2018 Single Grip Open

/

Event Overview

Single Grip Open SGO 2018 poster copy.jpeg

The 2018 Single Grip Open Begleri Contest will run next week, November 26th to December 2nd, 2018. The 2018 competition will closely resemble the 2017 one. The event will take place online, with contestants submitting continuous clips showing off their best “single grip” begleri flow. Clips can be submitted via Instagram, Facebook, or Reddit (details below). Like last year, the definition of “single grip” play is fairly open, but all entries must comply with the rules, and must be in the spirit of the event (i.e., don’t go looking for loopholes and grey areas.. focus on single grip). As with last year, the main focus of the event is participation—the whole point of this is to get the community involved. To encourage broad participation, the main contest will be for unsponsored players. Sponsored players and those representing begleri companies are invited participate in an exhibition division, and will still be eligible for some of the prizes up for grabs.

Rules

Below are the rules for the contest, but please bear in mind that the judges reserve final right to disqualify a clip that is deemed to be not in the spirit of the contest, regardless of whether or not it is in direct violation of any rules.  

  • Clip must be continuous, and must be 20s to 30s in length

  • Clip may contain slow motion segments, zooming, and other editing, provided the continuity of the clip is not interrupted (freeze frames are allowed, but no reversal of clip direction)

  • Any begleri can be used (i.e., it does not need to be an AO2 set)

  • Please only submit one clip. Participants posting more than one clip will be disqualified.

  • Clip must be performed from a single grip, with the following clarifications:

    • Players are allowed to switch between grip variants (i.e., standard to fakie or back, within the same grip)

    • “Additional” grips are allowed on top of the primary grip (i.e., wraps, where the free bead is trapped in a secondary grip; tension grips, where the free bead is caught to create string tension). However, the secondary grip must be released before the primary grip, otherwise it will be considered a grip change, resulting in disqualification.

    • Aerials are allowed, provided the begleri does not change grips in the launch or the catch.

    • Momentary lapses in the grip are allowed, for example, to perform an aerial, pop aerial, a rolling stop, or even a roll, provided there is a continuous motion of the begleri during the entire lapse, and that the begleri is recaptured in the original grip. The begleri can not be paused or slowed in any other grip during the motion (i.e., no zoots). In such motions, the begleri may pass through a maximum of one other grip (without stopping).

    • Switching hands is considered a grip change, and is not allowed (i.e., high grip with the right hand considered a different grip from high grip with left hand); however, the other hand can be used in wraps, rebounds, and tension grips etc., as long as the use of the off hand is in line with the other rules and clarifications.

  • Notwithstanding the rules and clarifications above, the clip must reflect the spirit of this event as a “single grip” contest. If the judges feel there are excessive deviations from that intent, the clip may be disqualified at the judges’ sole discretion, regardless of whether they are explicitly breaking the rules.

  • Anything not explicitly allowed in the rules, and anything falling into a grey area, will be subject to judges’ decision, which will be final. If you’re unsure of something you can contact AO2 for clarification prior to the competition.

Embrace the spirit of the contest: the Single Grip Open is about being creative within the constraint of a single grip, and using that constraint to challenge yourself and your play style. Thinking inside the box can lead you to be creative in new and different ways. Strive to push what is possible within a single grip, rather than looking for loopholes in the rules. If you have to ask, "is this allowable?" you're probably pushing it, but by all means, get in touch with the judges if you have question in advance.

Judging

Like last year, the 2018 contest will use a “criteria-based” scoring system, with clips being rated on the basis of relevant criteria (details below). There will be several judges, and a criteria-based rubric which will be used to determine the winning clips.

This year’s judges will be:

  • NEW! Mitch Busta @xkorgx

  • Mitch @musclebones

  • Gary @jorgomli

  • Colton @colton_begleri

  • Joe @monkeyfistbegleri

  • And yours truly Matt @aroundsquare

SGO Scoring Rubric.png

How to Participate

The 2018 Single Grip Open will run from November 26th to December 2nd, 2018. All you have to do to participate is to prepare a “single grip” begleri clip or edit, compliant with the rules below, and post it publicly to one of the designated platforms, as below:

All clips must be submitted prior to 11:59pm Pacific time on December 2nd, 2018. Clips will be reviewed by the judges, and winners will be announced after the closing of the contest, likely December 3rd or 4th.

Draw prizes will be awarded on each day of the contest, from November 26th to December 2nd, meaning that participants who submit a clip earlier will have more chances to win. There will be one draw prize winner per day, randomly selected from clips as of that day. 

Prizes

Lots of great prizes are planned for this year’s contest, including draw prizes that will go to randomly selected participants. There will be designated prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in the main contest. Draw prizes will be given to randomly selected participants from both the main and exhibition division. There will also be a “most innovative” award which will go to the most innovative entry from either of the divisions. 

Screen Shot 2018-11-20 at 11.58.32 AM.png