So I'm in the midst of moving, then out to Yosemite for 2 weeks.. I won't have much chance to talk to you guys, so I thought I'd post my thoughts.
Firstly, the trip far exceeded my expectations. For all the no-shows it was still awesome, better than Illinois 2002 I'd say. I think a lot of thanks goes to Andrew and his awesome family (random note: his sister who visited over the weekend was Jodi from Road Rules who apparently won some other show like the Gauntlet or something... no one really knew this till she was gone, it seemed, myself included). The house was amazingly accommodating, as were his parents. The planning and organization of tournaments went a long way into making this interesting. In 2002 there was a lot of downtime during which we just worked on PRs and stuff... this trip was like the sleepover that never ended or something. There was less emphasis on accomplishment and more on just having fun. Thanks specifically must go to Nathan, Jon, and all the others who made the effort to ensure the trip was a good one.
In no particular order:
Sterling Neblett:
The ultimate character... once (and always) a legend to me, it was quite interesting getting to talk one-on-one with him at length and get in-depth insights into his GE past. While Sterling seemed different (ie, less nerdy) than most of us, it was obvious he had that same stubborn competitive side that binds all of us. Before the trip was over I made a real friend, one I hope to see again.
Ngamer:
While perhaps a little more quiet than I expected, it was interesting to see Jon's commitment to record-keeping and community in person. Jon is the backbone of the Elite and I can't imagine this trip without him there.
Nathan Stinson:
I came to respect Nathan a lot, seeing his concern and commitment to everything going well. He's a true country fellow, but it became something endearing really ("dadgummit!"). Despite seeming different in that regard, it was interesting to see his competitive side start leaking during gameplay, despite remaining perfectly cordial. I have a lot of respect for the guy.
Andrew Weatherton:
The host... funny thing is, I didn't really know who he was prior to this. By the end I regretted not knowing him sooner, because I feel like I shared as many similarities with him as anyone there. A very intelligent, down-to-earth guy, we got along immediately, I felt. Definitely one of the best minds in the collective Elite/Kart community, I'm glad I got a chance to meet and talk with him.
Josh Layne / JT:
I didn't know who Josh was either (Legend+ MK64 player) and obviously not his accompaniment, JT, a friend from back home, but I ended up identifying with (and really, befriending) these guys a lot before it was over. I hope I get a chance to meet them again, as I suspect they'd be the kind of guys I'd befriend long-term had I gone to college with them.
Wheatrich:
As much of an enemy as any I've had on these boards (let's just be realistic), I found it hard to recollect those animosities as Brent was a quiet, easygoing guy. By the end of the trip he started to open up a bit more, and I realized that we got along quite fine; well, in fact.
Adam / Greg / Eddie:
Greg, as most of you know, is my first and best friend from the Elite, so it was great to finally meet him. At first it seemed difficult to wedge myself into his and Adam's infinite string of inside humor, but once I did it was constant comedy. Adam always seemed pretty ridiculous online, but I had gathered enough to know he was quite a character in real life. Easily the funniest guy there (if we ignore me, duh), Adam seems to magically conjure genius one liners constantly, constantly facetious/sarcastic. Thing is, he doesn't fit the type for that kind of humor (dry/witty, etc) so it seemed extra hilarious when he dropped some clever Jimbo burn out of nowhere (invariably about Jimbo eating something). Eddie was super quiet but on the level.. the trip ran out before I got to talk with him, unfortunately. All of us, combined with Sterling, ended up having one of the most memorable nights of.. well, my life, really. Just lots of laughs between guys that have a lot in common. Strange to think we had never met. I strongly intend to meet these fags again.
Jimbo:
I actually came to respect Jimbo a lot before it was over. In the midst of gameplay he can get ...Phil Hellmuth-style annoying, but that's really the worst of it. He was definitely down to earth and a really good sport about the constant teasing. He was the best GE player there I think (Trent certainly right with him, though) and clearly a very skilled gamer all around.
Trent:
In most ways Trent comes off as a regular joe, but he seemed as quietly intent on gaming interests as anyone there. I felt like I identified with Trent in more ways than he probably realized, and kinda wish I was able to get to know him a bit better. I better understand his terse nature on the boards, and will filter his comments through an entirely new context. Definitely among the guys I'd like to meet again.
Wonn:
David was as gamer as it gets... so glad I got to meet this guy. Sometimes I just wanted to have serious conversations about games, and this guy was definitely the man for the job. It was fascinating being able to get first-hand accounts of his discovery of some of the most famous glitches in Nintendo history. He was one of the few guys there that had me somewhat starstruck... beating him on SMK on occasion was pretty exhilarating. I can't imagine anyone being better than him at SMK battle though... trust me--super strategist.
QB:
While super quiet, QB seemed like one of the cooler guys there. From football, to PD, to poker, to ping pong, it was clear he is the type of guy that excels at everything he does. I think if I got to know him we could be friends for sure.
Other Jon:
Didn't know him, and still don't really know who he was, but for all his nerdliness he was as friendly and sociable as anyone there.
----------
Favorite moments:
- Sudden intense group watching of me vs. JT on GE
- GE tourney games, in general (adam's one-bullet-left magnum kill on trent stands out)
- Adam pours chocolate on Jimbo in his sleep, with the ensuing mania of Jackass/CKY.
- Jimbo pulls off the cinnamon challenge (eats one tablespoon)
- Adam says something hilarious, x 100.
- hanging out with the last few guys on the last night, swapping stories, videos, and uh laughs? GAY
- who knows how many I'm forgetting
Thanks again to everyone that made this thing happen. I strongly insist we try to make this an annual event, if possible. Everyone who missed this out of apathy is a @#%$ idiot. I'll remember this for the rest of my life, and my life is actually interesting, too.
"Ding Ding! Here comes the shit-mobile. I've never seen a fire truck that needed to be shaved. I would rather be burned to death than be saved by this hairy piece of shit. " - Maddox
Skills: My Web Sites
Firstly, the trip far exceeded my expectations. For all the no-shows it was still awesome, better than Illinois 2002 I'd say. I think a lot of thanks goes to Andrew and his awesome family (random note: his sister who visited over the weekend was Jodi from Road Rules who apparently won some other show like the Gauntlet or something... no one really knew this till she was gone, it seemed, myself included). The house was amazingly accommodating, as were his parents. The planning and organization of tournaments went a long way into making this interesting. In 2002 there was a lot of downtime during which we just worked on PRs and stuff... this trip was like the sleepover that never ended or something. There was less emphasis on accomplishment and more on just having fun. Thanks specifically must go to Nathan, Jon, and all the others who made the effort to ensure the trip was a good one.
In no particular order:
Sterling Neblett:
The ultimate character... once (and always) a legend to me, it was quite interesting getting to talk one-on-one with him at length and get in-depth insights into his GE past. While Sterling seemed different (ie, less nerdy) than most of us, it was obvious he had that same stubborn competitive side that binds all of us. Before the trip was over I made a real friend, one I hope to see again.
Ngamer:
While perhaps a little more quiet than I expected, it was interesting to see Jon's commitment to record-keeping and community in person. Jon is the backbone of the Elite and I can't imagine this trip without him there.
Nathan Stinson:
I came to respect Nathan a lot, seeing his concern and commitment to everything going well. He's a true country fellow, but it became something endearing really ("dadgummit!"). Despite seeming different in that regard, it was interesting to see his competitive side start leaking during gameplay, despite remaining perfectly cordial. I have a lot of respect for the guy.
Andrew Weatherton:
The host... funny thing is, I didn't really know who he was prior to this. By the end I regretted not knowing him sooner, because I feel like I shared as many similarities with him as anyone there. A very intelligent, down-to-earth guy, we got along immediately, I felt. Definitely one of the best minds in the collective Elite/Kart community, I'm glad I got a chance to meet and talk with him.
Josh Layne / JT:
I didn't know who Josh was either (Legend+ MK64 player) and obviously not his accompaniment, JT, a friend from back home, but I ended up identifying with (and really, befriending) these guys a lot before it was over. I hope I get a chance to meet them again, as I suspect they'd be the kind of guys I'd befriend long-term had I gone to college with them.
Wheatrich:
As much of an enemy as any I've had on these boards (let's just be realistic), I found it hard to recollect those animosities as Brent was a quiet, easygoing guy. By the end of the trip he started to open up a bit more, and I realized that we got along quite fine; well, in fact.
Adam / Greg / Eddie:
Greg, as most of you know, is my first and best friend from the Elite, so it was great to finally meet him. At first it seemed difficult to wedge myself into his and Adam's infinite string of inside humor, but once I did it was constant comedy. Adam always seemed pretty ridiculous online, but I had gathered enough to know he was quite a character in real life. Easily the funniest guy there (if we ignore me, duh), Adam seems to magically conjure genius one liners constantly, constantly facetious/sarcastic. Thing is, he doesn't fit the type for that kind of humor (dry/witty, etc) so it seemed extra hilarious when he dropped some clever Jimbo burn out of nowhere (invariably about Jimbo eating something). Eddie was super quiet but on the level.. the trip ran out before I got to talk with him, unfortunately. All of us, combined with Sterling, ended up having one of the most memorable nights of.. well, my life, really. Just lots of laughs between guys that have a lot in common. Strange to think we had never met. I strongly intend to meet these fags again.
Jimbo:
I actually came to respect Jimbo a lot before it was over. In the midst of gameplay he can get ...Phil Hellmuth-style annoying, but that's really the worst of it. He was definitely down to earth and a really good sport about the constant teasing. He was the best GE player there I think (Trent certainly right with him, though) and clearly a very skilled gamer all around.
Trent:
In most ways Trent comes off as a regular joe, but he seemed as quietly intent on gaming interests as anyone there. I felt like I identified with Trent in more ways than he probably realized, and kinda wish I was able to get to know him a bit better. I better understand his terse nature on the boards, and will filter his comments through an entirely new context. Definitely among the guys I'd like to meet again.
Wonn:
David was as gamer as it gets... so glad I got to meet this guy. Sometimes I just wanted to have serious conversations about games, and this guy was definitely the man for the job. It was fascinating being able to get first-hand accounts of his discovery of some of the most famous glitches in Nintendo history. He was one of the few guys there that had me somewhat starstruck... beating him on SMK on occasion was pretty exhilarating. I can't imagine anyone being better than him at SMK battle though... trust me--super strategist.
QB:
While super quiet, QB seemed like one of the cooler guys there. From football, to PD, to poker, to ping pong, it was clear he is the type of guy that excels at everything he does. I think if I got to know him we could be friends for sure.
Other Jon:
Didn't know him, and still don't really know who he was, but for all his nerdliness he was as friendly and sociable as anyone there.
----------
Favorite moments:
- Sudden intense group watching of me vs. JT on GE
- GE tourney games, in general (adam's one-bullet-left magnum kill on trent stands out)
- Adam pours chocolate on Jimbo in his sleep, with the ensuing mania of Jackass/CKY.
- Jimbo pulls off the cinnamon challenge (eats one tablespoon)
- Adam says something hilarious, x 100.
- hanging out with the last few guys on the last night, swapping stories, videos, and uh laughs? GAY
- who knows how many I'm forgetting
Thanks again to everyone that made this thing happen. I strongly insist we try to make this an annual event, if possible. Everyone who missed this out of apathy is a @#%$ idiot. I'll remember this for the rest of my life, and my life is actually interesting, too.
"Ding Ding! Here comes the shit-mobile. I've never seen a fire truck that needed to be shaved. I would rather be burned to death than be saved by this hairy piece of shit. " - Maddox
Skills: My Web Sites
