Ring Report
April 20, 2008

The April meeting featured the Dr. James William Elliott Card Challenge at the Hotel Harris in Rumford, Maine (Maine's Capital of Magic). Contestants were given a new, sealed deck whose design had been kept secret. They had up to ten minutes to perform card magic. All I.B.M. members present voted to determine the winner. Rumford native Scot Grassette served as the emcee, offering bits of magic history and displaying books, photos and collectables before the contest. The event was well-attended by magicians and members of the public.

Some last-minute conflicts reduced the field of contestants to three. The contestants cut a deck of cards to determine the order of performance. Professor Miller cut to the lowest card and performed first. He performed the 10,000 Dollar Ace Routine by Martin Nash. He removed the aces and placed them on the table, topping each ace with three indifferent cards. An audience volunteer placed her hand over one of the piles of four cards. Professor Miller picked up each of the other packets in turn and caused the aces to vanish. The aces appeared assembled in the packet that the volunteer had been protecting with her hand!

Phil Smith, the 2007 Elliott Card Champion, opened by Twisting the Aces. He removed the four aces from the deck. One at a time, they turned over in the packet. He then introduced a duck to serve as his costar for a performance of Reset. He dealt the duck four kings and himself the four aces. One at a time, the aces in his hand turned to kings. Finally, they all turned back into aces. He followed with a quick deal of four hands of Blackjack; all were natural 21.

Special guest Tom Craven traveled from Ring 2 in Youngstown, Ohio, to compete. Tom floored us with some very fine card magic. Following the competition, he shared his entire list of effects with us. He performed 1002nd Aces by Alex Elmsley, Cutting the Aces by Stewart Judah, Cutting Follow-up by Ed Marlo, Twisting the Aces by Jerry Hartman, and Over and Over by Bill Simons.

Tom Craven was chosen as the 2008 Elliott Card Champion by a vote of all the I.B.M. members present. Following the awarding of the trophy, Ring members and guests performed additional magic. Dr. Wilson performed a quick game of Fast & Loose with two volunteers. Unfortunately, the volunteers were unable to win any of the wagers. Scot Grassette performed a sponge ball effect with a young volunteer, then pulled a few coins out of the young man's ear. Scot followed with a demonstration of his ability to make two brightly colored boomerangs change size. Kaitlyn Grassette performed Triumph. Gary Morton of Ring 2 performed a very fluid rope routine. The final performer was a member of the hotel staff who performed, then taught, a card trick.

Following the Elliott Card Challenge, Tom Craven presented the Ring's first lecture by an outside speaker. Tom's lecture featured easy-to-perform material featuring cards, rings, bottles, dice, drinking glasses and more. Tom's package of notes and props sold out to the enthusiastic crowd, and Tom vowed to return next year to defend his title as the Elliott Card Champion.

Full details of the business meeting and photos are available on the Ring's web site (www.ibmring362.org).