More developments as they come in... but here is what we know now:
Sign-up
Please sign up on this web site (click here). Then show up on the day and check in at the front table.If you're under 18 have a grown-up there to sign off as your parent/guardian.
Divisions
Rookie Division: 1 minute freestyle. Get up there and show us your tricks for 1 minute, in one style only. You can't sign up for Rookie Division if you are signing up for any other division.Freestyle Divisions: Contestants that are sponsored by a manufacturer or shop are automatically in the "Sponsored" division. All other competitors are considered "Inde". If a contestant has a record of competition and wants to compete in the "Sponsored" division, they can contact the organizer and ask to be bumped up.
Within their division, each contestant can enter up to 5 freestyles, each one a different style of play (1A-5A). The first round of freestyles will be 1 minute long preliminary freestyles. The top scoring freestyles in the first round will advance to the finals round.
Final round freestyles will be 2 minutes long for Inde contestants and for Sponsored contestants unless otherwise arranged.
Judging
The BLC uses criteria-based judging. This means that final round freestyles will be judged by a panel of 5 judges, each judging a specific criteria:-Proficiency (x2)- competency, tricks completed/missed, diversity of tricks, and overall command of yo-yo
-Technicality- Difficulty of tricks and routine as a whole
-Innovation- originality, creativity, and newness of tricks and routine
-Presentation- smoothness, style, flow and stage presence
What this means is that you will get one score for how proficient your routine is, another score for how technical your routine is, another score for how innovative your routine is, another score for your presentation and a second proficiency score. Then these scores will be tallied and an over-all score generated from that by normalizing the scores per judge and then totaling each judge.
If you have a question on the score processing, please talk to Mark McBride at the beginning of the contest or send an email to blc@yoyomafia.org
Rookie division and first round freestyles will be judged on proficiency, technicality and innovation. The panel of judges has yet to be determined.
Donation
No one who shows up with a working yo-yo will be turned away. But putting on the contest does cost the organizers money and if you'd like to help off-set that cost we suggest contestants throw in:Rookie division - $5
For Freestyle divisions (Inde or Sponsored)
any 1 division- $10
any 2 divisions - $15
any 3 divisions - $20
any 4 divisions - $25
all 5 divisions - $30
Music
MUSIC MUST BE UPLOADED BEFORE JULY 28!!!Click HERE to upload music.
If you do not upload music, we will provide it for you.
Seeding to Nationals
The official word from the US National Yo-yo Contest is:Qualification System
All competitors at the National Yo-Yo Contest must qualify through a Regional Contest
Qualifiers to National Finals from a regional contest:
1A: 1st place Regional competitor
2A: 1st place overall
3A: 1st place overall
4A: 1st place overall
5A: 1st place overall
Qualifies to National Semi-Finals (1-min):
Overall players in a contest (regardless of where they live in the United States)
1A: 1st through 6th place overall PLUS Top 3 Regional competitors
2A: 2nd through 3rd place overall PLUS top 3 Regional competitors
3A: 2nd through 3rd place overall PLUS top 3 Regional competitors
4A: 2nd through 5th place overall PLUS top 3 Regional competitors
5A: 2nd through 5th place overall PLUS top 3 Regional competitors
Additional Requirements:
All qualifiers must have placed in the top 50% of the preliminary round to be seeded.
The What if Clause:
If a competitor was unable to attend a Regional contest to qualify, they may petition the National Yo-Yo Contest for qualification to the 1-min semi-finals by writing a letter stating why they were unable to attend any regional contest in the 2009 contest season and provide a contest resumé demonstrating their level of competition is that of a National competitor.