What were your favorite koi show experiences?

[KoiCCAPW]

I haven't been to very many shows, but the NorCal ZNA show last month was certainly one of the most fun for me. Amazing koi and a dedicated and knowledgeable group of folks! Plus the food at both dinners was to die for! Erwin and Larry G. did a great job as show chairs.
I stayed to help with tear-down and it was done really fast and cheerfully by a fairly large group of volunteers. We were even having a little competition between two teams to see who could dry and put away their tanks faster.
And it was great to see the GC winner, Carolyn Swanson swabbing out tanks and drying along with the rest. I enjoyed meeting her, she's a very gracious lady, and can really fold a tank quickly!

The Sakura show in May was a lot of fun too, although the weather was a little warm. We had help from some high school kids from San Lorenzo HS in Santa Cruz County where they have an aquaculture program. They were so much help with their young backs! And they didn't even mind cleaning out show tanks that were sticky with eggs from a couple unfortunate spawnings.
As a joint venture between the Santa Clara Valley AKCA club and NorCal ZNA club, it was a fantastic show!
And the venue at the Cupertino Cherry Blossom festival, brought lots of exposure of koi to the general public. Mike Perret did a great job as show chair and for the first time in SCVKC history we actually made some money!
The judges dinner was a blast! I was seated next to Ray Jordan and his lovely wife and thoroughly enjoyed meeting them and talking koi. They are a great couple, very warm and friendly.

Actually, I've always had a wonderful time at koi shows. whether as a guest or as part of the staff, I've enjoyed the camaraderie and hospitality of so many great folks.
I've learned more at each show than I ever have just reading or surfing koi sites. It's great to talk koi with others who are also passionate about them. At home I'm the only koi kichi, and get a lot of rolled eyes when I want to talk koi.
But at a koi show everyone understands!

[karipeters]

First would be my introduction to the famous Norman Call at one of the Santa Clara Koi Club shows...

As vendors, we were asked to make a display-style booth that was garden-like. Friday during set-up we had some major water spillage issues and I grabbed a mop and was quickly trying to keep the flood contained and cleaned up. There was a guy not to far away that was working hard, helping to set up the show tanks for the show.

As I was mopping away the guy I'd never met before smiled, wiggled his eyebrows, and said "you can come and mop for me anytime..." I am not a happy housecleaner - it ticks me off, so I told the guy jokingly 'you can kiss my a**' .

My husband came over and was really worried...he said quietly "you know who that was, don't you?????" I said 'no'... and he told me it was Norman. I ran up to apologize and tell him that I hoped he knew I was joking...

We have been laughing about it ever since...!

[Fishbreeder]

This is more fun...

Too many good times to mention, they by far and away outweigh the difficult times.

Back to the same time when I had one of my worst moments, same seminar I also had some very good moments. One such was when Toshio Sakai was looking at one of my kohakus (at the judge's meeting/training session) and said, "I'm surprised this fish left Japan." When I explained the fish had been bred and hatched in Texas he was very pleased and excited. That was a proud moment for me.

I think one of the best banquets was at a PNKCA seminar in Victoria, BC. Some forward thinking person hired a stand up comic to work the crowd and do a stage bit that was absolutely hilarious. An older woman did a "Queen of England" bit that was very politically incorrect and extremely entertaining. The same banquet fed us local fresh salmon and shrimp, and plenty of it. We aslo had a lot of fun at Mr. Childer's expense. I still don;t feel guilty.

My favorite show has to be the TKFGS (San Antonio) koi show. Every year that is the high point for us, and we have a great time. It is fun and gratifying to see many of my customers enter fish they bought from me, some of them winning prizes. It is also the show where I met my first great mentor in koi, Bob Spindola.

Brett

[KoiCop]

Then hopefully this will bring a smile to your face.

Happy Holidays, Brett

[luke frisbee]

Brett is still my best experience in the Koi World..it happened at AFKAPS five(?) years ago.
I was pretty new to koi and this was my very first show..I wasn't showing. But I made it to the free seminar that friday night, and got there early so I could listen.
Well they were selling 5 dollar beers so i got one, and a glass of water for my first wife and sat there......in an empty room. Every so often some koi person that knew the beers were five dollars would stick their head in look at me and the wife and then go away.
well finally someone came in and sat down...amazingly they didn't sit ten tables away. they sat at the table next to us. and they actually were willing to talk.
Well we talked some. and that fellah musta known when to come in because everyone started coming in and they were not acting like a buncha dicks. they were sitting near me and this guy and talking about koi instead of insurance and crap.
Well too soon for my tastes some old fart got up and said "yada yada yada yada..Welcome Brett Rowley."
And the fellah stood up and went forward and gave one of his colorful "talks." And all those people in the room that i thought were just neighborly, secure, down-to-earth folks went right back to being stuffed shirts. They had just pretended because they wanted to be like brett, and wanted a peice of Brett...
Brett's a Texan..I've come to understand Texans are Great.

[Brutuscz]

I would have to say the first competition I entered. It was the MAKC long island,NY 2002 show. The judge was a Japanese breeder that I was told was famous. didn't even know who at the time. I follow closely as he judged and was thrilled he spent a great deal of time near my tank. He really seemed excited over my shiro utsuri. Well...It won kokugyu size2 as well as the judges award (A nice bottle of Sake he brought from Japan.) I still have the bottle and have never opened it. I was absolutely thrilled and honored. It really was an exciting weekend. I also decided then...I would only open that bottle when/if I win a GC award.

[Auntiesue]

There have been so many since, but.....

The most memorable was our first time entering fish in the OKC show many years ago. JR was the head judge and the judging was Japanese style. Everything about that show was eye-opening and magical!! The people (I first met Steve C. there) and many others. I guess you never forget your "first"!! We felt so welcomed and encouraged to come back which we have done just about every year now.

[Birdman]

1st was my 1st win.
Next was Reserve Grand Champion
But the best has been meeting all the people I have chatted with here and on the other forums.

[PapaBear]

My answer will no doubt change as the years go by, but last years OKC show had one of those "moments". We had enjoyed getting to meet so many people and talk Koi with everyone who would, which was great in itself. After the auction my DW and I were standing around talking and I had an armload of books. Tim W looked at them and grabbed one out of the stack. It was the Tetra Encyclopedia and he flipped through to a picture of him back when he was just a little kid in the background watching his dad bench a show... Time for a new book, 'cause little Tim is all grown up!