GP Washington DC 2017 - Welcome to the Fold

As a GP descends on the American capital, we Welcome more judges to the Fold than ever before:

Zach Ashton

Name: Zach Ashton
Level: Level 1
Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Region: USA – Midatlantic
Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: 2007
L1 Certification Date: 3/1/2015
Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: The ability to put everything else aside and focus on the thing we all love.
Occupation: Student, Tournament Admin for Blizzard
Random fact about yourself: I played fiddle for more than 12 years.
Why did you become a judge?: I love event management and helping to organize, run, and manage events. I love magic, and I wanted to help bring people together to partake in our favorite events.
What excites you most about this event?: The sheer scale of GPs is awe inspiring, and getting to help put all of that into motion is both exciting and terrifying, but I am excited to learn how everything works behind the scenes.
What worries you most about this event?: There is a lot on the line as far as my knowledge and authority as a judge goes. If I make a call incorrectly, it can sour someone’s experience of competitive magic forever, but if I take the time to go and double check what I am pretty sure is the correct ruling, it can end up having an impact on every player and judge in the event. I don’t think anything will go all that wrong, but the possibility of it is frightening.
What are you hoping to learn at this event?: I want to learn how judges work in teams. I’ve only ever worked at PPTQs and IQs for competitive events, and those don’t have teams, so although I know how to do a deck check, I don’t know how to work with other people to do 10 deck checks.
What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The passion so many people in my community have to further their involvement in magic is fantastic, whether that’s becoming or advancing as a judge, or becoming a better magic player, everyone cares a lot, and being a part of that passion makes me passionate.

Peter Calomeris

Name: Peter Calomeris
Level: Level 1
Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Region: USA – Midatlantic
Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: August 2015
L1 Certification Date: 12/17/2016
Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Modern Jeskai Control
Occupation: Starbucks Barista
Random fact about yourself: I have 5 younger sisters
Why did you become a judge?: Early on in magic, I loved learning about how some cards interact with others, and I started to go to competitive events and saw that the judge program was something I might be interested in. It definitely has helped in settling disputes, considering I live in a house with three other magic players.
What excites you most about this event?: This event is going to be a blast, I have always looked forward to judging at a GP. It’s kind of like my holy grail of where I want to go in the magic community.
What worries you most about this event?: I’m very nervous for my L2 test that I’m taking at the GP, I’m sure I’ll pass it but I’m definitely going to retake my practice exam a few more times.
What are you hoping to learn at this event?: I’m hoping to learn the logistics of a GP first hand. I’m hoping that I can continue to brush up my skills as a judge and hoping to keep practicing at a larger level than an FNM or an IQ.
Who is your mentor?: Jaime D’Agostino
What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: I have a rather strong understanding of the IPG, how it works, and what’s it’s used for. However, sometimes I’ll need to reference the IPG for a couple of minutes before I properly diagnose a complex situation.
How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: I’m always striving to get a more in depth knowledge of the IPG and the Comp rules. And I continue to take practice exams to keep my memory fresh. I prefer to work competitive REL events so I can continue he to improve this knowledge through experience.
What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The people. I love making friendships with new people and getting to know people. When I judge FNM there are, out of the average of 70 players, about 35 people who I know by name and have gotten to know and it’s such a good feeling.
What is your favorite Magic memory?: At Grand Prix Louisville (Legacy) I played eldrazi and was against lands in round 7. I cast an oblivion shower and the cast trigger yielded Wasteland, Rishadan Port, Dark Depths, and Thespian stage. A TCG player pro saw this happen and began laughing hysterically when I asked my opponent for his Marit Lage token.

Nathan Davidoff

Name: Nathan Davidoff
Level: Level 1
Location: Morton, Pennsylvania
Region: USA – Northeast

Ryan Freeburger

Name: Ryan Freeburger
Level: Level 1
Location: Blacksburg, Virginia
Region: USA – Midatlantic
Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: October, 2002
L1 Certification Date: 2/4/2017
Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Pulling an amazing top deck out of thin air. Few things are more fun than just pulling victory out of absolutely no where.
Occupation: Systems Analyst
Random fact about yourself: I have in fact gone into a restaurant, told them my last name and gotten free food. It was not a burger sadly.
Why did you become a judge?: I was an umpire in High School and really loved the feel of it. As I got better and better at magic, I decided I wanted to try judging and started doing events at my Local Game Store, Fun-N-Games. In the end, I loved it as much as playing and went and got my cert.
What excites you most about this event?: Its a GP in my backyard so I’m going to know A LOT of the players in both the side events and the main event. Most of which have never seen me judge an event so thats really exciting that they get to see me in my element.
Who is your mentor?: I’ve had a lot of input from a lot of great judges all of whom I’m going to name here: Liz Richardson, Michael Starr, Elliot Garner, Phillip Gallagher, Ben Harris, Jaime D’Agostino, Steven Zwanger and of course, I’d like to thank the academy.
What is the best part about your local Magic community?: There is all types of players. There’s equal part spikes, casual players and somewhere in the middle and it makes for a really good environment where any player can find people with the same mindset as them and enjoy their time.
What is your favorite Magic memory?: I won my only PPTQ off a top deck’d boros charm. I had 40+ cards in my deck, I only had one copy left and it had to be exactly boros charm or I’d lose game three. I slammed it and the crowd watching reacted in such a way as to put Randy Buehler to shame.

Jacob Fusco

Name: Jacob Fusco
Level: Level 1
Location: Derwood, Maryland
Region: USA – Midatlantic
Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: 2012
L1 Certification Date: 7/31/2016
Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Favorite Card: Savage Knuckleblade (I have collected close to 100!)
Occupation: Student at St. Mary’s College of MD; Twitch streamer
Random fact about yourself: Did musical theatre in high school
Why did you become a judge?: I wanted to contribute to improving the Magic community, both locally and regionally.
What excites you most about this event?: It will be first GP on staff (I was not activated in Pittsburgh last February).
What worries you most about this event?: Remembering all of the names of the awesome judges I’ll meet over the weekend.
What are you hoping to learn at this event?: The best strategies to handle multiple small events at once.
What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Being an active part of the Midatlantic Judge community; communicating outside of events.
What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The people are passionate about Magic; they love to brew and get excited about new cards every set.
What is your favorite Magic memory?: Surviving two Crater’s Claws for 20+ in a single game of Standard.

April Keeler

Name: April Keeler
Level: Level 1
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Region: USA – Midatlantic

Jeff Kruchkow

Name: Jeff Kruchkow
Level: Level 1
Location: Berne, Indiana
Region: USA – Great Lakes
Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: 2004
L1 Certification Date: 11/15/2013
Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Tendrils of Agony
Occupation: Substitute Teacher
Random fact about yourself: I have 2 SCG Open Top 8s
Why did you become a judge?: Well I was already sort of the go-to rules guy at my local store at the time, and I’ve always really enjoyed learning more about rules systems in games so I decided to pursue getting my L1 so that the store had an official resource.
What excites you most about this event?: Seeing more of how things run behind the scenes at a large event like this. I’ve played a lot of GPs but playing you never see much of the work that goes into making everything run well.
Who is your mentor?: Dave Elden and Marcos Sanchez have both done a ton for me, both in helping me learn and understand things as well as helping me find opportunities to judge.
What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Well I did get on staff for the GP so maybe this challenge has passed, but trying to find Comp REL events to get experience as an L1 has been tough with the removal of GPTs from local stores.
What is your favorite Magic memory?: I don’t have any specific best memory, but I love the travel weekends for events, just spending time with buds whether it be competing or just exploring new towns.

Joshua Kryder

Name: Joshua Kryder
Level: Level 1
Location: Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
Region: USA – Northeast
Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: March 2011
L1 Certification Date: 5/17/2015
Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: The look on a combo players face when I cast Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Occupation: Plastics and CAD engineering Student
Why did you become a judge?: To judge local events because there were very few judges in my area at the time
What excites you most about this event?: IT IS MY FIRST GP!
What worries you most about this event?: It is my first GP……
Who is your mentor?: Joshua Hudson
What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Lack of time. Trying to balance work, college, playing magic, and studying for L2 is difficult.
How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: I try utilize every bit of free time I get
What is the best part about your local Magic community?: Now we have a decent size group of L1’s (and one L2) we are always talking over weird interactions and corner case scenarios
What is your favorite Magic memory?: First game day I ever played in I created a 96/97 flying bond beetle.

Tuvia Lerea

Name: Tuvia Lerea
Level: Level 1
Location: New York City, New York
Region: USA – Northeast
Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: February 2000
L1 Certification Date: 11/4/2016
Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: The strategy
Occupation: Software Engineer
Random fact about yourself: I also love StarCraft!
Why did you become a judge?: I became a judge for two main reasons, the rules of the game interested me and I wanted to get more involved in the community. At the CFB after party for GP NJ I saw first hand how great the judge community is and that is why I have gotten more involved.
What excites you most about this event?: I’m excited to work at my first GP! GPs are always amazing events and being a part of running it and ensuring things go smoothly will really enable me to see the event from the other side of the aisle.
Who is your mentor?: Mani Cavalieri
What is your favorite Magic memory?: Finding my old WB creature deck full of all the revised goodies in the breast pocket of my old suit jacket while clean out my closet.

Eddie Mountney

Name: Eddie Mountney
Level: Level 1
Location: Harleysville, Pennsylvania
Region: USA – Northeast
Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: Summer 2005
L1 Certification Date: 7/22/2014
Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Having a life total of one doesn’t mean you’re losing.
Occupation: Teacher
Random fact about yourself: I have never had a cavity in my life.
Why did you become a judge?: I found myself answering people’s questions a lot during casual magic nights at my LGS and I started to enjoy it. I also like going to magic tournaments, but didn’t necessarily like playing in a highly competitive setting. Becoming a judge let me do both.
What excites you most about this event?: The fact that there will be thousands of players at one event. The idea of such a massive event will be an awesome thing to see.
What worries you most about this event?: There will be many judges on my team that I have never worked with before let alone even seen before and also just the sheer number of players may become overwhelming.
What are you hoping to learn at this event?: In what ways are Grand Prix events are handled differently from other larger events? (i.e. SCG Opens, 5ks, etc.)
Who is your mentor?: James Eveland & Anthony “Krug” Hullings
What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Preparing for my L2 test without being able to access judge center for practice tests.
How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: I have been in close contact with my mentors directly, participating in group workshops and discussions, facebook groups, and other outside resources involving difficult magic rulings and tournament scenarios.
What is the best part about your local Magic community?: Everyone is always trying to help each other improve. And each person is easy to approach and open to communication.
What is your favorite Magic memory?: Killing a player at 5 billion life with Phage the Untouchable.