Grand Prix Toronto #2 2018

| Io Hughto

In Canada this weekend, we have four new judges to Welcome to the Fold!

Bradley Boose

  • Name: Bradley Boose
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Windsor, Canada
  • Region: Canada
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: September 2001
  • L1 Certification Date: July 3, 2017
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: It’s recently changed, but Collected Company has become my favourite card. The skill level involved in playing it, along with the luck makes for a ton of fun.
  • Occupation: Auto Worker
  • Random fact about yourself: Of 5 siblings, I’m the only one with my own birthday.
  • Why did you become a judge?: Living in a rural area, we’ve always had very few judges. I played at a high level and had rules knowledge. As I stopped playing as competitively, stores asked if I’d be interested in judging, and I’ve found the experience much more rewarding.
  • Who are your mentors?: Rick Miles
  • What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Developing confidence in delivering rulings to players.
  • How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: Acting out delivering rulings in front of a mirror. It really helps!
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: My first ever Day 2 of a Grand Prix started with a hangover. My opponent noticed and remarked that he should easily win. He scooped in under 10 minutes.

Jacob Ender

  • Name: Jacob Ender
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: London, Canada
  • Region: Canada
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: I started playing Magic around 2012, sometime around Avacyn Restored.
  • L1 Certification Date: October 27, 2017
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: I love that Magic is a universal language for all of its players. It’s amazing that a player from Canada and a player from Japan can sit down and feel like they’ve known each other for years, all because of the game.
  • Occupation: Magic Nerd at my LGS
  • Random fact about yourself: My polish ancestors were horse thieves. I don’t even know how you can steal a horse.
  • Why did you become a judge?: Becoming a judge was the best way I knew to give back and to help the community that had given me a place to express myself, as well as countless new friends.
  • What excites you most about this event?: Grand Prix are a chance to interact and connect with judges all over the world, not just where you live. As a relatively new member of the Program, I’m eagerly anticipating meeting a ton of new people and growing exponentially as a judge.
  • What are you hoping to learn at this event?: My main goal for this event is to get a good grasp of the structure and logistics of a Grand Prix so that when I work my next one, I can be confident that I’m working at optimum efficiency and be the best team member I can be.
  • Who are your mentors?: I have the privilege of being mentored by Mike Gyssels and Kaitlin McLachlan. I still haven’t figured out why I deserve such amazing mentors.

Stephen Tran

  • Name: Stephen Tran
  • Level: Level 2
  • Location: Ancaster, Canada
  • Region: Canada
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: May 2010–at the Rise of the Eldrazi prerelease
  • L1 Certification Date: August 31, 2016
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Lightning Bolt and Eternal Command are my favourite card/deck, but what I appreciate the most about Magic is how it lets me know that I can be almost anywhere in the world and I’ll be able to find a group of likeminded people to jam games with on a Friday night. What other hobbies offer that?
  • Random fact about yourself: I solve big Rubik’s Cubes for fun (a 9×9 takes about a half hour).
  • What excites you most about this event?: Being on the floor of a GP main event is equal parts exhilarating and terrifying to think about, but I’m also looking forward to working each day of the weekend alongside both new faces and old mentors.
  • What worries you most about this event?: I’m a new L2, and every other L2+ I’ve met has set the bar for knowledge and performance extremely high–I’m worried I won’t be able to live up to their expectations.
  • Who are your mentors?: In chronological order: Charlotte Sable, Rio Kivell, Greg Titov, Flora Li, Jon Goud, Mike Hill, Graham Schofield
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: The Hamilton community is a colourful combination of tight-knit and welcoming to new players–everyone knows each other’s name, but it only takes a few events for people to establish themselves as regulars. Also the bad memes.
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: Spontaneously flying out to Moncton for a weekend judge conference barely a month after making L1 and getting the opportunity to chat with a bunch of experienced L2s (and our RC-to-be!) is pretty up there.

Joachim Wessmark

  • Name: Joachim Wessmark
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
  • Region: Canada