Hello World!
This blog post is going to be a little different from my usual ones, as this post is being written with a more specific audience in mind - local Magic Judges who have yet to experience the fun and adventures that travelling to judge at far away events can be. Since there is a greater likelihood that someone may end up reading this post whom I don't personally know, please allow me to take a moment to properly introduce myself.
Hello! My name is Jason and like so many of my closest friends in life, I am someone who absolutely loves the game Magic: The Gathering. In fact, you could say that my whole life revolves around the game! I am a co-founder of a local game store and as such, most of my professional life revolves around introducing potential new players to what I firmly believe may be the greatest game ever created - Magic: The Gathering.
Long before I ever dreamed of quitting my day job to open up a game store, I was a Magic player. After a few years of playing Magic, I put in the work required to become a Magic Judge - and it has changed my life since then in so many wonderful ways. Fast forward to today, and I am now a Level 2 Magic Judge and someone who has enjoyed many benefits that being a Magic Judge can provide.
I feel that the greatest benefit I have personally gained from my journey as a Magic Judge so far has to be the ability that Judging has given me to travel the World* and visit places that never would have been accessible for me otherwise.
*well...North America, at least - but other continents are definitely a possibility in my future!
The Road So Far
Getting accepted to judge at Grand Prix Providence (2016) was a really big achievement for me. It would be the first Magic event that I would fly to as a Judge. Luckily for me, I already knew several other people who are Magic Judges that also like to travel to large events, and I was able to travel with a Judge-friend, which took away almost all of the stress of planning our trip.
In the time since that Grand Prix in Providence, I have flown to several more Grand Prix events across North America, including my most recent trip to GP Las Vegas. With a couple years of accumulated experiences from travelling to large Magic events, I wanted to take a moment to share some insights I've gained, and to share some of the reasons why I believe that travelling to judge at large Magic events is one of the best opportunities we can ever be given.
Learn Magic & See The World
Travelling for judging can be a great way to subsidize the costs of adventuring around the World. During Grand Prix Las Vegas this year, I spent my Thursday working on a team with Klaus Lassacher, a level 2 Magic Judge who had came to GP Las Vegas all the way from Austria. I had recognized Klaus from seeing him on staff during Grand Prix Toronto earlier this year, but a quick glance at Klaus' history of events shows me that in just the past 6 months he has been on staff at events all around the World, including; Canada, The United States, England, Italy, Spain and many more countries across Europe.
Working with Klaus gave me a great opportunity to get to know him, and when we went on break together halfway through our shift I got to sit down with him and discover that Klaus is a very funny, yet insightful person all at once. We discussed all sorts of topics - everything from World War II to Beethoven, and many things in between. I asked him about his experiences of travelling for judging, which lead me to the following question:
Me: What's the one thing you would want to tell other judges who may be considering travelling to judge at a far away event for their first time?
Klaus: Just do it. People can imagine so many things that may go wrong when they try something new, but those things almost never happen! Travelling to judge is amazing, you have to try it.
In the time since I first began travelling for judging, I've been lucky to build friendships with some of the best judges you could find anywhere. I wanted to add a little extra insight from one of those judges whom I deeply admire and respect - Megan Linscott, a Level 2 judge from Maine, USA.
Me: How many events would you estimate that you have traveled to, for judging?
Megan: All the large events I’ve judged have been out of my area*, it’s a necessity for me if I want to work them since we don’t get anything big in Maine. I’ve done a bunch of GPs and SCG events. Usually, I do the ones close enough to drive to, but I’ve flown for a few.
*a quick glance at judge apps lists over 40 large events already for Megan!
Me: What do you feel are the best reasons / perks for people who travel to judge? Why do you keep doing it?
Megan: I love traveling anyway, so having an excuse to go to new places regularly is great. I keep doing it for the people, though. I’ve made friends with judges and players from all over the world.
Me: Any advice for people who may be considering applying for their first far off event? What would you say to someone who is unsure about taking the leap?
Megan: If you’re nervous about the planning or the travel, go with a buddy. Having a familiar face in a new place helps a lot.
Before The Trip
Step 1 for any judge-related adventures begins with applying to work at an event, and then getting accepted to be on staff. I've had some good success with getting accepted to be on staff at large events over the past few years, and if there is one piece of advice that I would like to pass along to others when applying for a position on a large event's staff, it's this:
Don't ask them for a job because you want one, sell them a useful and hard working person because they need one.
Focus on your strengths. If you are very detail oriented, mention that. If you have a great memory and know a ton of corner case rules interactions, let them know. If you work with the public in your full-time career and have good customer service skills, definitely let them know. Explain in your application as many ways as possible that you will be able to help improve their event, even if it's while you are also gaining your first valuable experience of judging in a large event.
Oh, and let them know that you like picking up trash and pushing in chairs. Trust me, that's an asset.
Planning Your Trip
I find that my judging adventures are far less stressful (and hence, far more fun) if I put a little extra thought into my planning process. A good example would be my recent trip to Nevada for GP Las Vegas this year.
I knew that the Grand Prix was scheduled for the middle of June, and that being in the middle of a desert in June would make for some days with uncomfortable heat. I planned to minimize the amount of time I would have to spend outside while going to and from the GP by selecting a hotel to stay at that was conveniently located on the Las Vegas Monorail. I ended up booking a stay at the SLS Hotel and Casino, and it was a great decision. The SLS was cheaper to stay at than the hotel block of rooms reserved for staff at the Westgate, and my travel time was still super short each day. The monorail trains themselves are air conditioned, and with a monorail station attached to our hotel it made for a quick and easy 5 - 10 minute ride to the venue (the Las Vegas Convention Center) each day.
Booking Your Trip
Websites such as Expedia and Travelocity can help you book your trip with some convenient all-in-one online shopping. A friend of mine swears by a phone app from Skyscanner.
Protip: Many judges prefer to use the same service to book all of their trips whenever possible, in order to earn 'status' with that service and the perks that status can bring. For that same reason, people will also often times book an airfare with their preferred airline even if there is a comparable flight for less with another competitor. Your mileage on this will vary depending on if you become a frequent traveler or not.
I find that airline ticket prices tend to fluctuate a fair bit, and if you wait too long to book your flight you can end up paying a lot more for airfare than necessary. For optimal results I try to book my flights 6 to 8 weeks ahead of time if possible, but generally follow a 'the sooner, the better' philosophy.
Protip: Travel with friends to reduce costs! Many judges will often split hotel accommodations in order to make trips more affordable. Four people to a room has been my personal limit, but I have heard many stories of judges who have slept on couches, rollaway cots and occasionally even the floor of a hotel room in order to save some extra cash. For me personally, I have broken even on the cost of some of my trips just by splitting a room with one 1 or 2 other travelers.
A Working Vacation
Make your visits to new cities around the World for judging into an adventure! Every city that hosts a Magic Grand Prix is filled with fun attractions to discover. At GP Montreal 2016, I spent my weekend by judging the main event during each day, and travelling with friends to a different escape room somewhere in the city each night. At GP Las Vegas this year, I worked 3 afternoon shifts of side events, and then had all Sunday off to enjoy the fun of Las Vegas. That meant a day filled with grown-up drinks while walking the Strip (...the slushies are awesome!), followed by an all-you-can-eat dinner at a Brazillian steak house (it was an absolute feast), and an amazing evening with front row seats at Cirque Du Soleil!
The fun never stops in Las Vegas! A must-visit city for anyone who hasn't been there.
A weekend away in Orlando can lead to memories that last a lifetime
Keepsakes to remember my many adventures
Earlier in this blog post I said that being able to start travelling the World has been the greatest benefit I have gained from being a Magic Judge. Now that we are nearing the end of this post, I'll be honest and tell you that there was something I left out in that statement. For me, the best benefit I have been given has been the amazing friendships I have built with so many spectacular people whom I would never have had an opportunity to know without travelling for Judging. I have found that almost every person I have worked with at large Magic events across North America have been absolutely outstanding people, whom I am very blessed and honored to consider as both my peers and my friends.
A small sample of the many amazing people I count as my friends... and Karn.
If you haven't yet taken the leap of travelling to some fun and far off city for a weekend of judging, I strongly encourage you to do so. The friendships you'll build and the memories you'll make will last a lifetime. And who knows, maybe we'll even get to be on staff together someday, and we can trade stories about our favorite Magic adventures. 😄
-JVM
