Saturday, June 29, 2013

Smokin Js Photo Scavenger Hunt

Gather your friends!  Create your team!  It's time to compete in the first annual Smokin Js photo scavenger hunt!
Smokin Js is awarding cash prizes for the winners, and guaranteed fun for all the losers. 
 
 
 
HOW?
It's simple, it's FREE.  All you have to do is find some friends or family and create a team.  Teams must be between 3 and 5 people.  Then you have to register your team with Smokin Js to participate and be eligible for cash prizes.  Registration is simple, just email your team name, the city where your team is located, and all the email addresses of the team members to Jay@SmokinJs.com.  All registered team members must be 18 year of age to participate, but kids can tag along with parents and join in the fun.
 
WHERE?
In your town!  You don't have to travel anywhere outside of your home region.  Teams can register from anywhere in the United States.  Almost all of the scavenger hunt photos can be found in every town in the United States.
 
WHEN?
Your team must register between 07/19/13 and 08/12/13.  The event will be held on 08/17/13 between 12 noon and 10pm Pacific Standard Time.
 
WHAT?
The Smokin Js scavenger hunt is going to be a lot of fun!  Once the registration period is over and all the team's emails are collected, we will email participants final instructions and encouragement.  At 12 noon on 08/17/13 we will send out an email to all the participants with the photo scavenger hunt list.  Teams will have ten hours to email the cell phone pics to Jay@SmokinJs.com.  We will simply check the email address of the sender and apply the photo award to the coresponding team.  Each scavenger hunt item will have points associated with it and some items will even have bonus points.  The team with the most points wins!  We will be giving live updates throughout the event day through our social media sites and at the physical Smokin Js locations.


Rules & Restrictions for Participants:  MUST READ
1. Teams must consist of 3 to 5 team members. Each team must be registered with a TEAM NAME, HOME TOWN LOCATION, and EACH TEAM MEMBER'S EMAIL ADDRESS sent to Jay@SmokinJs.com to participate in the scavenger hunt and be eligible to win cash prizes.
2. Photo emails can only be sent from a registered email address of a participant.
3.  Contest results ending in a tie will be broken by random selection with a random number generator.  Contest will remain open for the entire contest time-frame.
4.  Smokin Js cannot be held liable for any injury and or property loss incurred during scavenger hunt participation.  Please play responsibly and adhere to the law.
5.  Teams are responsible for splitting cash prizes amongst team members.
6.  All photos submitted must be pictures taken on 08/17/13 between 12 noon and 10pm Pacific Standard Time.  Any Googled, doctored, or pictures taken outside of scavenger hunt timeframe will disqualify entire team from competition.
7.  Smokin Js employees and family members are not eligible to win cash prizes.
8.  All registered participants email addresses will be added to the Smokin Js email newsletter list.
9.  All team members must be at least 18 years of age to be registered and participate, however, team member's children may help.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

2013 Degenerate Flame Off

Smokin Js invaded the 5th Annual Degenerate Flame Off in Eugene, Or.  We sent our own Megan "Mega" Mac to cover the event.
Anyone can appreciate a piece of art. You find a whole new respect for the piece and the artist when you witness the making of it from beginning to end. This year I was lucky enough to attend the 5th annual Degenerate Flame Off. It was three days of artists and enthusiasts coming together to celebrate and show their support for the functional glass art industry. This time of year, an entire weekend of sun and 70 plus degree weather is practically unheard of in Eugene, Oregon, but I'm still sportin' the tan lines.

All three days artists collaborated on live demos, and vendor booths offered everything from glass to clothing, and even back massages. Live music played, kegs were tapped, and the sweet smell of maryjane filled the air. Although there seemed to be people and excitement everywhere, the atmosphere was very mellow with a "one love" type feeling.

Saturday was the main event. Eighteen glass blowers competed in a grueling 8 hour flame off. Being outside of their normal environment with hundreds of spectators, they can only hope for the best. Elbo was awarded the people's choice award with his amazing tortoise and the hare oil rigs: "it's not a contest." All of the artists definitely brought their A game. There were a lot of great pieces created!
 
People's Choice Award by Elbo
Steve Bates brings the concept of science to glass blowing like no other. After Sundays awards ceremonies were all wrapped up, he brought his giant triple mouth-piece waterpipe out into the lawn so we could REALLY appreciate it. Everyone was eager to load the bowl and test it out. I still get giddy just thinking about it.
 
Mega Mac taking the challenge of the Steve Bates creation.
This year was the DFO's largest turn out yet and, with each year it will only get bigger and better.

Pictures speak louder than words so please be sure to check out all of our pictures.

Have a great day Smokin J-ers!!!
 
Technicality & Originality Award Piece by Salt
Mega Meg and Elbo after the ceramonies.
 
 
 

 
 
 
Tim Mulherin and Tristan Hodges on the torch.