Ok ....3...2...1... Exhale...  

Sorry, it has been awhile since I felt like I could do that. The Carolina's first ever Grand Prix (Charlotte 2005) has now come and gone, but I am sure it will not be forgotten. You KNOW this guy will never forget !!

Players in the Carolina's have long awaited one of the major events to be held in the area and GP Charlotte definitely hit the mark. I am making this page for several reasons. There are alot of people to thank; it will give some people who could not attend a chance to hear about the GP; and it will serve as a refresher for a lot of memories in the future. So .... here we go!..

"Really?!?... No way... You sure? ... WOW! Let me read that again ... --- That's pretty close to how most of the players around here responded when they first heard that there would finally be a Grand Prix in the Carolina's. With a good size player base going all the way back before DCI Sanctioned events or Organized Play, the EXTENDED format was the ideal format for this area. Least I forget, I'd like to say "Thank you" to Wizards of the Coast on behalf of myself and the area players for the opportunity to host and attend a "local" Grand Prix.

When Wizards of the Coast first asked us about holding a Grand Prix in Charlotte, we were extremely excited, but....with an event of this magnitude so close to college exams and the Holidays, we honestly were not sure what to expect. The fact that this would be the first Grand Prix ever held in the Carolina's also meant there was no prior event we could look at when estimating attendances but, thanks to YOU -- the players, every goal set before us for Grand Prix Charlotte was either met or exceeded !!

Artisic Endeavors ---Artists, Edward Beard and Mark Poole were both in attendance at GP Charlotte all weekend. I can't say enough good things about them. They are both very approachable and "down-to-earth" guys. Had it not been for the signs, stacks of prints, and original artwork in front of them, you probably would have mistaken either of them for just another face in the crowd. Always cheerful and sporting smiles, they both spent hours upon hours greeeting and talking to fans, doing sketches, modifying or "vandalizing" cards, and of course signing 1000's of cards. (And believe me, with over 500 published cards out there sporting their artwork, there was a never-ending supply of cards to sign!). It was truly a pleasure having both of these guys at the event.

" The Psychatog Count " --- As many GP Charlotte attendees already know, Ed was actually counting the number of Psychatogs he signed and/or modified over the weekend. Ed's Final Tally??...a new personal record for Ed...-- Get this -- Ed modified 540, and SIGNED 5,114 Psychatogs at Grand Prix Charlotte!! And guys? ..that is JUST Psychatogs !!! That doesn't include all the sketches, playmats, and other cards Ed signed and modified over the course of the weekend. (Sign YOUR name 2,000 times a day for 3 days in a row....That's what I call dedication, although a good case could probably be made for calling it insanity)

There is simply no way I can thank these two artists enough for agreeing to come to Grand Prix Charlotte. --- I know they each love hearing from their fans and it definitely shows. I have copied and pasted an email I received from Ed after the Grand Prix below ---

To the gang at Shuffle-UP-Events,

Thanks to the great folks at Shuffle-UP-Events namely James Bailey and clan, I felt like a King. The event was packed and I set a personal record signing 5114 "psychatogs" and Illustrated or "vandalized" over 500 of them.

 

It seemed "Psychatog" and Stinkweed Imp were riding high on the list of cards in the players decks. The best part of the show was getting to chat with the players who truly appreciate the art. I want to thank all of them for supporting me these past 12 years and buying my art prints at the show.

 

I wish you all the best,

Ed

All I can say is... No Ed -- Thank YOU. Grand Prix Charlotte and, for that matter, the face of Magic as so many of us remember, would not be the same without your and Mark's contributions. Click Here for more information on these two artists and be sure to check out both Ed and Mark's websites for more artwork, prints, etc...

Ed Beard Jr.'s Website& Mark Poole's Website 

Cards, Cards, and More Cards --- There was a HUGE selection of Magic cards and accesories available at GP Charlotte. Dealers in attendance included DJ's Cards & Stuff of High Point, NC; Star City Games of Roanoke, VA; Strike Zone  of Houston, TX; and Underground Games of Charlotte, NC. These guys put in long hours behind those tables and I want to let them each know it was very much appreciated. HOWEVER... by Sunday? ...not a single one of them had any Poole/Beard illustrated Birds of Paradise left .... wonder why?!??

"Are you sure that's right? Wait... " J-U-D-G-E !! " --- I imagine more than a couple of the judges at Grand Prix Charlotte will still be "twitching" this Christmas. We had a fantastic group of judges for this event. Events were smooth, timely, and I couldn't have asked for more. Without the guys(and gal!) listed below, there would not have been a Grand Prix Charlotte. On behalf of the players and myself -- "Thank You". I personally am well aware that there is alot more to judging than just being at an event. Studying, testing, and experience are just a few of the many requirements that each of these guys deal with just to be able to judge events for the players. And of course, a VERY special thank you to the local judge crew. The local judges put a lot of thought and effort into GP Charlotte not only AT GP Charlotte but also months before the actual event.

JUDGES

Wizards of the Coast's very own Reid Schmadeka attended and was the head scorekeeper for GP Charlotte. Hopefully you got a chance to meet him but then again, we did keep him pretty busy throught the weekend.  I know that while he enjoyed his visit to Charlotte, he was tired and ready to go home for the holidays by Monday. (As much as he travels, anyone would be. Enjoy those well deserved holidays Reid.)

...Uploading.... Web update after web update.... For those folks not fortunate enough to be able to attend GP Charlotte, Reporters/Writers Ted Knutson and Tim Aten were feverishly writing and posting event updates and match highlights to MagictheGathering.com throughout the weekend. Tournament info, standings, lists, editorials, and more for Grand Prix Charlotte can be found here.

What's "Sleep" ? --- While not everyone stayed at the same hotel, the Hampton Inn was by far "the" sleeping spot for most of us. Only a block away from the Convention Center and every night, the downstairs area was full of Magic players playing, drafting, etc well into the AM hours after the Convention Center had closed. The Magic players were everywhere-- in the lobby, elevators, outside, in the breakfast area, etc... And speaking of breakfast? The Hampton's version of a complimentary breakfast was not a cold danish and coffee. How about that loaded breakfast bar!?!? Buffet style - sausage, eggs, pancakes, cereals, biscuits, fresh fruit, varying juices, milk, Hot Chocolate, teas, and how many different blends of coffee??? I know quite a few of us were getting up earlier than we had planned JUST to take advantage of the breakfast bar!! Should you ever find yourself in need of a room in Charlotte.....

Name? DCI Number? -- .... the girls that run registration for the events and take your money. (Notice I use females for collecting monies... they are pretty good at it). -- Haha Seriously though, without these girls I would be lost. These girls are the same ones(for the most part) that take registration at the North Carolina Pre-release events, sell T-shirts, sort lands for drafts, etc; and a couple of them have been doing it since Pre-Releases began. I dare say there has been a time or two that THEY were the reason I made it to the event on time!! All of these girls are my family as well so an extra special "Thank You" for them.

"The Girls"

Ready to do it AGAIN ?!?! --- Well, ....as soon as we get the go ahead from Wizards to run another, SURE!! (Just give us a few months to recuperate from this one first !! ) This event was a lot of work but a lot of FUN as well. There will never be another "First Ever" Grand Prix in North Carolina.... I hope you were among those fortunate enough to be able to attend. This was truly an event unlike any other ever held in North Carolina. Again.... I want to thank all of you for helping to make Grand Prix Charlotte a reality. These events wouldn't be possible without everyone.... the players, judges, staff, dealers, and guests. Me? I'm just the guy who organizes it. If it weren't for all of you, I would just be standing in the room by myself. ALL OF YOU are the ones who "make" the event a reality.

Sincerely----

James W. Bailey Jr.

North Carolina's Premier Events Organizer for Wizards of the Coast

More Pictures

Last Edited: December 24, 2005