Breaking down Colorado CHAMPS Glass Games
Whaddup, Whaddup, Whaddup! Matty White here to fill you in on the action from our most recent installation of CHAMPS Glass Games. It was a super fun time in Denver once again. I can’t say enough about our family in the midwest, the glassblowers came out in full force as always, to help make the games fun for all. There were blowers from all across this great nation all trying to get in on one of the last chances at a golden ticket to CHAMPS Masters Competition in Las Vegas at CHAMPS Trade Shows 20th Anniversary Show and 40th CHAMPS Las Vegas Celebration in February and a chance at winning over $30,000 in cash and prizes.
The Glass Games we arranged for this show were all made at the artist home studio and brought to the show for the event. We had three games there, Goblet Grab, Pimp Cup, and the Game of Marbles, and we also judged the marbles for the Best Marble Set category.
If you haven’t been to the Colorado show and participated in the Goblet Grab and Pimp Cup Events than you are truly missing out on fantastic events! These games are the most fun we have with the buyers at any event we do. The Goblet Grab and Pimp Cup are the only events where everyone can participate in the game, Buyers, Vendors, and Artists all are welcomed to buy raffle tickets. Each Glassblower is given $100 for their entry, and each Raffle ticket costs $100 so all the proceeds go to the artists themselves. Hundreds of goblets and Pimp Cups have been sent to their forever homes since this event started.
Some of these $100 goblets and cups could retail for $500 to $1000 to the right collectors. I am not sure who was more excited the glass blowers that won or the people that got to take home their pieces!
As always the Judging came down to very slim margins, and when I say slim, I mean the slimmest of slim. Both categories had more winners than we had awards! But that said we had to narrow the field down to just the three winners in each category. This year we had some great Judges, including Judge Supreme Bob Snodgrass alongside his wife Marie, Hugh Salkind, and James Schick, with the ever diligent Lonnie supervising the Marble Game.
Goblet:
1st Place Shuhbuh
2nd Place Chase Hardman
3rd place CMartin Glass
Pimp Cup:
1st Place Byron Kiernan
2nd Place Scott Ratner Glass
3rd Shayla – Windstar Glass
Best Marble Set:
1st Place Jes durfee
2nd Place Squirrel and Bee
3rd Place Pyro
The Game of Marbles:
1st Place Blake – Liquid Glass
2nd Place Jes Durfee
3rd Place Gnarly Harley
Of this list of winners, five will move forward into the Masters. CMartin, Byron Kiernan, Scott Ratner Glass, Blake – Liquid Glass art and Jes Durfee. We look forward to seeing you all in Vegas this coming February for the Glass Games Masters Event where 40 of your favorite artists will be battling it out in an “Art through Time: Techniques, Styles, & Genres” themed 2-day competition to be the next CHAMPS Glass Games Master to enter CHAMPS Hall of Flame!
