

21 here '08 was my 1st burn, already starting to build some stuff for '09!!!

SpaceCowboy · Post by **SpaceCowboy** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:29 pm

SonOfUgly, what does your dad think of your playa name?

So you are from Allen. I am from Poulsbo.

SonOfUgly · Post by **SonOfUgly** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 4:39 pm

Well my last name is McLeod which means Son Of Ugly...but it fits well to.

Poulsbos only about 45mins away, pass by all the time hitting the kingston ferry.

Dusza Beben · Post by **Dusza Beben** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:42 pm

SonOfUgly wrote:21 here '08 was my 1st burn, already starting to build some stuff for '09!!!

Hey! I've spent some time in Allyn! Back in '03 I spent a summer digging clams and deck handing on an oyster trawler for coast seafood there in north bay. We were based out of the old Olympic Oyster cannery on E N Bay Rd. Of course you would have been about 6 years old then. Know Loni and Dave Anderson by chance?

'08 was our second burn. '04 was the first. Time has proven that I will be seriously interested in the theme the rear after we go and can't afford to return for a while. LOL

DB

thinfilmguy · Post by **thinfilmguy** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:05 am

Wow, this is cool. I'm 59 in a week. '08 was my first burn and I too am working on 09. I had a blast! It is the only place I can think of where you can be totally free - and after lots of years as a CEO type, it is so refreshing! I kind of had the impression that many of the benefactors of the event - they folks putting up some serious bucks - are ex hippies, who over the years have done well in business, and are now giving back, kind of getting back to those "hippy" values they once had. It's me anyway, and I love it! I was with the guys that built Babalyon and I gotta say it was some serious bucks - not something many younger folks could fund.
On the other hand, maybe it is the young titties...

Jim

Sail Man · Post by **Sail Man** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 7:33 am

Holy Cow! With the exception of SonofUgly I feel like a kid amongst this group LOL, and I'm 47. And Pinemom, not sure what part of getting older gets easier

Unless your talking about falling into bed, cuz getting out in the morning sure seems to be getting harder

08 was my first year, planning on 09 and beyond. Also made my first decomp a few weeks ago and I must say I am really enjoying diving into the burning culture. Many of the tenets I have espoused for many years, so it hasnt been to hard to get into the swing of things.

Gizmo · Post by **Gizmo** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:12 pm

My first Burning Man was in 2002 at age 52. Came back in 03. In
2004, heard about a new North Carolina regional that was a two hour drive from my home. I could DRIVE to it and bring lots of toys.
If you're flying out to the desert from the east coast, you're dropping near two grand and probably not getting the flame thrower on the plane.
For the past few years, I have been driving to 3 regionals on the east
coast for less than the cost of one trip to that thing in the desert.
The regionals ain't Burning Man, but they all have their own personality
and are physically less demanding, a hell of a lot of fun, and a good starting point for newbies who haven't decided if they want to join this freak show.
Larry Harvey has said that in the long run, regionals are the future of Burning Man.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_re ... Man_events
Anybody who is willing to do the work and can find the land can start a new one. So if there isn't one in your state, get moving. Because, like Santa, Burning Man only comes once a year. ( too bad for Mrs. Clause.)

I hope to make it back to Black Rock City in 09.

thinfilmguy · Post by **thinfilmguy** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:23 pm

Hi Gizmo,

Just curious, how big and how long (days) are the regional events? My regional IS BRC!

Would be great to see you back in BRC - we should start a camp - Old Men Behaving Badly, or some such thing so we can all get together!

Enjoy!
Jim

sktELEMENT · Post by **sktELEMENT** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:56 am

You old people hate the rap, but do not mind all the electronic music? Interesting...

Oh and you older folks would probably enjoy hip-hop if you were introduced to the right, quality, often underground rap. I hate all the mainstream shit, it sucks doesn't it? But I bet you would like the true to soul stuff.

thinfilmguy · Post by **thinfilmguy** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:42 am

sktELEMENT,
You're probably right - but we are old enought we don't have to like it! Actually there are some rap and alternative stuff I like, but I am put off by some of the lyric's of rap - some is just too nasty for me. No biggie, there's room for everyone and everything.

Jim

Post by **Elderberry** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 8:22 am

thinfilmguy wrote:sktELEMENT,
You're probably right - but we are old enought we don't have to like it! Actually there are some rap and alternative stuff I like, but I am put off by some of the lyric's of rap - some is just too nasty for me. No biggie, there's room for everyone and everything.

Jim

I think I'm with you on this Jim.

JK

Ugly Dougly · Post by **Ugly Dougly** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 10:24 am

SonOfUgly wrote:21 here '08 was my 1st burn, already starting to build some stuff for '09!!!

You are welcome my son.

Me, I'm not filling out any marketing surveys

but I'll get back when it's appropriate.

accordionMan · Post by **accordionMan** » Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:23 pm

dr.placebo wrote:
BTW, I'm 58, and I've done 10 consecutive burns, and I'm already planning for number 11 (see, it does go to 11!)

Me too dr. placebo

I find that I have more time and less responsibilities now so I can make it out there a lot easier than when I was raising a family.

djveteZe · Post by **djveteZe** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:48 pm

went for the first time this year with a crew of 9. Only one of them was a returning burner (5th time for him i think).

am going back next year with an expanded crew (~ 20 probably) but most of them will be 3, 4, 5 time veterans. basically the people we had hoped to go with took an off year this year but they're all geared up for next already after we had such an amazing time.

we're all around 30 - 39ish...

Fire_Moose · Post by **Fire_Moose** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:51 am

I'm 22 and 08 was my first burn. I was in a camp that was about 3/4 virgins and the others at least 2 year vets. I had a great time and was super prepared, many people were suprised i was a virgin lol.

It was fun but i doubt I'll be heading out next year. The money it takes to make it happen is pretty crazy and it's nice not using my paychecks up on getting ready for this one week. I plan on hitting up as many reginals as i can though!

DoriumLux · Post by **DoriumLux** » Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:01 am

I'm 25 and 2009 will be my 10th year :)

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