My pics from the trip are here:
***No re-uploads, please. Share page URLs, not images. Thanks. ***
Click for gallery.
***No re-uploads, please. Share page URLs, not images. Thanks. ***
Anyone got any other pic links?
===
Thanks
@jakub.zahumensky @Maicodama &
@Doppia_D89 for taking on the EKO. I know how much work it is, and I appreciate all your time & effort.
Congrats to everyone who competed with a standard competition-sized kendama at the Enlarged Kendama Open - I was impressed by your skills.
Turn-out was slightly down. I think this is probably due to the same factor that is observed at EJCs: The "further from the middle" of Western Europe you are, the lower the turnout. Well, it's good to move the competition around Europe, so fair enough.
The option of having the venue open to the pubic sounded like a great idea. Unfortunately, it wasn't really in a spot where people would just wander past, so we didn't get many public spectators. Also, the fact that the venue was just outside of the EJC campus meant we didn't get many jugglers coming to watch either. An unfortunate combination of factors that was no-one's fault really. Oh well.
These factors also explained (I think) why there were no competitors in Noob division.
The Pro list was too hard.
Well done on the tough job of judging,
@jakub.zahumensky . Yes, I questioned one of your judgements, but you explained your reasoning and I immediately accepted it. Consistency and clarity of judging is essential.
Well done on microphone enthusiasm
@Maicodama . But I was sad to see the timekeeping lessons from BKO weren't learned. Every "5" minute break loses audience and energy. No time for Unicorns and Candle battles. Gerronwivit!
7 To Spike heats were too long. They should be to 4 or 5 points, not 7. The rule-tweak to stop the King getting easy points was good.
Glad I finally got to see a Kendama Cup format live. I think it worked well, and was fun to watch.
It was good to hang out with as many of the players as I could, and meet new people too. The fact that I was working for 7 of the 9 EJC days meant I didn't get to jam as much as would have liked with you all, or run more grading exams. Sorry for that, but at least I got to be there.
Sad to see once again that so many kendama players are stinking
[1] drug addicts. Stupid, sad, and a terrible example. You deserve to die of lung cancer. I'm not joking
[2]. All the more heartbreaking since you lot seem to otherwise be a great bunch of people.
@Mirek said to me that he thought the EKO should go to Romania next year. Seems like a good suggestion, as that seems to be where the most kendama players are right now. There'd be a good turnout, if nothing else!
Thank you to all the sponsors for your continued support of the EKO.
Clicks,
Void
