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[PrincessTrouble]

I'd like to invite all of you to Texas TopCon.  TTC is an annual event for collectors and makers of spinning tops to get together over some good Texas BBQ and celebrate our shared passion for spinning art, precision machining, glassworks, and woodcraft accessories.  The event is open to everyone, is free, and rotates through different Texas cities with this year's location being San Antonio.

Last year we had over 1,000 tops and about 70 makers and collectors at TTC.  We primarily focus on precision metal finger tops but we appreciate all tops.  Information, registration, and pictures from past TTC events can be found here:

http://texastopcon.org/

[Jeremy McCreary]

Wonderful logo! Scheduled to be in Austin on Oct 20 already, but will try to make at least the 2nd day with some of the LEGO tops I make. Sampling of some of my early black and white tops below (about 5% of current collection). Now focusing more on mechanical tops with internal moving parts and on visual effects at speed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXcdnHt2PS8

BTW, does "PrincessTrouble" mean that you're the Princess of Trouble, or that you have a lot of trouble with princesses? As the father of a daughter now 27 years old, I've certainly had my share of the latter.

[the Earl of Whirl]

Texas TopCon?  Amazing.  I have never heard of this.  How long has this event been going on?  I do not think I will be able to make this but I certainly hope you have a smashing success!!!

[paxl13]

This look amazing, not that I'll be able to make it but any top convetion is amazing in my book

[PrincessTrouble]

Texas TopCon?  Amazing.  I have never heard of this.  How long has this event been going on?  I do not think I will be able to make this but I certainly hope you have a smashing success!!!

Our first was in 2016 and we've gotten bigger and better every year since.

[PrincessTrouble]

Wonderful logo! Scheduled to be in Austin on Oct 20 already, but will try to make at least the 2nd day with some of the LEGO tops I make.

Excellent!  Looking forward to meeting you.  I also collect Legos, mainly minifigs.  I have a feeling we'll get along great. 

BTW, does "PrincessTrouble" mean that you're the Princess of Trouble, or that you have a lot of trouble with princesses? As the father of a daughter now 27 years old, I've certainly had my share of the latter.

So here's how that moniker originated.  I used to work in a very stressful workplace.  We referred to it as the Death Star.  The resource manager was the Sith Lord (or Sith for short), her boss was Darth Vader (DV for short), and the department chair was Emperor Palpatine.  I had been nicknamed Trouble for my propensity to tell management what they didn't want to hear and my brutal honesty (which got me in trouble).  However, since I was on the side of the Jedis, and to make it more Star Warsy and Jedi-ish, my coworkers added Princess in front of it.  We had an in/out board with magnets to indicate our status, and my magnet was a Lego Slave Leia minifig.  So Princess Trouble (PT for short) became my Death Star name.  I shared an office with a wise older coworker named John, so his Death Star name was Obi Juan.  lol

[ta0]

How one earth I didn't know about this?   

This is great!   I'll be there (well, here) for sure! 
If anybody comes from out of town, I can provide lodging.

I'll demonstrate some different type of spinning  but I will also have a Iacopo top with me to compete with any finger top out there 

Texas TopCon 2016 - Bryan, TX - Oct. 22, 2016
Texas TopCon 2017 - Mansfield, TX (DFW) - Oct. 7, 2017
Texas TopCon 2018 - Spring, TX (Houston) - Oct. 13, 2018
Texas TopCon 2019 - San Antonio, TX - Oct. 19, 2019
Texas TopCon 2020 - Austin, TX - Oct. 10, 2020

[Jeremy McCreary]

Looking forward to meeting you....  I have a feeling we'll get along great.

Same here!

Plan A was a 2-day road trip from Denver, arriving in Austin on Oct 20 for a business conference. Wife and I have both been looking forward to the drive with the dog in our new Jeep. Since the drive can't be moved up, Plan B would have me flying ahead to San Antonio, leaving Kathy to drive down alone. She says she's OK with that, but I'm not sure I am. So we're still trying to find a way.

So here's how that moniker originated....

Sounds like you and your co-workers are making the best of a stressful situation. Laughter is still the best medicine.

[PrincessTrouble]

This is great!   I'll be there (well, here) for sure! 
If anybody comes from out of town, I can provide lodging.

I'll demonstrate some different type of spinning  but I will also have a Iacopo top with me to compete with any finger top out there 

Excellent!  Very much looking forward to meeting you.  Would love to see your Simonelli.  I've only seen one once in person and it was truly a work of art.  And awesome on the spinning demos.  I need to learn how to throw!

[Jeremy McCreary]

If my Austin-bound wife enters west Texas on I-10, roughly how much extra time to swing south through San Antonio to pick me up on Sunday, Oct 20?

[ta0]

Looking forward to meeting you....  I have a feeling we'll get along great.

Same here!

Wow! It's looking like a great forum meet already! 

If my Austin-bound wife enters west Texas on I-10, roughly how much extra time to swing south through San Antonio to pick me up on Sunday, Oct 20?

Depending on the traffic on I35, between 1 and 2 hours.
I have driven with family from San Antonio to Denver, stopping at a hotel midway. On the way north, through the Texas Panhandle, on the way back through New Mexico. I drove about 80% of the time, but I wouldn't recommend it for a solo driver. It's easy to fall asleep on the straight highway with nothing except sky for hours on.

[Jeremy McCreary]

Depending on the traffic on I35, between 1 and 2 hours.
I have driven with family from San Antonio to Denver, stopping at a hotel midway. On the way north, through the Texas Panhandle, on the way back through New Mexico. I drove about 80% of the time, but I wouldn't recommend it for a solo driver. It's easy to fall asleep on the straight highway with nothing except sky for hours on.

She'd break it up with a hotel stay, too, but the falling asleep in west Texas part is still a concern. If we can't move the whole road trip up by 2 days, it may not work, and that's not looking good.

Addendum: Can't move drive, so 2019 is out, but 2020 is on the calendar!

[ta0]

Addendum: Can't move drive, so 2019 is out, but 2020 is on the calendar!

It's a pity you'll miss it by just a day or two. See you in Austin (and San Antonio, of course) in 2020!

On the way down we visited Santa Fe and then slept in Roswell. By pure coincidence we arrived during an annual UFO conference 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Addendum: Can't move drive, so 2019 is out, but 2020 is on the calendar!

It's a pity you'll miss it by just a day or two. See you in Austin (and San Antonio, of course) in 2020!

On the way down we visited Santa Fe and then slept in Roswell. By pure coincidence we arrived during an annual UFO conference 

Yeah, bummer.

We spent an afternoon in Roswell on the way to Carlsbad 3 years ago. Even went to the UFO museum just for kicks. Pretty sure that aliens smart enough to get to Earth would've picked someplace else to land.

[ta0]

Just a few days for the TopCon! 
For a change, this event will be just 5 minutes from my house , instead of another city, state or continent!

There are going to be several contests. From the event website:
=============================
Minotaur Rider Challenge
1st Place: Custody of the Minotaur until the next event and Focusworks Top Carrier
Each participant spins the Minotaur made by Tom Griffin on the official designated spin surface.  A spin can be restarted if it's stopped within 5 seconds of launch for up to five times (on the fifth launch, you have to let it go and that will be your timed spin).  The participant with the longest spin time wins the competition and the Minotaur.

Griffin Spin Challenge
1st Place: Griffin Competition Top
Each participant spins the top made by Tom Griffin on the official designated station.  A spin can be restarted if it's stopped within 5 seconds of launch for up to five times (on the fifth launch, you have to let it go and that will be your timed spin).  The participant with the longest spin time wins the competition top.

BYOT Long Spin Challenge
1st Place: Plier RookW and db Flameworks Station
Each participant spins his or her top (from any maker) on the official designated station.  A spin can be restarted if it's stopped within 5 seconds of launch.  No limit on restarts.  The participant with the longest spin time wins the competition.

Top Spin Challenge
1st Place: M.Works Saw
Each participant takes three turns on the Top Spin board with the provided top.  The participant with the highest score wins the competition. Should a tie occur, the tied participants will take three additional turns with a smaller top and the highest score wins.  If a tie still occurs, participants will repeat three turns with increasingly smaller tops for each round until the tie is broken.  To see how to play this game, view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cV7RZrxgE8.

Revolutions Challenge
1st Place: Andy Davis Marble Top with Stand and Marbles
Each participant spins the i-Top and tries to get the max revolutions per spin.  A second spin is performed to check the RPM count recorded on the i-Top.  No limits on turns and no restrictions on spin surface.  The participant with the top RPM score wins the competition.  Note that the i-Top is electronic and it’s possible it might glitch so have fun with this challenge and don’t take it too seriously.  To see what an i-Top is, view iTop.
 
RPM Challenge
1st Place: BilletSPIN Soul Pen
Each participant spins the same BilletSPIN Firefly top on the official designated station and RPMs are measured with a tachometer.  Launches can be restarted any number of times until you get a good rip.  The participant with the highest RPMs wins the competition.
==========================

I don't have a slim chance at any of these, except on the numbered Spintop board My wrists are slim and my finger top starts puny. I guess if I was very lucky I could start Iacopo's top straight on the provided surface and be competitive on the BYOT Long Spin Challenge. But that's unlikely and I don't want to risk scratching it.