2023 Winter Marblelympics

2023 Winter Marblelympics Logo

The 2023 Winter Marblelympics was the second Marblelympic event hosted by the Saint Charles Marble League and the first occurrence of the Winter Games. The 2023 Winter Games were the first competition held at Granite Mountain.

The 2023 Winter Games featured three teams of marbles competing in six brand new events, including three individual events and three team events.

## Overview

The 2023 Winter Marblelympics (or the 2023 Winter Marblelympic Games) were held on February 25, 2023 at Granite Mountain in Marble City, Mattsachusetts. The Games were the second official Marblelympic gathering and the third overall competition facilitated by the SCML.

The Games featured six brand new events, including three team events and three individual events. Hockey was the inaugural event at the Games, with Alpine Skiing closing out the competition. Also included was Long Distance Skiing, Team Bobsled, Curling, and the Ski Jump.

Three teams appeared in the 2023 Winter Games, including the Galaxy Guys, the Sea Monsters, and Team Metallic. All three of the teams were making their second Marblelympic appearance. After the Games had concluded, the Galaxy Guys took home their second straight Marblelympic Cup, while the Sea Monsters claimed second place and Team Metallic finished in a disappointing third.

The 2023 Winter Games saw new developments for the SMCL, being the first Games to feature a mascot as well as an official opening ceremony.

### Mascot

The 2023 Winter Marblelympic Games were the first SCML competition to feature a mascot. The mascot, Eddie the Yeti, was chosen by Matt LaPointe in late January of 2023, almost a month before the games. Eddie featured prominently in the opening ceremonies for the games, as well as making appearances throughout the competition.

### Opening Ceremony

The 2023 Winter Marblelympic Games were the first Marblelympics to feature an Opening Ceremony to kick off the commencement of the games. The Ceremony took place just outdoors on the outer grounds of Granite Mountain. Mascot, Eddie the Yeti, kicked off the Ceremony with a symbolic lighting of the torch. After the conclusion of the ceremony, the teams were ushered back onto the event grounds to begin the Games.

## Development

Matt LaPointe was chosen as the host for the 2023 Winter Games after the conclusion of the 2022 Sumer Games on September 4th, 2022; his work on the Winter Games began almost immediately. On January 6th, 2023, materials, including legos, hot wheels track, pool noodles, and more, were transferred to Matt from Scott so he could begin work constructing the events for the Games.

The date of the competition was set decided on January 13th. On January 29th, Scott visited Granite Mountain with Matt to help begin development on some of the events for the upcoming competition. On this date, the formation of Hockey, the Team Bobsled, Long Distance Skiing, and Curling were started.

February 4th saw the creation of the first iteration of the 2023 Winter Marblelympics logo, as designed by Scott. After some input from the committee, some changed were made and the final logo was presented on February 8th.

As of February 17th, half of the events for the games had been finalized. By February 21st, all events had been assembled and only minor final preparations still remained to be completed. On Wednesday, February 22nd, Matt distributed the official guidebook for the 2023 Winter Marblelympics.

## Teams

Three teams competed at the 2023 Winter Marblelympics, each making their second appearance at a Marblelympic competition. Team structure was the same as it had been at the 2022 Summer Games: coach, captain, three members, and a reserve. Both the Sea Monsters and Team Metallic decided to make some minor changes to their lineup while the Galaxy Guys, unsurprisingly, left their team untouched after their successful first outing.

For the Sea Monsters, Scylla was promoted to active member status, while Charybdis was demoted to the reserve position. Team Metallic removed Copper from their team entirely, moving Nickel up to member status and bringing in Bronze to fill the now vacant reserve spot.

## Events

### Hockey

Two teams of four marbles will roll down opposing sloped tracks at the same time, attempting to enter the opposing team's goal.

### Long Distance Skiing

An individual marble will roll down a sloping track, attempting to reach the finish line in the fastest time possible.

### Curling

A team of four marbles will take turns rolling down a sloped ramp towards a target, attempting to land closest to the center of the target to earn their team points.

### Ski Jump

One marble will roll down a slope and off a ramp, attempting to launch itself as far as possible.

### Team Bobsled

A 4-marble team will roll down a sloped track, attempting to get their fourth marble across the finish line as fast as possible.

### Alpine Skiing

An individual marble will roll down a series of sloped tracks, attempting to pass through gates between each track. Fastest time to the finish line wins.

## Standings

### Final Standings

 2nd
 3rd

## Notes

* The 2023 Winter Marblelympics were the first SCML competition to feature a mascot as well as the first to feature an Opening Ceremony.
* The Sea Monsters ended their streak of failing to earn a gold medal with their victory in the fourth event, the Ski Jump.
* As of this competition, the Galaxy Guys are now two for two in Marblelympic competitions, winning both the 2022 Summer Games and the 2023 Winter Games.

## Gallery

Team AmbassadorsOpening CeremonyEddie the YetiCurling EventCurling Scoring AreaTeam BobsledAlpine SkiingLong Distance SkiingHockey EventHockey StadiumSki Jump