elchfest   

Updated 11/15/2011
2011 WBC Report     

  2012 Status: pending December Membership Trial Vote
Dan Dolan Sr, NJ
2011 Champion

Links

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Event History
2001    Jeff Paull     27
2002    Bob Runnicles     46
2003    Dan Dolan Sr     42
2004    Dan Dolan Sr     48
2005    Bob Runnicles     47
2006    Bob Runnicles     50
2007    Dave Meyaard     53
2008    Dave Meyaard     64
2009    Brandon Bernard     64
2010    Dave Meyaard     65
2011    Dan Dolan Sr     67
 Laurels

Rank  Name              From  Last  Total
  1.  Dan Dolan Sr       NJ    11     78
  2.  Dave Meyaard       CT    10     74
  3.  Bob Runnicles      FL    06     62
  4.  Rebecca Hebner     CO    11     42
  5.  Jeff Paull         OH    06     42
  6.  Brandon Bernard    PA    11     26
  7.  Josh Githens       SC    11     24
  8.  Dan Dolan Jr       NJ    07     23
  9.  James Carvin       PA    07     20
 10.  Bill Edwards       VA    06     16
 11.  Andres Dunn        MD    10     14
 12.  Jon Gemmell        CT    08     12
 13.  Alexandra Henning  CT    10     10
 14.  Seth Kirchner      KY    07      8
 15.  Roger Taylor       VA    03      8
 16.  Andrew Maly        MD    09      6
 17.  Vince Frattali     WA    01      6
 18.  Scott A. Smith     PA    11      4
 19.  Alex Bell          MD    10      4
 20.  Rich Irving        CA    07      4
 21.  Lance Fogel        PA    05      4
 22.  Alex Bove          PA    04      4
 23.  Steve Cameron      PA    03      4
 24.  Lynn Ribeiro       NH    01      4
 25.  Roy Gibson         MD    02      3
 26.  Kevin Youells      FL    02      3
 27.  Alexander Metzger  NY    11      2
 28.  Greg Zegalia       PA    10      2
 29.  Bruce Monnin       OH    08      2
 30.  Sam Brosius        MA    07      2
 31.  Phil White         MD    05      2
 32.  John Tighe         NC    04      2
 33.  Robert Eastman     NV    03      2
 34.  Nicholas Kramer    PA    02      1

2011 Laurelists                                                 Repeating Laurelists 

Josh Githens, SC
2nd

Rebecca Hebner, CO
3rd

Brandon Bernard, PA
4th

Scott A. Smith, PA
5th

Alexander Metzger, NY
6th

Past Winners

Jeff Paul, OH
2001

Bob Runnicles, FL
2002, 2005-06

Dan Dolan Sr, NJ
2003-04, 2011

Dave Meyaard, CT
2007-08, 2010

Brandon Bernard, PA
2009

Virginia Melton watches wily Paul Weintraub employing the finer points of flicking.

The head moose shows ny mercy in taking down a young challenger in the opening rounds.

Uh oh ... a gaping ravine ahead ... a veritable Marianna's Trench in the flicking world.

Eric Brosius and Jay Fox logging one of their more cerebral games of the week.

grand strategy worthy of a legacy ...

Flickers continued to proliferate as the herd posted its sixth straight attendance gain. A plethora of faces both new and old descended on the aptly named Paradise room as the excitement built awaiting the outcome of the WBC's only all-skill contest. Such claims I'm told may show just a touch of bias by the author. A special shout out to fellow TEAM X member Greg Schmittgens for making buttons for every competitor. The button said it all, " There will be flicking."

Three-time defending champion Dave Meyaard was there to defend his title, as was his expected main competition: Brandon Bernard. The 2009 champion was all that stood between Meyaard and what would have been his fourth straight title. Or so the young bucks thought. Leading a lady elks contingent of ten was Rebecca Hebner whose guile had carried her an eyelash from the title last year. And through it all, a battered old stag snorted defiance for past glories.

The first round was again delayed by a shortage of games (please bring one next year) necessitating doubling up. You know you want to buy a copy so why wait?) But once past the usual backup, the action was nonstop. The initial rounds take a heavy toll on the newbies and the level of play increases as the numbers decrease. All the expected names advanced without incident through the first two rounds.

Defying the odds to reach the Sweet 16 were newcomers Claire Pfeiffer, Scott Smith, Eric Brosius and John Roizin. It was here that the serious flickers were separated from the also rans. The first big upset was delivered as the king of the herd was dropped by the old stag. Two-time champion Dan Dolan hadn't won since 2004 and had been run off by the young bucks in recent years, but every dog has his day and today belonged to the citizens of Dan's World as three-time defending champion Dave Meyaard was sent packing without so much as a sniff at laurels.

The upset cleared the way for Bernard who topped Roizin, to enter the Elite Eight. Smith became the last survivor of the newbies by knocking out Pfeiffer while favorites Githens and Hebner also advanced. Thus, it was that the old stag confronted another former champion in back-to-back rounds. The grizzled senior citizen of the herd had never duelled Brandon before but knew from watching his 2009 title run that the young buck was capable of making spectacular shots. Could his arthritic hooves rise to the challenge again?

The two ex-champs split the first two games, setting up a climactic third crossing in which the younger Brandon steadily drew ahead in the race for the far shore. But Dan wouldn't quit and made a miracle shot to pull out the game and a trip to the semi-finals where he'd be confronted by none other than princess Rebecca - back from her second-place 2010 performance to finish the job. The old stag had fallen victim to her wiles before ... culminating in a humiliating first round loss in 2010 which had relegated the old champ to the dustbins of elk history, or so everyone thought. After winning the first game, an error allowed Rebecca to storm back to take the second, setting up another hoofbiting game 3. It was crowd pleasingly close until Rebecca knocked her moose down allowing the old champ a three-shot advantage that proved decisive.

Dan now breathed the rarified air of the Final for the first time in years. Standing in his way was another in the seemingly endless line of young bucks trying to deny him his rightful place at the head of the herd. Josh Githens had finished second to Bernard back in 2009 and was now looking to rise to the top of the flicking world. For Dan, it meant a third title, his yellow belt, and a return to dominance. The flicking world held it's breath.

The veteran took the first game in a squeaker but youth had its way and blew him away in the second with a perfect series of shots to even the match at one apiece. Game 3 was for all the marbles ... or whatever it is that elk value. Both elk crossed the table at a good pace and the action in the center when the two neared one another was worthy of a crokinole championship! The young stud had a significant advantage and appeared to be cruising to his first title when disaster struck. An errant flick knocked his moose into the tepid waters of Lancaster. Realizing that his chance had come, Dan's flagging spirits soared as he made the most of his three penalty shots to draw even. Both were a mere five inches from glory but Josh closed in on the island first. At that point the veteran made a shot he had no business attempting, let alone making, to get in range of a last shot for the win. ...

And once again ... the only plaque at WBC that matters belongs to me! My third Coussis! I hope to see you all again next year when you try to pry my precious from my greedy grasp and knock me off my perch at the top of the Elchfest laurels.

Alexander Metzger pairs off vs Anna Marion.

Another young buck falls by the wayside.

Josh Githens eyes an adversary on his way to the Final.

Princess Rebecca falls in the semi-finals.

 Elchfest Junior

It was a good year for Elk. A veritable explosion of 33 Elk calves tried to cross the river. The six fastest were:

1st: Brett Fox

2nd: Caleb Welker

3rd: Mandy Mossman

4th: Adina Weiss

5th: Jim Confor

6th: Lucas Holmquist

Moose calves aplenty frolic in the river. This ones being chased by a familiar wild dog.

Brett Fox, a proud member of Jay's Basement, gets his plaque from the head moose.
 GM      Dan Dolan Sr  [4th Year]   NA
   phlegm@warwick.net   NA

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