BKA Southern Regional Competition - Oct 30th 2011

[Dave]

I think a big thankyou to void is in order for putting on this great event!! I think it turned out really well and having the two stalls there was good eye candy.
Good points for me:
1:Winning the speed trick challenge but more importantly having all three of my runs sub 23 secs.
2: competing in the advanced knockouts for my first time so now I see why people get nervous on stage!! It was terrifying and there was only 20 or so people there!!!
3: meeting you lot you were great to have a good click with! And seeing kendamatty in action was great aswell
Bad points:
1: loosing the moshi kami buy 1 click!!!!!!
That wa about it.

Great to see Toby and John again and enjoy yourself in Cambodia John you will be able to keep track of what's going on as there is Internet cafés everywhere!!!!

Looking foreword to seeing you all again!!

Dave

[SamB]

I have to agree with exactly what Dave said. I'm also still smarting from the moshi kame.
I think this week is hydra and inverse lunar week (thanks Dave!)

P.S. The new yellow Oozora Sally picked up is amazing. Birds stick like glue. I am so jealous I might get one myself!

[BKA]

Photos!
Click the image for a link to fak's photo gallery from the SRC.

Thanks fak for recording the day for us!

[The Void]

The first standalone UK kendama event (outside of a juggling convention) saw 26 people through the door, which was a nice size turnout for the venue - and just covered the hall hire costs, so thanks everyone for showing up! I'm glad everyone had a good time, as did I. I even managed to catch a few minutes' kendama play here and there. Good to see an innovative bit of Hydra, and I liked Toby's Moon Pivot too.

An awesome Moshi Kame final (who would have thought that would be perhaps the highlight of the day?!) between Sam, Dave and Toby, and a fun Best Trick comp, which had some great tricks nailed (eventually!), but perhaps was a little light on the sillier tricks.

Big thanks to Sunrise Kendamas for putting up the very generous cash prizes, and also to Gravity Outlaws, Kendama Europe and Donald Grant for chipping in with some goodies too. Thanks too to fak for the photos, and all those who helped me out with the judging/scoring.

Here's looking forwards to the NRC!

Cup of tea, anyone?

[Toby]

and I liked Toby's Moon Pivot too.

Glad someone liked it! Was a little worried as it didn't get an amazing response.

Had a fun day, good to meet some more people and get some new trick ideas/tips. High-lights have to be winning the raffle as well as the Moshi Kame final by a single point!

Did pretty badly in all the other divisions which was a let down but I still had a wicked day.

Cheers for putting this on void and cheers to sunrise for coming all the way from Holland to fun the prizes and give us all nice things to look at!

[The Void]

and I liked Toby's Moon Pivot too.

Glad someone liked it! Was a little worried as it didn't get an amazing response.

I think that's one of the nice things about the audience vote - you never quite know what they're going to pick!

[Topper]

Thanks for a fun day. It was worth the drive from Kent.

Topper

[orinoco]

Yep, it was a really enjoyable day. Thanks to Void & Fak for organising & to all those that came along.

Highlight: Pulled off my first ever rotor-blade!

[The Void]

Wow, Topper, you made a post! 

It was cool to see you both turn up. Well done Topper on qualifying yourself to be Advanced in future, and well done Orin on the Rotor Blade.

[BKA]

Winning STC times:

1st Round
Rich P. 45.1s

QF
Matt 24.9s
Mark 23.4s
Dave 22.8s
Jon R. 25.8s

3rd place play-off
Mark 29.4s

SF
Matt 26.3s
Dave 23.3s

F
Dave 22.1s

[Dave]

just out of curiosity what is the british record for sped trick challenge? and who owns it?

[BKA]

Onstage in a British competition: Dave 22.1secs (STC final, SRC 2011)
By a British player: Matt 21.2secs (qualifying time for STC, EKO 2011)
Onstage by a non-Brit: Akimoto-san 17.2secs (STC Final, EKO 2011)

[Dave]

17.2 Seconds!!!!!!!!!!

WOW

[SamB]

Is there a video of Akimoto-san's 17.2 seconds? I just want to check (steal) his technique.

[kendamatty]

If you can plow through the raw eko video from august then you'll be able to see! The technique he gave me was to use your other hand to put the ball back to hanging after every catch, opposed to throwing it out. Also when he is drawing the ball back down, that is when he dips his knees ready for the trick, so no pauses in between. Lastly a technique that I like is from candle to swing in big cup, throw the ball off from candle and grab the ken whilst the ball is swinging down so is one fluid motion, very fast!
I've got 19 seconds out of comp using his technique, as you know first hand it is very different on stage though!!