{"id":2154,"date":"2012-07-28T16:57:02","date_gmt":"2012-07-28T14:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/?p=2154"},"modified":"2012-08-04T03:59:25","modified_gmt":"2012-08-04T01:59:25","slug":"impressioning-champion-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/?p=2154","title":{"rendered":"Impressioning champion &#8230; of the world?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There was a little confusion how to call the championships at LockCon. Should we call them US open or <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/lockcon-us.jpg\">World Championships?<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/barry-impressioning-champion-700.jpg\" alt=\"Barry Wels impressioning champion 2012 ... of the world?!?\" \/><\/p>\n<p>To keep a long story short: I <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/score.jpg\">won<\/a> the first <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/lockcon-impressioning-champion.jpg\">US impressioning championships<\/a>. And it was a close call.<\/p>\n<p>The close call was whether or not I would participate. I did not prepare and did not even bring gear (suitcases were full of heavy stuff anyway). It was my new friend <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/ben-sherman-lsi-instructor.jpg\">Ben Sherman<\/a> who persuaded me to participate and generously gave me his file. And <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/jord-knaap-impressioning.jpg\">Jord<\/a> gave me his spare handle. What followed was me winning <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/2012-impressioning-championships-locks-barry-wels-.jpg\">all three rounds<\/a>. And in the third round I was nicely <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/barry-wels-impressioning-focussed.jpg\">focused<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/winning-impressioning-key.jpg\">the only finalist<\/a> to open the six pin lock in 60 minutes. We are all happy <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/best-at-impressioning.jpg\">the title<\/a> goes <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/impressioning-title-stays-in-holland.jpg\">back to the Netherlands<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Even though I won <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/?p=227\">a number<\/a> of <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/?p=241\">international championships<\/a>, I am not really much of a competitive player. For me it is more important to be able to open a wide variety of locks in a decent time. This is what I teach at <a href=\"http:\/\/lock-experts.com\/lock-experts-advanced-impressioning.pdf\">Lock-Experts (PDF)<\/a> and rely on as a locksmith at <a href=\"http:\/\/intact-noodopening.nl\/sleutels_verloren.html\">intact-noodopening.nl.<\/a> But I can not deny it is a good feeling to win. <\/p>\n<p><FONT SIZE = +1>LockCon 2012 LockPick championships &#8230; of the world?<\/FONT> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/lockpick-champions-lockcon-2012.jpg\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/lockpick-champions-lockcon-2012-700-.jpg\" alt=\"Lockpick champions ... of the world?\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Torsten Quast won the lockpicking games, followed by Julian Hardt and Jord Knaap.  <\/p>\n<p>I ended sharing the fourth place with <a href=\"http:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/andygreenberg\/2012\/07\/16\/hacker-opens-high-security-handcuffs-with-3d-printed-and-laser-cut-keys\/\">&#8220;handcuff Ray&#8221;<\/a>. And that is a pity because after a long number of elimination rounds both Julian and I were the only ones who were not defeated. But then I got into a pool of three people and lost, followed by a battle to the finals with Ray. And we both <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/brink0x3f\/7619975964\/in\/set-72157630693034208\/\">did not open<\/a> any of the <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/4th-place-corbin.jpg\">US Corbin locks<\/a> ending us both at the fourth place.<\/p>\n<p>All fun aside, Torsten seemed to like the idea of being the &#8216;unofficial&#8217; world champion lockpicking. The Toool board had long discussions on how to organize the first &#8220;official&#8221; world-championships of LockPicking and Impressioning in the future (in corporation with other sportgroups like SSDeV, Fools etc). The way we envision it is that every locksport and (possibly) locksmith community in the world should organize their own championships and the winners of each of these competitions will be sponsored to fly to LockCon for the first official world championships. But don&#8217;t hold your breath for it to happen soon. <\/p>\n<p><FONT SIZE = +1>What else happened at LockCon?<\/FONT><\/p>\n<p>Besides the <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/interesting-weather.jpg\">warning<\/a> for <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/changing-weather.jpg\">tornado&#8217;s<\/a> all went fine. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/tour-at-sargent-and-greenleaf.jpg\" alt=\"tour trough the S&#038;G factory\" \/><\/p>\n<p>LockCon was held at the <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/lockcon-at-lsi.jpg\">LSI facility.<\/a> A <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/playground.jpg\">great place<\/a> with its own <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/lsi-lock-museum.jpg\">museum.<\/a> Good for ours of <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/museum1.jpg\">looking<\/a> at <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/unique-locks.jpg\">special locks<\/a>. There were <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/lots-of-locks.jpg\">unique locks<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/keys.jpg\">keys<\/a> all over the place.   <\/p>\n<p>We organized some <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/workshops-lockcon.jpg\">workshops<\/a> on <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/new-skils.jpg\">interesting topics<\/a>. At the <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/tour-at-sargent-and-greenleaf.jpg\">tour trough the S&#038;G factory<\/a> we learned they had the ultimate safe to <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/secure-the-things-you-love.jpg\">protect what is precious to you.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lots of <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/happy-lockpickers.jpg\">networking<\/a> was done at the late night parties. People would <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/tools-at-the-party-blurr.jpg\">show off<\/a> their <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/sput01.jpg\">latest<\/a> tool <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/interesting-devices.jpg\">development<\/a>, reverse engineer <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/reverse-engineer-interesting-hardware.jpg\">interesting hardware<\/a>, make <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/new-friends.jpg\">new friends<\/a> and drink till <a href=\"http:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/party-blurr.jpg\">all becomes blurry.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Just google for lockcon and find lots of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/brink0x3f\/sets\/72157630693034208\/\">interesting archives<\/a> full of nice pictures.  <\/p>\n<p>Thanks everyone for making LockCon possible and hope to see you soon at a new event!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How I won the US impressioning games and became fourth at the lockpick games. And a little on how LockCon went.  <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":171,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/171"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2154"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2154\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2154"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2154"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blackbag.toool.nl\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2154"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}