This
past weekend I completed another 5K challenge while playing my final games of
laser tag for the year, which seemed like a fitting way to close things out
while setting the stage for things I hope to do next year...although finishing
my 20 miles in 20 days dumpster fire challenge to bid farewell to 2020
certainly seems apropos in its own way too!
As
we look back on 2020 it would be easy to just lament all the things we couldn’t
do this year, but I want to take a moment to appreciate the things that I
actually DID get to do this year. And in retrospect I am
grateful that there were still plenty of good memories for me to reminisce
about this time around. Here is my top ten list of laser tag highlights from
2020.
1. Tagging
in several tournaments in support of worthwhile causes. I was proud to play
with Team NYMO and take first place at the Code Yellow
Tournament for Whitney in memory of a brave little girl’s battle with Diffuse
Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare type of brain cancer that usually
affects children. I also had a great time tagging in support of
scholarships for Kids Chance of Arkansas and bringing home the Hot Shot award.
2. Playing
the final game at LQ Phoenix prior to the lockdown in support of the Doreen
Katz Memorial Cancer Foundation. This night meant so much, particularly with the
benefit of hindsight. Great fun, food and friends. I could not have asked for a
better final night at Laser Quest, although there was no way to know then just
how final it really was. You see, this event was held on the evening of Sunday,
March 15th and the very next day the decision was made to close all the Laser
Quest locations in America for what we hoped would be the short term.
Unfortunately, most LQs never opened their doors again and now looking back on
that night is bittersweet.
3. Interviewing
Laser Storm founder Bob Cooney on the 30th anniversary of his system. This
interview took place actually 30 years to the day (nearly) as the interview
happened on March 11th and March 12, 1990 is the date that Laser Storm was
established. Such uncanny timing!
4. Winning
the very first Laser Trooper tournament to ever take place in the U.S.
Considering there is only one site in the whole country where this particular
system is played this is a rare piece of laser tag history that I am honored to
claim. Simply getting myself to the tournament at all was quite a challenge
because bad weather on the east coast caused many flight cancellations and I
ended up renting a car and driving over 16 hours in order to get there in time.
Worth it for the experience, and even more so when I saw the custom trophy they
had made for me after the event!
5. Attending
the laser tag Convention and Amusement expo in New Orleans. Honestly, if I had
known what was to come I would have shown up a day early to get the proper
“convention” experience, but being given press access because of my blog,
having my photo appear in RePlay Magazine and spending a couple of days with
great friends (culminating in a VERY memorable game of laser tag in Metairie)
made this show such a wonderful experience.
6. Launching
the first Tiviachick’s Tag 4 A Cause Laser Tag 5K Challenge To raise money for
pancreatic cancer research. This was the start of something I hope to grow in
2021. Timing may not have been ideal, but the concept is one I am excited about
building on and I thank all who contributed to helping a cause that hits very
close to home with my family.
7. Hosting
Tiviachick’s Top Ten Laser Tag Arena contest to spark some positivity and
appreciation for the laser tag industry while spotlighting some really impressive
arenas. Every arena got votes from their fans and votes were received from
across 21 states and five countries.
8. Having
a rare opportunity to play Cybertag by Laserwar for the very first time. When
laser tag first started to open up again in my state the first place I went to
play was a small site that had only just opened up three weeks before
everything had to shut down. What a way to start out in business! But the first
week they re-opened I was there to try out a system I had never played before
and call this a VERY unique way to return to laser tag.
9. Receiving
a couple of Zone V3 packs from Australia to add to my collection with thanks to
a friend in the land down under. I have been lucky to acquire some rarities,
but swapping souvenirs from across the globe is really something remarkable and
speaks to what a big family the laser tag community really is!
10. Adding my voice to recording a
four-part audio drama following the “live action” of a mock LQ tournament from
the viewpoint of a sports commentator. I played the part of color commentator
Renee Roccasalva along with Daniel “MamaHydra” Leach and Tiana Daniels and
amazingly with some microphone coordination and the remote help of Anagram
Sound we were able to share the laser tag experience vicariously, even when
nobody was actually able to play. I am honored to have been part of this
project.
Honorable
mention - Although not specifically laser tag related, my tag travels did take
me off the beaten path to a really memorable experience in Tucson, AZ. In
between tag locations I had the chance to tour the Tanque Verde Ranch where
they filmed Hey Dude, one of my favorite television shows from when I was
young. Believe it or not, the main set buildings are still standing 30 years
later in a remote part of the ranch out in the middle of the desert. I am so
thankful that the staff of the ranch were kind enough to allow me to tour the
remnants of something that I have incredibly fond memories of from my
childhood. This was just a little icing on the cake in retrospect.
So
even though 2020 did not turn out anything like what we expected at the
beginning of the year, I am still extraordinarily thankful for all the things
that did take place before and during the navigation of such a challenging
year.
Comments
or Questions?
Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com and www.photonforever.com
