Ah, Memories!

The Prize Table Here is some of the loot that was up for grabs (not shown, the awards certificates, the "I Got Hammered" mallet, and the big metal: the Rivasseau-Peery Cup, the World DipCup and the Team Championship Cup).

The Championship Plaque In addition to having his name engraved on the World DipCup, the World Champion also took home this handsome plaque, donated by Edi Birsan!

The Master of Ceremonies David Hood, shown here atop his makeshift platform, ordered around all the people who, unlike him, had the happy task of ordering armies and fleets around.

The French-Speaking Contingent Clockwise from lower-left: J.C. Imbeault (Canada), Jean-Louis Delattre (Belgium), Bruno Berken (Belgium), and Vincent Mous (Canada/Denmark) Three Brits (Mark Wightman, David Norman, and Denis Jones) and a sole Swede (Per Westling) combined with those shown here to give the World Championship its international flavor.

A Typical Scene Gathered around a third-round table are Rick Desper, Tom Schneider, Per Westling, Hunter Davis, Tim Richardson, and Ryan Early.

Another "Action" Shot Here, pondering their options, are Jacob Sacksteder, Simon Szykman, J.C. Imbeault, Andy Marshall, Bruce Reiff, Edi Birsan, and Mike McMillie.

In the Heat of Battle Shown here are Robby Schmelpfening, Pete Rauch, Ron Fisher, Mark Wightman, Mark Murray, Buz Eddy, and Jon Mlinar.

Southern Hospitality A favorite DixieCon staple is the Saturday afternoon barbeque. Here you see the head of the line. David Hood stands behind the table, and such luminaries as Bruce Reiff (embracing Denis Jones), Jamie McQuinn, and Edi Birsan, wait their turn with the ladle.

Plotting and Scheming Brian Ecton and Don Williams try to determine their wisest course of action.

A Couple of Scoundrels Dan Mathias and Pitt Crandlemire compare notes. Dan tries to look innocent, but Pitt looks guilty as all get-out.

All Hail The Hoods! DixieCon's First Family, the four brothers Hood (David, Hal, John, and Robert), kept everyone in line. They did such a consistently good job that it was dang hard to tell one Hood from another.

Fruit of the Labor Hudson Defoe and Brian Ecton pose after the awards ceremony.

The Local Hangout Given that when we weren't playing, we were either waking up or going to bed, the two most popular spots other than the gaming tables were the bars and this breakfast house, just a short walk from the convoys and supports. Shown here trying to get some quick energy are Jon Quarto, Pete Rauch, and Jamie McQuinn.

True Down-Home Southern Cooking Everyone who frequented the pancake house simply had to try that most traditional of southern breakfast cuisine, grits! (Well, okay, most people didn't dare, but here you see Larry Peery putting on a brave face and taking the plunge.)

The Player's Choice Jamie McQuinn won the Player's Choice Award -- which is determined by votes made for everyone's favorite opponent. Jamie is shown here displaying his plaque, with David Hood looking on.

The New Champ Here he is, everyone. Draw your beads.

The Runner-Up Jon Quarto accepts his second-place award from Mike Lowery, while the assembled crowd erupts with something resembling applause and David Hood looks on.

The Championship Team! The only team that played together both in Goteborg and Chapel Hill shows that persistence pays off. Team Internet (David Norman, Vincent Mous, and Manus Hand) sport their newly-acquired medals.

The Team Cup Shown here is the Team Championship Cup, where the names of those shown above will be found engraved.

The Awards Banquet What could be better after a hard weekend of Diplomacy than letting someone else do the cooking? As is tradition, the DixieCon attendees all attack a particular eating place en masse. This time, it was a Japanese teriyaki steakhouse, where, because I couldn't understand the chef's question, I ordered my chicken done medium well.