Belegarth

The date has been set. February 19th. 12 to 5pm

If you have never been to a Wolfpack Opener you have been missing out. Seriously...

The event will be held in Horton Fieldhouse as usual. Parking in the big lot at College and Main in Normal, IL.

Here's the location if you haven't been there before: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source= ... 45447&z=15

Sweet I'm so ready for it!!!

I'll totally quit my job for this event. SO pumped.

Made a quick, lazy facebook event:

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=168239539887522

OMG.
This awesome * event is less than a month away.

Is there updated times yet?

When will you have pre reg up? I have minors that need to get that taken care of.

Ian Moons wrote:When will you have pre reg up? I have minors that need to get that taken care of.

No pre-reg in the traditional sense for this event...just make sure that if they're under 18 they bring their legal ID (state ID or driver's license) and a notarized waiver, a copy of which can be found here. Yes, I know that that's last year's site...but, well...I couldn't find another e-copy of the waiver.

The waivers for those under 18 are the same as our general waiver.

We allow anyone 16 or older to fight at Opener. If you are in the 16-17 age group and you wish to fight you must present a signed and notarized waiver. Your legal guardian must sign the waiver in front of a Notary of the Public. They can be found in banks across the country. Check to find your local notary.

Your other option is to bring your legal guardian. They must present ID upon entrance and will then be responsible for your behavior. If you mess up, they will be held responsible as well.

You must have an ID when signing in, regardless of age. PLEASE don't forget. If you do, you will be banned from fighting during the event.


And...no update on times. As soon as I know, I'll let you know.

YAY UPDATE


Date: Feb 19th
Time: 12-5pm for fighting
Entry: $5 to get in - Under 18 needs a notarized waiver. Everyone needs a legal ID. No ID, no entry.


Weapons check open from 12 - 1


National event rules will be followed with the additions of: No bare feet, shirts must be worn, and a hard edge will be in effect for safety. Those not in garb will be harassed by gypsies.

What is the cost for small minors (to young to fight)? What hotels are in the near vicinity?

What about people just watching?

Tails wrote:What about people just watching?

I'm just the messenger so I'll have to get back to you on that.


And hotels. I'll get back on that too.

Update for opener

Date is Saturday, February 19 2011, the time is noon until 5. Cost is 5 dollars for anyone over the age of 16 (the age someone can fight at). Sorry but otherwise spectators will be charged as there is no way we can keep track of who fights and who doesn’t.
Just like many have already stated the Wolfpack Opener will knock your socks off. Not only is it somewhere above 350 people in a field house swinging stick. It is warm and it’s the first opportunity people have gotten to do it in forever.
Remember it will be all kinds of awesome.
Now here’s some friendly reminders/rules to make your Wolfpack Opener experience more enjoyable:

#1. Have your waiver filled out ahead of time (aka before you show up) to get a dollar off your entrance fee (it will only be 4 dollars then).
#2. Fill out your waiver completely and be prepared to back it up with a State/Government issued photo ID, this is nonnegotiable.
#3. Don’t show up more than 5 minutes early.
#4. Listen to the heralds, no matter who they are.
#5. Deal with our rules in the field house.
#6. Have fun, and don’t be a jerk.
#7. The Book of War will be in effect for this event, no "special" weapons or rules will be tested at the opener.

If you can deal with these 7 awesome tips, you’re done reading, and I can’t wait to see you at THE best opening event of the year. If you are like me and would like some reasoning behind the rules we have, continue reading for a further explanation of all of these.

#1 DUH, WHO DOESN’T WANT A DOLLAR OFF!!!
#2. Fill out the waiver completely and be prepared to back it up with a State/Government photo ID, this is non-negotiable. If you don’t have an ID you don’t get in. If you don’t fill out your waiver completely, you don’t get in (the exception to this is if you don’t want to share medical info, if you don’t want us knowing you have an extra thumb, or are allergic to penicillin don’t put it on there). We had this waiver made by a lawyer to make it as good as we possibly could, if you don’t like it, you don’t have to come.
#3. Don’t show up more than 5 minutes early. I know it sounds like a good idea to be there early, but there are sports practices going on in the field house before hand so we can’t check stuff early or let people in before they are out.
#4. Listen to the heralds, if you don’t like their calls, too bad, talk to them about it later, when they aren’t busy trying to make your day go smoothly. As anyone who has heralded a battle at an event with more than 100 people knows, it’s hard to keep track of everything that is going on, people arguing with the heralds cause more things to go wrong.
#5. Deal with the weird rules we have in the field house. They are for your safety. There is a hard edge of the world, I know it sounds like an awesome idea to bash someone off the side of the world(hell I thought the same thing), but there are really hard walls, and we don’t want someone hitting their heads into them. It also looks like you should be able to fight under the bleachers but unfortunately some fluorescent lights were almost broken last year due to this, and shards of glass flying everywhere isn’t a good idea. Also if you see/hear a herald sitting in a spot, yelling don’t step in the box, or whatever, LISTEN TO THEM, they are trying to keep you out of a pole vault box, a 2’ by 6” metal box that will break your leg.
#6. DUH, everyone wants to have fun, and no one likes a jerk.
#7. If you want to know the rules, look at the Belegarth Book of War on this website.

Here's that hotel information you asked for Tzigana:

Staywood Hotel And Conference Center
8 Traders Circle, Normal, IL 61761 (309) 452-8300 ‎

Hotel Crowne Plaza Bloomington Normal
8 Traders Circle
Normal, IL 61761 (309) 531-3886

Bloomington-Normal Marriott Hotel & Conference Center
201 Broadway Street
Normal, Illinois 61761
1-309-862-9000

The Chateau Hotel and
Conference Center
1601 Jumer Drive
Bloomington, Illinois 61704
309-662-2020

Motel 6 Normal - Bloomington Area #109
1600 North Main Street
I-55 at Main Street/US 51, Exit #165/165-A
Normal, IL, 61761
Phone: (309) 452-0422

Best Western
6 Traders Circle US Normal, Illinois, 61761-4142, United States
Phone: 309/454-4070

Super 8 Normal Bloomington
Two Traders Circle
I-55 Exit 165 Bus 51 S
Normal, IL 61761-4142
309-454-5858

All of these hotels are within 15 minutes (long time estimate) of the field house, and are in good areas.
See you all soon.

Excited! First wolfpack opener ever for me! See you all there!

Can't wait to have you, about 2.5 weeks left....

Not sure if I will be able to make it this year, but if I can then I can't wait to see you all there hopefully I don't get there an hour early this time.

12 days left, are you ready??

I still have to make a dagger.

Hey, who's head herald for this year?

I believe it is Krikkit, but if you have any questions let me know and I'll make sure they are answered.

Just looking to let him(?) know i'm there to herald and whether i should know about anything coming into it for this year (scenarios and such)...

I'll pass the message along, and thanks for volunteering to help out, we're going to try to keep heralding shifts short again this year.

No worries, i heralded almost all of last year's; it's cool.

If krikkit does have any info or suggestions, they can feel free to PM me.

10 days!

Bevin wrote:

Tails wrote:What about people just watching?

I'm just the messenger so I'll have to get back to you on that.


And hotels. I'll get back on that too.

Don't you have to pay just to get? I mainly just watch, hang out, and take photos at events and I've always had to pay. If this has changed or was never the case...I want some money back. Not to be a *, but yeah, I'm hard up for cash and this could go towards other things. In my opinion, you come, you want in, you pay.

Wren(nen) wrote:

Bevin wrote:

Tails wrote:What about people just watching?

I'm just the messenger so I'll have to get back to you on that.


And hotels. I'll get back on that too.

Don't you have to pay just to get? I mainly just watch, hang out, and take photos at events and I've always had to pay. If this has changed or was never the case...I want some money back. Not to be a *, but yeah, I'm hard up for cash and this could go towards other things. In my opinion, you come, you want in, you pay.

Haha, I didn't see the update post until after I posted this. How does one get a waiver ahead of time? I do enjoy saving money. Save on reg, more for booze! Haha.
Perhaps email a link or something on that. I'm lacking interenet access currently and will probably easily miss a post reply. Still new to here and therefore, still getting used to it.

Here is a link to the waiver for those that missed it earlier. http://wpo.belegarth.com/waiver.html (btw this is last years site, but the waiver is still good, I promise.

See you guys in a bit over a week.

Any other Isengarians going to WPO, I am organizing a convoy. PM me if you are going.-Nix

Less than a week everyone, get your rides ready like Nix did, you wouldn't want to miss the best opening event of the season!!!

I'm coming to this. Michigan's snow and ice are the devil. I can't wait to swing my sword.

I am so excited for this event!
Even if I get my * handed to me most of the time, it will be tons of fun.
Not to mention a learning experience =)

Three more days till some rocking fighting in the field house, can't wait to be able to beat the living daylights out of people.

Holy hell, day after tomorrow and we get to fight. Come to opener.

Opener is tomorrow, remember to pre-fill out those waivers so you get a dollar off. See you in 27 hours.

Heads up, fighting will not be happening until 1230 or 1ish. And do not show up before noon, the facitility will be in use by another organization.

LETS DO THIS!!!

To all my eastern buddies, have fun, kick *, be safe, and rock that opener!

hey wolfpack! thanks for a great event, as always. had a blast!!

Thank you for everyone that helped one way or another.

So what was the total attendance? -Nix

Nix wrote:So what was the total attendance? -Nix

After counting waivers, we put the count at 400-425.

I was disappointed that there were no multisided independent unit or realm battles. To me those battles were the highlight of the WPO with corresponding bragging rights. Was the elimination of the traditional realm and unit battles a conscience decision?-Nix

Nix wrote:I was disappointed that there were no multisided independent unit or realm battles. To me those battles were the highlight of the WPO with corresponding bragging rights. Was the elimination of the traditional realm and unit battles a conscience decision?-Nix

I can't speak for this year, but I know for last year that eliminating those was a conscious decision. It led to a lot of the bad blood/egos/rhino hiding that had been seen in the past. Opener has been and always will be an overgrown practice, and we treat it as such. It's more meant for friendly competition than something like Spring Wars or 'fest. Maybe someone more directly involved in the planning would like to speak for this year, but I know that was what was done last year.

In my opinion, for whatever that's woth, it was a good decision. WPO is a close-packed, intense event. Easy for tempers to flare, when something like realm or unit pride is considered to be at stake. While I'd be sorry to see those calls at a bigger event like Fest or SW, leaving them out at WPO worked wonders for keeping it fun. Good call.