Hi all,
Thanks to Sébastien, Berit, Fabian, Kristina and the Maik for organising this great competition! They are a joy to work with. It was hard work, but it paid off. We had a lot of media attention, which is not only good for our sponsors, but also for us.
I was told that I was grumpy, actually that I am grumpy at most competitions. Maybe it is the age difference... Maybe it is the stress before and during the competition...
I do feel that sometimes people are too playish in competitions. I want everyone to have fun and have a great time. But when you are on stage or supposed to be on stage then please behave. Don't smash timers and then claim an extra solve, don't bring your cube up to half an hour late when you have been called 10 times, don't be picky on whom you judge for, don't lend your puzzles to other people when you need to compete yourself, stay in the competitors area, use clean puzzles with decent stickers, clear the stage at the beginning of an event, et cetera. If sometimes I am a bit angry, then maybe you deserved it, maybe you just violated the regulations or maybe I am acting to give you a signal. Yesterday, because of the attending media, it was extra important to stick to the time schedule; we did not want them to miss the finals. Just remember that we love organising competitions and having fun with all of you.
I think I am quite a nice guy.
Congratulations to Erik for his great ER. And to all competitors who finished in top positions or set personal or regional records.
Have fun!
Ron
PS: 3 of my Stackmat timers are missing. If you found one with my name on it...