2009 NSSBC AWARDS

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh dudes and dudettes, still feels like the recovery is on after Vegas. What a town, it don't sleep, it don't stop, and the neon just keeps blasting inside and outside! Too much fun for words, it has to be experienced...and that experience has to stay in Vegas you know, so let's just end it there! BUT, I will say thanks to the UNLV Runnin' Rebels for an outstanding hosting job, congrats on the exposure to UNLV Civil Engineering, and of course, thank you for all your hard work!!!

Okay, so, I'll keep this short and sweet 'cause I only got one day in of the NSSBC, because some people are lucky enough to be working their butt off for a paycheck...and sooooooooooooo...

AWARDS OF CONQUEST ... "I own you bitches!"

1st Place Overall - SUNY Canton
About freakin' time you guys. What, haven't you had like 37 trips to the Top 10 or something??? Finally, y'all went balls out with the speed, and it pushed you over the top!!! Awesome stuff once again from the New York Roos, and now they got the goods to show for it. Enjoy the glory fellas, it was well deserved, and enjoyed the immense enthusiasm from the whole Canton faithful.

2nd Place Overall - NDSU
They'll probably say they came up short, but sometimes shit happens, and for the Bison, some shit hit the fan during their run. However...when you mess up a bit, and are still only behind ONE Team throughout the entire nations, it says you're doing just about everything right. What's this word about super primo steel for the ultra-efficient design??? Is this true, or does the legend of Bison Bridge know no bounds? Ha ha, regardless, another super solid working on the Efficiency score for the 5 time NSSBC Champs, and a gutsy 3 member build crew obviously had enough to take it all. These guys will be primed for a run at Purdue no doubt...and, no floods, and, no hosting the Mid-West, so imagine all the time they'll have on their hands hanging in Fargo!!!

3rd Place Overall - Lakehead
What's going on eh? Speeeeeed Rock! Greasy, fast, lightnin' speed! Again, banking on their incredible economy, the Thunderwolves had enough to crack the Top 3. It feels like it has been a while since Lakehead was on the NSSBC Overall podium, but their presence has always been strong at Nats. With a no nonsense run of quick connections, perfect timing, and steady hands...not to mention a damn decent efficiency, our neighbors outta Ontario once again showed us how it's done. Congratulaciones!!!

Happenings of an Odd Nature "Like avocados..."

1. One can gamble any time, any day, just about anywhere at any level of adrenaline, it's remarkable...that and the money lost, it's pure genius whoever thought of gambling (devil).

2. How many hoes does it take to screw in a light bulb...well, judging by the amount of blinky, blink, blink in Vegas...CLOSE TO 20 BILLION, geez if the skirt's gonna be that short just find a pole and get paid for it.

3. Thomas & Mack Center...rotate your playlist once every couple of hours.

4. The Rebels are on the Rise!!! (watch them get beat by Sac State next fall)

5. Indian Gaming money buys some nice Arena. At that rate a Paiute should be on the damn basketball team at UNLV.

6. The neverending margaritas downtown double as a weapon.

7. Nick working the pole outside of New York, New York was worth the bolt tab coming off, though if it had stayed on, I think we'd have seen more skin!

8. I think From Dusk 'til Dawn got their biker bar inspiration at Diablo's Cantina.

9. Lucky Larry's got a lot o' Lobstuhs!!!

10. Again, stiffness boost needed??? Go to Nats, geez, no wonder the Bison keep it light! haha

Best Tools and Assembly Techniques
Give it up for Leopard Magneto, loved those magnets to hold the bolts, a step up from the sticky forearms at Northridge...Nice Lafayette! The LL's also sported a thrifty 3 person crew, just like UMKC and NDSU, really, really working it. There were a bunch of cool sequences, but had to say the Texas A&M method was rather unique, piers last is, uh, yeah a fun and different way to build your bridge, it was really cool to watch, haven't seen anything that radical since U$C in 2005. With barges being loaded up in there, we didn't see too many outrageous tools, some nice pier placements though. The pier on lateral was great by Cal, in fact, their sequence was a wonderful choreography to watch...damn time and a half sent them under, but they were good. The shear fluidity of Lakehead was a stunner, so smooth, and some groovy counterweights. Big Props also to Akron and UC Denver for working their chordius designs so quickly.

Cleanest Fabrication
Hawai'i Manoa
ÉTS
UC Denver
NDSU
Lakehead
Cal
New Orleans
UMKC
Old Dominion

Best Spirit
Illest...UCSD
Hawai'i
NJIT
Akron
Texas Tech (Guns Up!)



















Mileage Award
Hawai'i Manoa
SUNY Canton

Shiniest Bridge Award
NDSU

Best Decks
Cal
NDSU
Lafayette
ÉTS
SUNY Canton
UC Davis
Va Tech
Wazzou

Something New Award
New Orleans (functional arch)
Lafayette (magnetized bolt sleeves)
Cal, Wazzou, and UMKC (Space Compression Chords)
Central Florida (Spread Planar Chords)
NDSU (Spread Planar Compression/Lateral Flange)

Old School Trickster Award
UC Denver and their Holes-a-Plenty

DOH! Award
UC Davis
Cal
Georgia Tech
ÉTS (run it twice!)
Fairmont State

Best Paint
Hawai'i Manoa
ÉTS
Drexel

Most Missed
Florida
Southern Poly
The Alaskans

Best Shirts
UCSD

Funnest Assembly Sequences to Watch
Texas A & M
Cal
Lafayette
SUNY Canton

Best Newcomers
Washington State
UC Denver
Université Laval

Biggest Improvement from 2008
Hawai'i Manoa (11th from 27th in 2008)

MUCHAS CHICAS AWARD
M.I.T.
UCSD

BEST OF THE WEST
Cal

BEST OF THE EAST
SUNY Canton

BEST OF THE CENTRAL
North Dakota State

BEST OF THE SOUTH
Virginia Tech

BEST INTERNATIONAL
Lakehead

BIGGEST HEARTBREAK
UC Davis

BEST STEEL BRIDGE CONFERENCES OVERALL
1. Midwest (2 + 3)/2 = 2.5
2. Mid-Pacific (5+8)/2 = 6.5
3. Upstate New York (1+20)/2 = 10.5
4. Mid-Atlantic (7+29)/2 = 18
5. Pacific Northwest (6+15+38)/3 = 19.7

ENGINEERING HOTTIE AWARD
Texas A&M
UCSD
M.I.T.

SAUSAGE FACTORY AWARD
The Entire Top 3 Overall...friggin' gueros taking over the NSSBC!!! lol

MOST LIKELY TO KICK ASS NEXT YEAR

...this is now a lot like betting on who will improve, who will come back, who will falter after a strong year and who will repeat, also depends on the Bridge Type Selection, travel etc. etc. so here goes...(Ten max by the way)

NDSU
Cal
SUNY Canton
UC Davis
Seattle
Florida
Southern Poly
Michigan
Akron
Wisconsin

BIG UPS TO THE 2009 COMPETITORS

YOU'RE WHAT THIS THING IS ALL ABOUT.

SEE YOU IN BOILERMAKER COUNTRY NEXT MAY!