Welcome Judges, to another week featuring Regional Coordinators! This week is the Regional Coordinator of the USA-Pacific Northwest, Riki Hayashi!
What is your Judge Level? Level 3
Where are you from? Portland, Oregon, United States of America
When did you become a Judge? GP Oakland 2004 after finishing 400th out of 445
Why did you become a Judge?
I got a bad ruling at a PTQ and thought “I can do better than that.” When I scrubbed out of GP Oakland, I decided that it was finally time to put my money where my mouth was.
What advice would you give to members of your region?
Be excellent to each other and party on, dudes. More seriously, get out and let the world know what great judges you are. Being a bit isolated in the corner of the country, I don’t think people are as familiar with some of the great judges in the NorthWest.
What advice would you give to a Judge growing up through the program?
Don’t give up. There are so many more judges now. I think we are going to hit a point where opportunities will begin to dwindle. This will mean judges will need to distinguish themselves more, but also be patient if they are not accepted to a string of events.
Could you recognize a few outstanding members of your region?
The simplest way to answer this is to link to my blog announcing the NW State and Metro Coordinators. These are judges who have been doing great work in their local areas and I wanted to recognize them as leaders: mtgrikipedia.blogspot.com
What’s the coolest event you ever been to?
My local store in Davis held a 24-hour Draft Event on the release of Rise of the Eldrazi. I didn’t stay all night, but several people did and they had a lot of fun. I would love to put together something like that again (and not stay all night again because I am an old man).
What’s the farthest you have ever traveled for a Magic event?
I’ve gone about the same distance in three directions: Brazil, Japan, and the Czech Republic.
Does your family travel with you?
Yes! My fiance, Tasha Jamison, is also a Level 3 Judge and we frequently go to events together. Our cat Sedna stays at home and guards the apartment.
How do you not lose your mind as a RC?
I almost did for a while until I learned to start trusting the people around me and using the support system that I had.
What do you feel needs to be improved in the Judge program?
Reviews, reviews, reviews. I was recently told that a high percentage of recent L2s who submitted an L3 Checklist were rejected by the Verification Committee due to insufficient quality reviews. That’s a bad situation when people who want to be the best of the best are that far off from where they need to be and a trend that I am afraid will continue to get worse.
What has been your best experience in the Judge Program?
Meeting and falling in love with Tasha.
What motivates you to continue being a judge?
I am obsessed with numbers and records. Getting to 1000 reviews written is my “10 million miles.” (reference to the movie “Up in the Air.”)
What has been your favorite magic event that you’ve judged?
The final Worlds in San Francisco. We all knew that it was the last public PT and Sheldon‘s last event as HJ so there was a party atmosphere to it. It was also the period when PWPs could straight up quality you for the PT, so lots more players showed up to farm points and it was very hectic on public events, which I love.
If you could chat with one person, real or fictional, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
John Lennon. I am a huge fan of his music and his philosophy.
What hobbies do you have outside of Magic?
Running. I’ll be running my first full marathon (26.2 miles) this October.
What character in Magic (real or fictional) represents you the best, and why?
Nicol Bolas. I am a schemer at heart.
How often do you Travel for Magic?
Every weekend. I’ve recently ditched the “almost” that used to precede that phrase.
What are some of your Regional Goals?
Right now my biggest focus is on developing the outlying areas like Montana, Idaho, and Alaska. As Magic continues to grow, it is imperative that we get quality judges in these states to help foster that growth.
What’s one thing in your region which makes playing magic special?
There’s a real diverse interest in formats based on the city or state. I’m still learning all of the intricacies.
Tell us an embarrassing story that you’re not afraid of everyone knowing.
I once announced the Top 9 of a PTQ.
How has being a Magic Judge influenced your non-Magic life?
How has it not?
Who are your role models within the Judge Program? What are the qualities that drew you to them?
I tried making a list, but it ran long, so I’ve decided to go the other direction and just pick one: John Carter. He was a writer (“Saturday School” on the Mothership), and when I met him in person he had a strong long-term schemer vision that I’ve tried to embody.
How do you have fun during events?
I like to play practical jokes on people. Jeff Morrow is my favorite target.
What is the proudest moment of your Judge life?
Pro Tour Philadelphia, when Sean Catanese made L3. We had been friends for a long time and when I heard that he passed his written exam, I flew out to Philadelphia the next day so that I could congratulate him in person after the panel (which I assumed he would pass with flying colors).
What is your favorite “after event” story?
What is the worst tournament you have judged?
Magic Weekend Paris when they combined a PT and a GP. So many things went wrong there. It is why I try to avoid record-breaking events now (like GP Vegas). There are enough challenges with running a Magic tournament. Having enough toilets shouldn’t be one of them.
Thank you Riki for sharing so much with us! What a great RC!
Great Interview Riki! Although Sean gets to take most of the credit for having me in his region, you were a great mentor and encouraged me even though I failed the L2 test the 2nd time. Thanks for always feeling like you were available to me and anyone else I felt would benefit from meeting you 🙂
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