AEX11: Atlantic Extravaganza | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Lifestyle

AEX11: Atlantic Extravaganza

"AEX is a life changer"

33
AEX11: Atlantic Extravaganza
Josh Grant

AEX stands for Atlantic Extravaganza and is a competitive Super Smash Bros tournament in South East Pennsylvania. The eleventh event was held on July 9th, 2016 with tournaments in the following brackets: Melee, Project Melee, and Smash 4 - each game has a singles and doubles bracket each with double elimination.

How It All Began

It began one night with an idea and a phone call; Ben called Cody with an urgent tone to come over. The idea -- a Smash Tournament, right there, in Ben's garage. This dream became a reality in the winter of 2013. This event had 23 attendees.

"Looking back, it's pretty crazy to think that people came from far away to this rinky-dink tournament," says Cody, the tech guy.

As The Years Go On

As each event went by, attendance increased, streaming quality imporved, and venue changed multiple times -- from a garage, to a church basement, to a hotel, and then since then, a church gym. AEX2 brought a new venue while AEX3 began the venue fees to help pay for new venues and also started AEX's continued donation to charity. The donations began because one of the member's mom had been diagnosed with Leukemia the day before the tournament. AEX4 was the start of the current venue and food was brought in. AEX7 brought a crowd of over 100.

The Breakthrough

AEX10 was extremely successful with a turn out close to 200 and well-known, successful gamers that are ranked in the top 100 of smashers in the world. AEX10 happened in January 2016 and at this point they had raised close to 1,000 dollars towards charity.

Every tournament is streamed live by the AEX team on twitch. These streams can be watched by anyone who would like to watch them.

The AEX team also sponsored a player from Canada to come to AEX10. This was a big deal for the attendees.

Today's Tournament

AEX11 happened on July 9th, 2016. There were 147 in attendance and 1,000 dollars in pot bonuses for the top ranked players in each bracket. Here is what the attendees have to say:

"It is a day when my friends and the smash community can come together over a video game," Steve "LeX" of the AEX staff.

"It's a fun day when the community comes together and has fun," Sam, of AEX staff.

"Even though it's in the middle of nowhere, it's in a great venue, great people, great setups, AEX provides food, and it is great. The Pot bonus is an incentive to get people like me to travel as far as we do for the tournament and tell others about it," DJ Nintendo and The Moon from New York - first place in Melee Doubles.

"We had a much bigger turnout than we originally expected, which is great for the future of AEX. We are getting good pictures and good video. It's such a nice day, minus the heat, and I am glad it worked out," Blake of AEX staff.

"AEX is a really fun event, lots of casual set ups," Jonny Gamble an attendee in the Melee Singles and Doubles Tournament.

"The new addition of the tickets for pizza was a good idea," UltimaScout and Archille, two competitors from today's tournament.

"This is definitely my favorite tournament to come out to, there is always plenty of available outlets, food, and drinks. The area is great. There are tons of setups, some tournaments have too little setups, and there is a surplus here. You meet great people. The staff knows what they are doing and there are plenty of them around. AEX special is something that is really enjoyable but really surprising. Being able to see the brackets on the monitors is one thing I love about these tournaments," Bobby D. "Metal Reaper", won AEX1.

"It was a great event. Yeah, there were definitely some kinks, but I got some good games in. Everyone was nice for the most part, and it was a good event," Emily "EnGarde", a competitor in today's event.

"I think it's great that AEX gets so many people out in the middle of nowhere. It always surprises me with the turnout for these events." Plank, is well-known in the regional Smash community.

"This is a really fun event," Professor Peen, a competitor in today's event.

"It was great, the turnout was great, I love how enthusiastic people get about the game and the event," George "Empale", a Tournament Operator for a tournament in Shippensburg.

Results

Melee Singles

1st Place - DJ Nintendo

2nd Place - The Moon

3rd Place - Jflex

4th Place - Captain Smuckers

5th Place - Plank

5th Place - Stango

Melee Doubles

1st Place - DJ Nintendo/The Moon

2nd Place - Griffith/Captain Smuckers

3rd Place - Jflex/CIZ

Smash 4 Singles

1st Place - C3P0

2nd Place - Uno

3rd Place - burghelin

4th Place - Codeman

5th Place - Four Leaf

5th Place - King Kupo

Smash 4 Doubles

1st Place - C3PO/Uno

2nd Place - Sandstorm/LOZO

3rd Place - GaMaRAY/HaremKing

Project M Singles

1st Place - Plank

2nd Place - DJ Nintendo

3rd Place - The Moon

Project M Doubles

1st Place - DJ Nintendo/The Moon

2nd Place - Jflex/Stango


We saw quite a few upsets throughout the day, but in the end, the ranks were pretty much predicted from the beginning.


"AEX is a life changer," Ben Tobias, founder of AEX.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

177702
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

4650
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

450834
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

22406
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments