After a hot scoop from my good friend Matt Chrispen over at Accidentalis (who also received word), I just learned that I’ve officially leveled up to National rank in the BJCP! Almost exactly two years from when my record was officially opened, it is amazing to think I have made it so far in just a few years, though most of it was waiting for my tests to be scored 🙂 The written exam is very much the beast that folks proclaim, so TBD if I will ever consider doing it again (and again) to level up to the Master rank, but I will give it a few years and see.
I will admit, one of the reasons I have been working toward advancing my ranks is that I wanted the authority to finally challenge some of the crusty old-school judges who do entrants a disservice through lazy judging. Maybe you have seen them yourself: they have been judges for decades, but somehow are still only Recognized, yet they throw their “authority” around and bully the younger judges even though they have not revisited the guidelines since before the 2008 edition was released. Can you tell I am a bit salty? 😉
Cheers to everyone that helped me along the way, see y’all at some competitions! 🍻