By Brody McCarley
Senior marine science major Richard Bow emerged victorious at the annual Cal State Monterey Bay Mario Kart tournament, winning by a single point and snapping a long winning streak held by former champion Cejaye Erickson.
Erickson, a cinematic arts and technology alumnus, reigned supreme over the race track in every race he participated in. That was until he graduated last semester, leaving his crown up for grabs at this year’s contest.
To competitors like Bow and third-year Jensen Martin, meeting Cejaye in the bracket was a scary prospect. “That guy’s insane. He was in a league of his own,” said Martin.
Bow’s attempt to dethrone Erickson last fall ended in a seventh place finish. He was pretty candid about what the opportunity to claim the championship this year would feel like. “I’d be pretty happy. You know, considering how much Mario Kart I’ve played, I think it’d be cool to have that kind of pay off.”
However, when someone wins six tournaments and then moves on, that means more than two people come back to try and claim the title. Senior marine science major Carly Carroll was another racer returning for redemption. “I got second place my sophomore year, it was just Cejaye who beat me,” Carroll said.
For Carroll, winning would have meant more than just a first place finish in Mario Kart. It would be a way of silencing all the doubters. “I’m a girl, so being able to win against everybody, I’d be like, ‘See, girls can play games too.’”
Not every contestant was out for glory though. For freshman Ricardo Torres, it was simply about having a good time at his first CSUMB Mario Kart outing. “I have time to win,” says Torres. “If I win, I win. If I don’t win, I don’t win.”
As the night went on and the tournament approached its final round, familiar faces stood at the top of the standings. Bow, Martin, Torres and German exchange student Tim Krischek were the last four contestants ready to race for the trophy.
The Special Cup was the home ground for this final battle, four races and twelve laps would decide who would begin a legacy of their own.
The first three races of the final round were too close for comfort, with Martin, Torres and Bow trading the top spots. Bow built a comfortable lead after two first place finishes on Bone Dry Dunes and Bowser’s Castle. Martin and Torres were in their own contest tied at eight points a piece, while Krischek was out of contention for first place.
It would all come down to three final laps on Rainbow Road. Torres took the lead heading into the final lap, while Bow attempted to catch up. As all the racers frantically used their items on the final turn, Bow’s mushroom boosts were nullified by Krischek’s red shell.
This one item sent Bow tumbling down to last place, while Torres had already crossed the finish line long ago. The audience went quiet at the score tallied up, and Bow narrowly took the championship by one point. His early dominance gave him quite the safety net to keep Torres from taking the win.
Bow and his fellow competitors all came to have a good time and play some Mario Kart, but deep down, it meant a little bit more to him after he took home the gold.
“I almost feel like I’ve completed some sort of, like, hero’s journey with my Mario Kart playing career,” said Bow.