Your First Contest

Okay, here’s the deal. You’ve been building a while and one day at your LHS, you see a flyer for a contest. A local IPMS club is doing a contest nearby and you decide you’d like to compete.

You carefully pack up your models and drive out to the site on Sunday morning. When you get there, there’s a ton of cars in the lot and guys walking in with models in hand, in soda flats, in elaborate carrying cases.

You fall in line and get yourself registered and fill out the forms. (1) You’re a newbie here so you really don’t know anyone. Inside you see a cornucopia of dealers with all kinds of stuff and the display room. Models on the tables range from rough, brush painted snap-tites to [bow]works of art. You put your stuff on the tables and settle in to shop and look around. You see a lot of these guys chatting with each other and generally hanging out. (2)

Soon, an announcement is made for the (3) judges’ meeting and a lot of these guys go off somewhere to return a bit later with file folders. Some have pen-lights and in groups of two or three start examining models. (4) Some models get moved forward and some back. Some seem to be getting close examination and some seem to be ignored. (5) Some classes are done in no time and some take forever.

In the fullness of time, the announcer calls people to the stage for awards. Awards are given out. A lot of the guys you saw judging are taking awards and your model doesn’t place. [:(](6) What happened? Did they just take your money to buy themselves awards? Was it only members of the sponsoring club who got awards? (7) You leave disappointed and vow not to return and post on your favorite forum what a [:(!]crappy experience this was. (8)

What could you have done to make the day better?
(1) Before you leave home, prepare a description of what you did to make your model special. If the markings are unusual, include a picture of the prototype.
(2) Many guys have been doing contests for years and have gotten to know each other well. Some come form a long distance or attend only their own club’s contest. So part of what you’re seeing is a combination class reunion/old home week/homecoming party. Keep coming back and you’ll be part of that group, too.
(3) While you’ve never judged before, go to the judges’ meeting and introduce yourself. Explain that you’re new and that you’d like to follow along with a team to see how it’s done. You will be welcomed. Hey, at some point you may become a judge yourself and relieve the pressure on these guys. You’ll also get to look at the models a whole lot closer than you might have otherwise. Judging is second only to being tutored by a more advanced modeler in learning what goes into a good model.
(4) This is the cut process. The stuff being brought forward is what will ultimately be judged. The guys who are judging may have already done some preliminary examinations. The judges have also been doing this long enough to be able to pick out models with big basic flaws pretty quickly, glue stains, open seams, brush marks, silvered decals, etc. What they won’t be looking at is the exactness of the color or if you corrected the number of rivets used to hold the engine on a plane. Frankly, no one person, or group of three, will know everything about every prototype out there, and no one is going to be measuring to see if you have reduced the wingspan one scale inch. What they will be looking at is if the wings, wheel, tracks are level and even.
(5) Since most contests are done on a first, second, third basis, what often happens is there are two models that are nearly equal in quality. Most contests don’t allow ties, so the judges have to scrutinize the models to find which one has the slightest edge to get first and which one drops to second. The reverse is also true. Judges often have to figure out which model has the least egregious faults so it can be awarded third.
(6) Judges have been doing this a while and have learned what is expected of a winning model, so it follows they will have developed skills to win. Judges never do classes they enter, nor do they get to see the builder’s name. Clubs work very hard at keeping their contest honest. A clearly dishonest contest will not last long.
(7) This is a common misconception. First, the local club will likely have the greatest number of representatives since they will have the shortest distance to travel. Secondly, as a newbie, you won’t know who is a member of which, if any club, and you might assume that the guys you saw hanging out together were all members of the same club.
(8) If you have questions, ask the organizers at the end of the event why your model wasn’t picked. They will be able to kindly point out weaknesses and places to improve. If you live close enough and meeting times are convenient, consider joining the club. You’ll learn who was a member and learn valuable skills as well as making real world friends.

Nice info.

There are lots of people that have had ‘bad’ experiences at a contest. In my limited experience, this is usually due to someone (not neccessarily the entrant) who just took the whole thing a little too serious, and in some way made it personal. Just like anything, the ‘people’ are what define the event. If you’ve got a bunch of people that are ultra competitive, chances are the contest isn’t gonna be much fun, except for those that win. Hopefully the contest committee will figure this out for future years, or chances are the contest will slowly fade away. If the people are very supportive and a bit more light-hearted, it can be a recipe for a really fun time.

I’ve only been to three contests, two of which are sponsored by my local club. However, all experiences were a lot of fun, and I think there’s a few reasons:

  1. You have to get out and meet people. Don’t expect them to come to you. Go over, introduce yourself, and start chatting. You’ll enjoy the day much more. A lot of people really fear meeting new people – let go of your pride and just go for it. Chances are you’re introducing yourself to someone else who’s ALSO afraid to approach people!
  2. Our contest doesn’t have 1st, 2nd, 3rd place. Each model is judged on it’s own and gets either a Gold, Silver, or Bronze award. If there’s 10 models that deserve a gold medal, then all 10 will get one. I think last year we gave out about 6 Gold, 20+ Silver, and 40+ Bronze. Personally, I think this is an awesome system, because it still rewards excellence, but doesn’t alienate personal achievement.
  3. If anyone’s ‘suspicious’ about the judging, talk openly with one of the judges about it. Don’t accuse them, just seek to understand. In most cases, I think you’ll find that a judge cannot judge his own entry, and an alternate judge will be used. Most judges ‘know’ who built the model, and lots of people believe that can skew the results. Understand that the ‘judges’ are usually asked to judge because of their higher skill levels. They know what to look for. It only makes sense that the higher skilled people will get some awards.
  4. Don’t go to the contest ‘expecting’ anything. Go to see some awsome models and interact with some fun people. Chances are you’ll pick up a few good tips. If you happen to get a little recognition at the end of the day, then consider it a bonus.

Have fun!!

BTW, our next contest (BRIDGECON 2004), will be on May 7th and 8th here in Saskatoon, SK Canada. Look for an announcement soon in the community anouncements section. If you are interested in more info, send me an email and I’ll be happy to help you out!!

Murray

Thanks

I absolutely agree! I’ve been to 2 shows that do this (AMPS East and Long Island Figure Shows). Ultimately is saves judging time, since you don’t have to struggle and starin to pick which of two gold standard models is just that one nit better or which really poorly built model HAS to get an award. My club has been toying with this over the last year. The figure guys may introduce that for figures in 2005.
My group is doing its 14th annual major contest this Sunday 4 April in Chicopee MA. If you’re going to be in the general area, give me a chance to [#welcome] you. Check out the details at http://www.wwmodelclub.org or e-mail me at ajlafleche@aol.com. We have fifty vendor tables to tempt you and the K of C people will be sellling Buffalo wings along with a variety of other [dinner]food on premise!

Those are some good observations. I think I will print this and show it to some of the members of my local club, I think they might learn something.
I am often chosen as judge myself, often I don’t have any models in the contest and I have won a number of contests ( well that is in contests that I did enter [:D] ) so im considered a worthy judge. And yes often you do know who has built the model but that just makes you look even harder because you don’ t want anyone to say that you are just handing out prices to your friends.
I like the idea of gold,silver and bronze medals.

At my first contest (entered rather late in my modelling career) I presented a rather good 1/12 Tamiya Kenny Roberts’ Yamaha YZR500 GP bike - heavily improved (using very good reference material) and the model enhancements were technically very well executed. See the following photo of the model at RonGeorge:
http://rongeorge.com/modules/Gallery/Motorcycles
I got absolutely thrashed at the contest and lost many many points because:

  1. I didn’t bring the original instructions
  2. I didn’t bring the original box
  3. I didn’t bring any reference material to state the enhancements I made were “correct”
    To make matters worse, a vastly inferior bike model actually won that category. All the bikes that placed ahead of mine were truly inferior in build quality and realism. I guess I got the last laugh - I sold it to a collector for $500 many years later.
    I guess my point is this - Aljafleche and Murray both made some very good points - to really get serious if you want to compete, get in there and talk to people. Talk to the organisers. Talk to the judges. Talk to the other competitors. Get involved.
    Strangely, your “competition” is your best source of advice. I’ve NEVER EVER been refused information from a fellow competitor. They’ve ALWAYS been eager to tell you exactly how they did “this”, and how they fixed “that”. You’ll find lots of very happy, enthusiastic people at contests who are only too happy to help you out in any way they can. Just ask - you’ll be surprised how much help you’ll get.
    I got truly nailed the first time I entered a contest.
    The next time, I was better prepared and placed first in 1/12 scale bikes category.
    Cheers, mate

Thanks for the heads-up!!! I’ve been curious as to how the process works, since I am going to enter my first one at the Tamiya Con in a couple of weeks. Though, I’m not really going to “compete” per say. Though I am entering a “box stock” NSX, I can tell ya right now, she ain’t an award winner. I am going for the experience, atmosphere, tips, and just to check out some wonderful models. I also decided to enter, because I thought that it would help me to have a “deadline” so to speak, since sometimes I tend to be to Lax, and can be a bit of a procrastonater. I thought that by aiming for a specific date, it would help me keep up and follow through. So far so good, and thanks to your tips, I hope to really enjoy myself!!! I will let you know how it goes!!!

You’re already a winner if that’s your approach. It’s good to have ‘goals’, but be realistic and make sure you have fun!!

Murray

Nice points taken[:D] Competing can be a nerve racking experience if you build and expect to win. My first contest was in 1978 so I’ve been to a few as both contestant and judge. If the contest is asking for documentation, then I tend to stay away from it since they will be judging more for historical accuracy and not on workmanship. These contests, I found, were also the ones that had the most bickering since they put a bunch of self proclaimed experts in a room an then they start to argue with each other.

I did find that the more I competed, the more I began winning. But I think it was more from applying modeling skills from what I learned at past contests than from being known by the organizers.

You are not winning anything if you don’t network. I got to have some really great modelers show me their techniques hands on, which is much better than trying to read a book or a webpage.

A couple contests I have been in also had quick builds and junkyard wars builds. These are a blast since all the contestants are entered and divided into teams to see you can build the best model in a couple of hours. The general public were the judges.

I compete for the chance to meet and talk models, to learn many new ways to improve my skills, and to have fun. Iv’e come home with trophies as big a fruit bowels and have come home with just a model and no prize. Either way, I felt the same gratification from just being able to spend a weekend with others that enjoy this hobby.

Scott

I had a couple of questions I thought of today at work. When you go and enter your model, do they put it on a table, and you stand/sit next to it, or does it go on a table with a bunch of other models in the same category?? Are you free to wander around, and do they have a way of keeping children from handling them?? Do the Judges handle them?? Do I need to have a base for my model, or can I sit it on the table?? It all sounds like a very exciting experience. I’m glad that I went ahead and made reservations for the IPMS Nats. Even though I haven’t been to my first one yet, I thought that the Nats was going to be way too cool to pass up, even if I just go for the museums and models!!!

No

Maybe. Most IPMS style contests are done this way to accomodate judgng wihtin the class. Open systems, lke figure shows have all a person’s stuff together, since they are judged to a standard and not againt the rest of the class. AMPS is halfway between this.

Most of the time. Some shows will close the room for judging, which will happen at the Nationals, but most local shows leave the room open.

Many shows in New England use 18 inchh PVC tube risers for the tables, keeping nost curious hands off, and making viewing/judging easier.

In most cases, yes, unless you stipulate on your ID sheet not to. Some contests allow only the moving of models for a better view but no picking up. THe Nationals allows judges to handle the models.

IPMS national rules do not judge a base unless it is in vignette/diorama, but for the viewers, a base gives your model more life. Most figure shows expect you to palce your figure in a realistic setting.

Even after all this time of going to contests and having a fair share of success, it’s always a great time to go to a show. Have a great time at the Nats!