Ramp Riot Vex

[Ben Mitchell]

First off, I'd like to say that the 2006 Ramp Riot event was quite possibly the best off-season competition event I have ever attended. Not only was the event well organized and well staffed, but the atmosphere was friendly and positive, giving me flashbacks to the College Avenue event back in 2001.

As far as the FIRST Vex event that was held concurrently with the FRC event goes, I think an evaluation of “monumental success” would be appropriate. With the fantastic scoring table staffed by Big Mike and Amanda Morrison, the fields coordinated by Joe Perrotto from 365 and Vince Frascella (the NJ Vex director), as well as refereeing by Jeff from 365, the event worked through software problems and gained momentum as the day drew on. After the first 10 matches or so, we were able to manage a two field Vex event very efficiently. With the amount of talent in that room, I think it could be compared to a regional event – or at the very least, a very strong trial run of how such an event would run.

I also noticed throughout the day that there was a large amount of crossover between FRC and FVC teams – with elements of both moving back and forth to watch both competitions. FRC teams with attached FVC teams seemed to benefit in particular in having two concurrently run events. I feel that having a concurrent event helped both sides to interact and raise interest level in each. FVC and FRC are closely intertwined, and having both events at the same time in the same venue reflected that interconnectivity in a very engaging and positive way. I did not feel either event was held at the expense of the other – there was plenty of action on both arenas to satisfy spectators and team members alike.

As far as the FVC teams go, I was really impressed with the quality of the robots being brought into play and the degree of maturity and professionalism that these FVC teams brought with them to this event. Although this event was an informal competition, there was a lot of excitement and a large audience. I think that if video of this event were to be compared to a regional competition, one would be hard pressed to tell the difference. I’d like to thank the teams for making this event as exciting and as fun as it was – truly, I think the spirit of gracious professionalism was captured as teams helped one another program and fix mechanical problems, interacted and shared knowledge.

I personally had a great time, and I’d go so far as to say that today one of my best experiences in FIRST. My personal thanks go out to Vince, Joe, and Jeff, and the field reset crews of 365 and others, who really helped this event run smoothly. I believe that Big Mike and Amanda deserve a round of applause for helping run the scoring table and announcements. Their involvement was vital in having this event run as well as it did. I’d also like to thank team 2073 (I think that’s their number) for staying behind and helping to disassemble and pack up the Vex fields.

As far as the layout of the fields and issues regarding refereeing go, I think that we learned a lot and this event served as an excellent way to field test the FVC game and iron out technical and setup issues.

Overall, this event was fantastic, and I look forward to future Vex events. The robots may be smaller, but the excitement was just as intense as an FRC event – hearing cheers across the room as robots hung from the bar and scored points in autonomous was really great.

Cheers to 341 for hosting a fabulous event. I hope that having a Vex event at Ramp Riot becomes a regular feature – I think the overwhelming positive response to this event is a good sign of things to come.

(Edit: I thought this post was worth a separate thread due to the focus on the Vex competition during Ramp Riot rather than the FRC event)

Second Edit: I was the ref in the TCNJ sweatshirt, and reffing was a blast.

[KathieK]

I also enjoyed the enthusiasm of the teams participating in the FVC scrimmage. It was great to see how the game played out and I picked up a lot of ideas for ConnVex next month.

[Freddy Schurr]

This was a great event and I had a lot of fun practicing play by play before I head over to the Dec 3rd NJ VEX Tournament and do it for real.Shout out to all the teams that competed and making this a wonderful event.

Also shout out to Kathie Kentfield, one cool FIRST person!

[DonRotolo]

I completely agree with Ben's comments. Our rookie VEX team gained a lot from participating, and yes, it WAS hard to tell that it wasn't a regional.

Matter of fact, participating in this event helped the team understand what we've been saying about strategy, and also the weaknesses in their design, all of which will allow them to compete with a much stronger entry in competition on December 3rd.

This was my first time to Ram Riot and, aside from the slightly small FRC pits, it had all the lements and excitemtns and prefoessionality of a full regional. These guys really know how to run a top-notch event

Don

[Lkr220]

I was not anticipating the FVC event to be as real as it really was. I felt like i was at a real event. I want to thank all the teams who participated and all the people who helped out for making it such a great day. My team (1676) really learned a lot about competing with our robot and its flaws. We are a rookie team and didn't really know what to expect, so this practice really helped us.

I can't wait to see all the teams again at the NJ Championship

Thanks to team 3208 for being a great alliance partner and helping us get all the way to the finals.

[OZ_341]

To the FRC and FVC Teams of Ramp Riot 2006:

Thank you for attending Ramp Riot 2006 and for bringing your incredible spirit to the event. We just wanted to say that this year's Ramp Riot was the best ever and its all because of YOU!! Your graciousness on and off the field was noticed by everyone including our overworked field crew.
Your enthusiasm and hard work inspired our newest rookie members. You also inspired the kids of Episcopal Academy so much that they are going to register for FRC 2007. Their original plan was to enter in 2008, but watching you changed their minds.
56 teams from 7 states converged on Wissahickon this past weekend. The event operated 1 FRC field and 2 FVC fields simultaneously. Ramp Riot also raised 900 food cans for the Ambler Cupboard largely due to your efforts. As we approach the new season, it is important to know that this is what we can acheive when we work together. Its simply amazing.
Shortly I will send out a list of organizations that helped us pull off this amazing feat. Team 341 is certainly grateful for their help and we encourage you to write to them as well.
But until we assemble this list, I just want to say... THANK YOU to Mike Wade. This event is possible only through his kindness and dedication to FIRST. We could not do this without him!
Thank you again to everyone that attended this year!!
You are the spirit of Ramp Riot 2006!

Al Ostrow
Team 341

Ramp Riot Official Competition Results:
FVC Champions Teams 2073, 3179, and 3323
FRC Champions: 173, 357, 222, & 484
FRC Finalists: 225, 768, 103, & 539
Most Cans Raised: Team 365
#1 Seed: Team 365
Spirit of Ramp Riot: (tie) Teams 357 & 87
Judges Award: Team 153, Episcopal Academy