Andrew Ramirez, a humanities and communication major with the username Toji, smashed his competition at the first ever organized Super Smash Bros tournament hosted at the Otter Student Union (OSU) on Thursday, Sept. 25.
Conceding only a single point throughout the tournament, Ramirez walked away with a new high-grade monitor supplied by the Smash Otters Club.
Steven Machek, assistant professor of kinesiology, Smash Club and Esports Club organized the event, where a total of 38 participants showed up to practice before the tournament, and four others attended for both the raffle and spectacle the tournament created.
Machek explained the event was organized to conduct an experiment with the players along with campus Exercise in Medicine (EIM) who were also providing community resources to the students.
“We are looking at things such as reaction time and heart rate changes throughout the tournament experiences, ultimately we were really trying to create a scenario where we are getting more people interested in the community on esports on campus,” said Machek.
Offering prizes, the Gaming and Esports Otters Club held their raffle at the top of each hour for the 7 to 10 p.m. social.
In part, this tournament was meant to advertise another tournament, “Smashing Breast Cancer.” Planned for Oct. 3, the Smash Otters aim to raise upward of $1,000 that will go to assorted cancer treatment clinics. The club’s president promises to shave their head if they hit that amount.
The Smash tournament was divided into seven rounds. The winner of the round would move on to the next stage, while the defeated player was given another round before being eliminated.
Hosting both current and past students, multiple alumni made an appearance at the tournament. One of the participants who placed within the top eight, ‘SGNR’, or Ryan Recta, has been attending these tournaments for multiple years, even after his graduation several years ago.
“It offers a great opportunity to attract people to our club”, said Recta.
For others, this tournament was simply a larger venue to continue their usual routine. Former secretary of the Smash Otters, cinematic arts alumni ‘Ty-Fi’ Ty Rector, made it to the top eight before being eliminated.
“I host tournaments like this every month from my home, but being able to play in the OSU Ballroom is a dream. It’s spacious and has nice lighting,” Rector said.
For others, this tournament was a way to compete with other esport students and create community.
“There are some people that I wanted to play with,” Ramirez said. “There is a lot of talent here and because the county is very small there is a lot of talent that needs to come out.”
Photos By Elliot Rowe