Grand Prix Santiago 2018

This weekend in Chile, we have three new judges to Welcome to the Fold!

Julio Abarrio

  • Name: Julio Abarrio
  • Level: Level 2
  • Location: Montevideo, Uruguay
  • Region: Hispanic America – South

Manuel Grandón

  • Name: Manuel Grandón
  • Level: Level 2
  • Location: Concepción, Chile
  • Region: Hispanic America – South

Gabriel Palomino

  • Name: Gabriel Palomino
  • Level: Level 2
  • Location: Lima, Peru
  • Region: Hispanic America – South
  • Approximate date/month/year you started playing Magic: Somewhere around 2001
  • L1 Certification Date: September 29, 2016
  • Favorite thing (e.g., card, deck, group of people) about Magic: Insane punts/plays/topdecks
  • Occupation: Digital Marketer
  • Random fact about yourself: I used to be a magician
  • Why did you become a judge?: There are not many judges in Perú, I love the game an the complicated interactions that happen. I was very knowledged in rules and I was already judging most local tournaments, when judges started lacking I stepped up to help the community.
  • What excites you most about this event?: Well it is the first GP I’m going to judge ibstead of playing. I judged some side events for gp santiago last year as a voluunteer to help with my road to L2 since there are no L3s in Perú. But this is the biggest event I’ll judge since I became L2. I just wanna learn and meet cool people and get a tons of experience!
  • What worries you most about this event?: Nothing, I live without fear. Maybe being too awesome? jk
  • What are you hoping to learn at this event?: I want to learn everything so I can make a path to leading teams some day.
  • Who are your mentors?: I’d say Google and judge blogs (:
  • What challenges have you faced or are you facing to become a better judge?: Like most judges in this side of the world, getting big events, if I don’t get out of the country I dont have any other chances that medium sized pptqs.
  • How have you worked to overcome those challenges?: Thats why I’m travelling! I hope I can get other chances to travel to other countries to judge.
  • What is the best part about your local Magic community?: People is pretty funny, lately they are really competitive, when I started playing magic not many people travelled to play, things have changed now.
  • What is your favorite Magic memory?: I’d say the first time I travelled to a GP it was in the US and it was pretty cool, I went as a player and did well. It was my 1st time seeing so many people in a mtg event, I remember thinking “”someday I’ll judge one of these””

Alvaro Maurelia

  • Name: Alvaro Maurelia
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Santiago, Chile
  • Region: Hispanic America – South

Cristóbal León Garrido

  • Name: Cristóbal León Garrido
  • Level: Level 1
  • Location: Santiago, Chile
  • Region: Hispanic America – South