The Urban Open was the very first bigtime tournament I went to. Granted, I didn't compete that first time (I didn't yet understand the importance of just competing in everything for the fun of it, rather than the winning of it (I mean, win if you can, but for most of us, getting a podium finish isn't exactly an achievable goal when going to a large tourney (I'm now three parentheses in and we all need to prepare for them to close, good luck))), but even as a lowly attendee, I could tell this was a...I dunno...cultural cornerstone of the axe throwing scene on the east coast.
But now I am competing, and I'm pretty stoked on it. Will I do very well? No, not at all. If you haven't caught on, dear reader, I'm not a terrifically skilled axe thrower. But I do have the right mindset stepping into Bal'mer this time -- that being a sincere desire to have a bunch of fun, talk to a bunch of people, and gather up enough content for this blog to run on autopilot for a little while.
In actuality, I'm paying the entrance fee for content generation. It's a direct funnel. The content funnel.
That isn't to say I don't have other goals, however, and I'd just love to share them with you, my sweet gentle blog visitor.
GOAL NUMBER 1: AVOID IMMEDIATE ELIMINATION
I'm sure there are readers of mine out there that needn't worry about getting roundly swept at a tourney. I, however, am not one of those. If I get to have three matches, I'll consider the weekend a success.
Keep in mind, I'm only competing in the Urban Open itself on Sunday and not the events on Friday or Saturday. I don't know if that increases or decreases my chance of success in this goal, honestly.
GOAL NUMBER 2: EAT STREAT MEATS
Some of you know my body shape. Others do not. For those who have never met me in person, the best way I can describe what I look like is this picture:
I keep this shape by eating whatever I damn well please, most of the time, and I'm planning to do so this weekend. Namely: street meats. I think by having this as a goal, I can at least check one thing off my list and feel like I've really spent my money wisely.
...real talk: doing a quick pass of this post, I realize having the subhead of "street meats" with a picture of a very tired hedgehog under it gives the wrong impression.
GOAL NUMBER 3: MAKE A STUDY OF BIG AXE
I've been negligent in my efforts around big axe. I'm not terribly good at it, and I'd like to be. Part of my learning cycle is thinking about how throwers do what they do while, you know, watching them do it. Through this not-at-all-creepy, blank-faced staring, I can generally see where I'm lacking and begin the process of adjusting how I throw. I think a big ol' tourney like the Urban Open is a good spot to do some learning.
GOAL NUMBER 4: NOT BUY ANOTHER AXE
Listen. Look. Listen.
I bought the most expensive axe I've ever bought at IATC this year, and I gotta cool my effing jets about it. I don't need another axe. I don't. Stop. Don't even COME AT ME with one. Stop it.
GOAL NUMBER 5: BE OPEN AT THE URBAN OPEN
I am a very socially anxious person, and while I can't imagine going to the afterparty, I am going to try to be more sociable with people. For one thing, it makes getting interviews and talking about nerdy-ass axe stuff a bit easier, but it also lets me participate in one of the best parts of the sport: the community. So if I'm able to suppress my natural inclination to disassociate, I'm going to actually introduce myself/participate in conversations. This is my entire Saturday goal (as I won't be competing, unless you count inner struggle a competition).
Will this absolutely happen? Prolly not, but it's fun to think about.
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