The Eye of the Storm

Hurricon '98 Convention Report

By Dave Clayton

First of all, I think we should all extend a big thanks to Nick and the Zizo Familia, the B.O.D. members in attendance, the indomitable Duke Seifried, Dr. Jim Birdseye, all the supportive retail dealers present, the folks who staged and GMed the games and to all the stalwart warrior-gamers who braved the weather to show-up and make Hurricon '98 a success!

Yes, I said a success. Despite the less-than-anticipated turnout, those who did attend seemed to enjoy themselves and have a good time. The convention ran smoothly, great battles were fought, people enjoyed themselves, retail dealers were present, and most importantly the cycle of annual Hurricons was unbroken!

Of course many members were not able to attend which was quite understandable due to the weather reports of impending Hurricane disaster to the Tampa Bay area. One's duty is first to one's family and loved ones, and many area gamers were at home battening down the hatches and preparing for the worst. Also, quite naturally, attendees from outside the Bay Area were reluctant to travel in, just in case the convention was cancelled. But fortune indeed smiled upon us. The convention was never called-off, the eye of the storm passed us by from a distance, and people showed-up to wargame.

To those who missed Hurricon '98 and the good times had by those of us who attended, I say, check us out next year-it'll be even more fun! Efforts are underway to ensure a record turnout with a goal to increase attendance (to perhaps 600?). We'd like to be able to lure Duke Seifried down again to stage one of his memorable events along with other guest exhibitors.

To those who have never experienced the "Duke Seifried Travelling Military History Theatre", you may have lost out on the experience of a lifetime. Duke's Sudan wargame was quite an event and drew a lot of attention. Unfortunately for me, I missed it since as a retailer I had to man my booth. I'm hoping the Duke will return.

Once again, I'd like to extend all Hail and Praise to the Zizo Familia for their convention direction and support. They are the nicest people and made every effort to make our Hurricon a success. If you were there and needed anything, one of the Zizo's would help you out. I for one am looking forward to Hurricon '99 with the Zizo's at the helm!

And thanks to Dr. Jim Birdseye, down from HMGS Mid-South, who also functioned as a goodwill ambassador of sorts. Jim was often seen escorting newcomers around and explaining the hobby to them. Dr. Jim puts on a pretty good convention himself, "Siege of Augusta", one con I really enjoy attending. I've always felt that those Mid-South fellows really define and give new meaning to the term "Southern Hospitality".

Thanks to all the retail dealers who, despite the storm and risk of poor sales, still showed up to show the flag and be available to their supporters.

And finally, thanks to all the patient people, lovers and teachers of military history who setup and ran the games. It takes a special kind of person to be a GM. Also, all Hail and Praise to the many wargamers who participated in the great battles fought throughout the weekend and made Hurricon '98 more than just another games day!

More Convention Coverage

Back to Rebel Yell No. 12 Table of Contents
Back to Rebel Yell List of Issues
Back to Master Magazine List
© Copyright 1998 by HMGS South
This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com