Nostalgic & Happy Moments At The World Championship In Atlanta Over the Past 7 Years

[Laaba 80]

Originally Posted by elemental

- Meeting Scott

I'm assuming you mean Scott Evans. 2004 was my first year in atlanta where my lego team was the first to get 3 perfect scores in competition, then got to meet Scott. Since then me and a few of my old teammates made a point to go find him and have a quick talk. We were disappointed on friday afternoon because we werent able to find him. We ended up passing him on the street on the way to the fountain later. We didnt get to talk, but we got to say hi.

As for the happy moments, it is hard to beat the feeling after getting that 3rd perfect score.

[kirtar]

For me and likely the rest of our website crew, it's undoubtedly winning that Website Award. After a fiasco in 2008 when the website effectively took a step backwards, we set our sights on bringing it back up to the level that the 2006 website was at. After our dedicated to obsessive-compulsive work in the 2009 and 2010 season, it was quite gratifying to become (to the best of our knowledge) the first team to win the Championship Website Award twice (please correct me if I'm wrong because I can't find anything past 2003).

After that it's probably the amount of attention we got for our random side projects such as the 3D video setup we made Saturday morning, and the "Cagway"

[elemental]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

I'm assuming you mean Scott Evans. 2004 was my first year in atlanta where my lego team was the first to get 3 perfect scores in competition, then got to meet Scott. Since then me and a few of my old teammates made a point to go find him and have a quick talk. We were disappointed on friday afternoon because we werent able to find him. We ended up passing him on the street on the way to the fountain later. We didnt get to talk, but we got to say hi.

As for the happy moments, it is hard to beat the feeling after getting that 3rd perfect score.

Yes, Scott Evans. When I went my team practically stalked him.
Apparently my coach knew him a bit and before we went to Atlanta my team made him a poster with our team mascot getting frustrated with the hybrid car model. (Power Puzzle...that thing would always break!) We were able to give it to him and he had a good laugh.

Wow you guys got a perfect score?! Thats awesome.
I still miss FLL and I'm glad for opportunities to volunteer at local events.

[kirtar]

Originally Posted by elemental

Yes, Scott Evans. When I went my team practically stalked him.
Apparently my coach knew him a bit and before we went to Atlanta my team made him a poster with our team mascot getting frustrated with the hybrid car model. (Power Puzzle...that thing would always break!) We were able to give it to him and he had a good laugh.

Wow you guys got a perfect score?! Thats awesome.
I still miss FLL and I'm glad for opportunities to volunteer at local events.

I didn't think that perfect scores were still possible given the ridiculous number of things they have on the mission list now, but I was shown wrong on I think Thursday when I looked at the Einstein screen. Although my personal favorite thing while I was in FLL was the over perfect scores from the No Limits year (ball scored across the table)

[Billfred]

A few of mine:

-Seeing Archimedes 2004, which was stacked deep with teams like 71, 121, 237, 494, 330, and 111 while volunteering alongside folks like Dan Green, Jeff Seaton, David Kelly, and several others I don't quite remember with time. When that's your second FRC event ever, it's great at getting the hooks into you!

-Watching 1396's One-Day Wonder take form that same year.

-Playing catch with Genia.

-Clipboards, clipboards, clipboards.

-Watching FVC/FTC grow year after year after year between Half-Pipe Hustle on through to Quad Quandary. (You thought the Simbots built a mean FRC robot...)

-The Ringer of Destiny on Einstein in 2007, where 177 shoved a well-placed ringer up 71's ramp to prevent 179 from making a (Championship-winning) climb. (Say what you will about their camera work, the big screen feed shows the play beautifully.)

-Getting the chance to see 217 in between finals matches on Einstein in 2008. I was on the floor in the media corral at the corner closest to Einstein. After Finals 1, 217 parked themselves directly in front of us and started getting to work on pre-flight checks. Their precision under immense pressure was a sight to see--I wish I still had the raw footage. (I personally would've been freaking out, though it also would've been my first rodeo. Not the case with those guys.)

I know I'm easily forgetting several--I'll repost when they come back to me.

[kirtar]

Oh how could I forget George H. W. Bush's comment in 2008:
"FIRST is like the WWF, but for smart people"

[OZ_341]

The trumpet player performing the National Anthem at several of the Atlanta Championships. I forget his name, but that amazing sound always sent chills down my spine.

[Conor Ryan]

• Being There
• Getting tossed in the fountain as a senior (see wai)
• Lying down in the center of the Georgia Dome, looking straight up. (I'm in to architecture)
• Realizing how large the World Congress Center is
• Webhugs.
• The Joe Matt.
• The infamous escalators
• Waking up at 6:30am just to go buy donuts before the line gets obscene
• All of the numerous hotels, omni will be my favorite, nothing like having friends from other teams come and try to sneak you out late.
• Paper airplane contests
• That time we made the mistake of deciding to walk to the baggage claim instead of taking the monorail at the airport. We landed in terminal E.
• Any robot.
• Meeting a ton of friends that you only know online
• Having a team in the running for chairman's.
• Any hollywood produced chairman's video. 254's always sticks out though.
• Knowing that your rookie team made it there

[JaneYoung]

Originally Posted by OZ_341

The trumpet player performing the National Anthem at several of the Atlanta Championships. I forget his name, but that amazing sound always sent chills down my spine.

Jessie McGuire. I'm adding an older thread for old time's sake.

The first time I was at the Championship, we rose for the (USA) National Anthem and a trumpeter began to play. I had goosebumps on top of goosebumps. That evening in our team meeting, our lead teacher, Mr. Bertucci, gave the team a lesson in how we should not burst out in spontaneous applause and cheers and continue applauding and cheering throughout the National Anthem. We couldn't help ourselves but did try to control the cheering and applause better.

Thank you, everyone - the memories are great. I've received a PM or two from some folks in Atlanta, thanking us for the memories. I hope we continue to add them. 7 years is a lot of good memories.

Jane

[Nick Lawrence]

If there is one thing I will never forget, it's the experience of walking into the Georgia Dome for the first time in 2008. Even after two regional events and one offseason of driving, nothing could prepare me for the energy and excitement I felt upon entering the Dome for the first time as a freshman to play Overdrive back then.

Also, I remember when I was down on the floor with Team 1114 Simbotics when they won their first championship in 2008. There was something magical then that I can't explain, you simply have to experience.

The city workers and hotel staff of Atlanta were always kind to me, and seemed enthusiastic to be part of hosting the FIRST Championship. I don't remember coming across somebody who worked for the city or the Marriot Marquis who was unprofessional or unkind.

Thank you Atlanta, it was fun. From your marvelous Georgia Dome, to the Georgia World Congress Center, and Centennial Olympic park, it was a hell of a lot of fun.

-Nick

[Andrew Schreiber]

2005, walking out onto the floor of the dome from the tunnel for the first time. There is just something awe inspiring about it when you are a 15 yr old kid.

I have been to Atlanta every single year the Championship was held there. I remember watching 71 win the whole thing in 2004. I remember 67's year made of pure win in 2005. I remember drive practice with 217 and then watching them win it all in 2006. I remember 2007, my senior year, when I ran into 5 students from my elementary class (it was only 7 students) down there. I remember the sadness of not playing in the afternoon in 2008. I have a lot of memories of Atlanta. When I was taking the MARTA out Sunday morning I almost felt sad that I would probably never come back here. So long Atlanta.

St Louis, you have some big shoes to fill.

[Shane L]

The bus ride down, will be a nostalgic moment for me. I have never had so much fun on the road my whole life. The Championship was awesome, it was a great adventure with great friends. Wish i could do the whole thing over again

[James1902]

-Exploding Wheels!
-Ultimate Frisbee in centennial park
-Thursday Dinner at the CNN center
-Getting lost on the way to the Varsity
-Having to wear safety glasses to watch the wrap party fireworks
-The view of the stands from Einstein, totally unforgettable