ONE Crazy Aussie!?

Says the guy on team Toronto

Technically, you didn't travel from Australia to be there either!

There was no Team Australia! (That will change in the future, I'm sure.)

More importantly, it was really great seeing you again and hanging out. Looking forward to re-joining the Sydney VF scene next month!

It's been a pretty exhausting week and a half. As some of you may know, it's a long ass flight from Australia to NYC (just under 24 hours all told), and on return I flew directly from NYC to attend a tech conference back home, and was pretty much running on fumes the entire time. Despite the physical and mental drain, however, I don't regret a single minute and I still find myself smiling on the inside when I recall just how amazing the entire experience was. To say it was well worth the price of admission would be the understatement of the year.

Team VFDC Mods
@oneida: great to finally have met you, and thanks for all your hard work with not only VFDC, but with promoting what was an unforgettable event! I forgot to tell you this in person, but I am not kidding when I say that the original trailer you made for NYGX really inspired me to want to go, so thanks for that! Also wanted to say you did a great job during the team tournament and I dare say you grew stronger with each match!

@BLACKSTAR: great to have met you again, and again, thanks for your efforts on VFDC and the shift you put into the team tournament! I'm glad that this time we spent more time hanging out but still amazed at how we managed to not play each at all! Again! Keep sharpening the edges on your Sarah!

Team Toronto
@og23: it's funny how new friends can feel like old friends. After meeting you for the first time in Toronto about a month earlier, it was great to have another instantly familiar face to hang out with in the big apple. Stay hungry young man!

@J6Commander : after not having seen you in so many years, it was great catching up with you twice in as many months! Keep those kids in Toronto honest, OK? Also, do you remember the advice you gave me before the team tournament? It worked!

@MadeManG74: my Lebanese brother from down under via Canada! What can I say other than it was an absolute blast hanging out with you again? We probably didn't get many games in this time, but we got a tonne in Toronto the month prior, and your ass is eventually coming back to Sydney anyway! Aside from the VF event itself, just wanted to say thanks for hanging out and exploring NYC with me.

Team nWo
@tonyfamilia: it was brief, but it was a blast. You're a true, stand-up kind of guy and it was a pleasure to have finally met you! Thanks again for the Coronas on Saturday night... *BOOM*

@Jacko: man, what can I say, but it feels like whenever we played there was always something special happening. You're one of the few who always found ways to keep me honest. If it wasn't the guaranteed Knee punishes, or 4 (5?) landing sweeps in a row, there was always something you found to test me, and I really needed that! You controlled (3D) space really well, your reactions are always on point, and let's not forget our initial battles giving rise to the now infamous DING DONG DING meme for NYGX! GGs and pleasure to have finally met you!

@Chief_Flash: despite our recent runnings (water under the bridge now), it was great catching up with you again. We had some fun casuals and hype tournament matches that always bring the best out of me. I generally had a blast both in and outside the game, and it was cool just hanging out on Monday and seeing a few of the sights with og, j6, mademan and smurf. But, I'm a bit concerned you might be a hipster now Seek help now! #ThugLife

Team NYCVF1
@cruzlink2: Dios mio! One of the pillars of the VF community, still going strong as ever. I honestly can't ever imagine experiencing VF in NYC without your presence, so I sincerely thank you for all your hard work and the sacrifices you have made for the greater community. You embody, with your heart and soul, what the VF brotherhood is all about. p.s. thank you for the sanwa buttons!

@Harpooneer: From the moment we met at the Seinfeld diner (with Mademan), I just knew you were one cool, straight-shooting cat. That final clean-up call over the megaphone though:

Everybody stop what you're doing and clean up!
If you're playing a first-to-five, first-to-ten
I DON'T GIVE A FUCK
You need to clean up your shit NOW!​

That pretty much summed up your character for me, stern but reasonable, and brings a massive smile to my face every time I recall it p.s. you've inspired my to read Moby Dick!

@Mold_Monkey93: "like the little mermaid" we probably only played on the Friday, but your Eileen is impressive and on a good path!

@TechnicalMonkey: another pillar of the community and unsung hero behind the scene, just know that everything you do is hugely appreciated by all!

Team Katerratron
@KADAJ757: great to have met you, and get at least a few games in!

@Terracrush: congrats on placing 3rd in the singles tournament, well deserved!

@cobratron: great to see some west coast representation! Always a pleasure to watch and play against another Kage!

Team Saaaaaal
@SNAKE BOSS: nice to have met the legend that is SNAKE BOSS! I hope your nephew had fun at the event too, and continues to play VF!?

@shadowmaster: good to met you again, shadow, and I enjoyed our games!

@Rodnutz: I was pretty disappointed you didn't show up on Sunday because I was really looking forward to having a good set with you! Despite that, however, it was great catching up with you again, and the conversations over dinner on Saturday night were definitely one of the highlights of the weekend. It's good to see you're still a force to be reckoned with, and here's looking to our next bout!?

Team Carry Us Chefboy
@-BG-: great to have finally met you, but it was a shame we didn't get a chance to get some games in. Maybe next time?

@AkiraZero : pleasure meeting you, dude, and glad we got some games in!

@Chefboy_OB: good seeing you again, wise old man! We probably managed some games in, but it was definitely not enough!

Team NYCVF2
@kungfusmurf: this guy... what can I say? One of the few that really went out of their way to make me, and other travellers, feel at home in NYC. I honestly can't thank you enough for the hospitality, and I can truly say it's a pleasure having someone like you as a friend. And also, a million times THANKYOU for that Arsenal jersey!

@VFhayato: motherfucking DING DONG DING! Chris, I don't care what anyone says, man, but don't EVER change. You're full of life, energy and happiness. That's a good thing to have around, and far better than the negativity and bullshit that unfortunately creeps in. You were one of the few that constantly brought life into an otherwise lifeless setting, and that match of yours versus moldmonkey was hype as fuck! WOW! Thank you for helping shape this amazing experience!

@Shag: not sure we even played over the weekend, but it's always a pleasure catching up with you, however brief it may be. Watching that video of you taking that shot on your knees at Frankie's bar ... cannot unsee!!!

Others

@Shang: So there was all this talk about us playing a FT10, where if you won you'd be unbanned from VFDC, and immune from being banned for 1 year. To that I asked, "what do I get if I win?" only to reveal that nobody had an answer Well, we played our casuals, and FT's, but not under any kind of agreement, but I will say this: Shang, it was good catching up with you after all these years, and a shame you had to leave early. Incidentally, Shang is now unbanned. Such is the power of VF.

@BBountyHuntyr: congrats on placing 2nd in the singles tournament. I know it's been said before, but given your relatively short history with the game, this is an impressive result you should be proud of!

@CJA: if there were a joystick art competition that weekend, you would have won. Hands down. Good meeting you sir!

@Tricky: congrats on placing 1st in the singles tournament. It's unfortunate that there was a little controversy surrounding it, so the best thing to do now is move on. I'm glad we got some games in at least, and look forward to playing you again soon.

@siLEpai: such a happy surprise to have seen you here! Keep pestering me about that snow boarding trip because I'm bound to break eventually!

@Libertine: good to have finally met you, and glad we managed to squeeze a set in before closing on Sunday night! Your Brad was great to watch, very calculating, and your combos were on point!

@_Denkai_: congrats on your SEGA cup run-back! It's always a mental test playing against you, but I enjoyed every minute of it! So now that we're 1-1 in the tournament stakes, when do we finally get to settle it?

Razzledazzle: always good to see you in NYC, my friend! (p.s. do you have an account here?)

@Sudden_Death: words escape me right now, so all I can say is... GGs! FINALLY!

@ShinobiFist: great to catch up with you again man! I'll have to hit you up separately about that mix tape, and if you ever make that move to HK, I'll definitely pay you a visit! We'd practically be neighbours!

@SDS_Overfiend1: It's a shame we didn't get to play, but I'm glad to have met you after all this time!

@CIDKID: Happy belated birthday, man, and glad you at least came out on Friday to get a few games in!

To anyone else that was present, that I didn't get to meet personally, just wanted to say thanks for coming out. Everyone contributes in their own, unique way which makes events like these truly special. When it's all said and done, there really is no substitute for the real life experiences, the bonds, friendships, and rivalries that get established, revisited, and renewed. None of this can ever be replicated online, and I'm sure I speak on behalf of everyone when I say that I started missing it the very moment it was over.

I previously mentioned that I've now unbanned Shang. Life is too short, and these types of events make you realise the things that really matter. All the online hate, abuse, and toxic behaviour seems to melt away. Sadly, we don't live in a perfect world and I suspect that the online community will regress once again. But for this brief moment, let's set aside any differences or conflicts we may have and celebrate the wonderful event that was NYGX, VF, and each other.

I honestly hope I get another opportunity to see you all again.

I <3 VF.

Spoiler

For a bit of fun, nostalgia, and healthy dose of "holy shit has it been that long!?" I decided to look up old posts reporting on my prior visits to NYC:

Team <<Shao long pao>> {NYC VF} thread
April 2006 (9 years ago) : This was a weekend trip down to Web2Zone, playing on an arcade setup of VF4FT.

Virtua Tournament
May 2001 (14 years ago!) : Was this the first ever NYG? This held on Dreamcasts running VF3TB, out at Long Island thanks to hotel setup by @adamYUKI.

DAAAAAAAAMMMNNNN!!!! That takes me back!

I've updated the main post with a full index of all matches for Day 1 - Casuals.