Steampunk Olympiad

strongman

Participate in Feats of Strength, Dexterity,
and Cunning at the Steampunk Olympiad

Are you creative? Do you enjoy friendly competition and strutting your stuff?

Then make sure you buy your tickets for the Steampunk Olympiad at the registration desk during the convention weekend! These tickets can be turned in at the games for your chance to shine and show off your skills! Not only do you get to have fun, but you will be helping out our charity partner NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) by purchasing your tickets!

The Steampunk Olympiad is the signature event of the International Steampunk Symposium in which individuals from all across the country, and further, come together to compete in a series of eccentric contests.

Some of the competitions will feature special guests and sponsors, so make sure to keep your eyes and ears peeled for more information that we will be sharing before our convention weekend.

The Rules and Regulations for the games are available here online and 2023’s competitions will be:

  • Beard and Mustache Competition
  • Compliment Dueling by Madame Askew And The Grand Arbiter
  • Costume Contest
  • Iron Tailor
  • Nerf Dueling
  • Oddities and Curiosities
  • Penny Farthing Races
  • Tea Dueling
  • Teapot Racing
  • and our opening event on Friday, the Tea Stroll.

Olympiad Competitions Rules and Regulations

Beard and Mustache Competition

Who doesn’t love a dapper person with a well groomed face full of perfectly coiffed hair? Whiskers are amazing, and if you’ve got a glorious face full of them, this is the competition to show them off!

Judges will be choosing winners in the categories of:

  • Best Mustache
  • Best Mustache/Beard Combination
  • Best Themed Whiskers
  • Best Fantasy (Fake) Facial Hair

Anything goes in terms of creativity and decoration! This will not be a grooming competition-instead, contestants should have their facial hair pre-groomed and ready for admiration.

Contestants:

Any individual with facial hair are welcome to participate in the competition.

Contest Rules:

  • Contestants can have real or faux facial hair, though the faux facial hair can only win in the fantasy (fake) facial hair category.
  • Contestants may participate in more than one category (Best Mustache and Best Themed Whiskers, for example). Judging is separate for each category.
  • Mustaches/beards should be pre-groomed before the contest.
  • Embellishments are accepted and encouraged in any category. Creativity is very much encouraged and one may use anything to decorate or sculpt their whiskers.
  • Any type of grooming aid is permissible. This includes curling irons, pomades, oils, and waxes.
  • Contestants should prepare a short introduction for themselves.
  • Contestants must be willing to be photographed during and after the event by a Symposium photographer.

Awards:

  • Best Mustache
  • Best Mustache/Beard Combination
  • Best Themed Whiskers
  • Best Fantasy (Fake) Facial Hair
Bocce
Compliment Dueling
Costume Contest
Croquet
Dirigible Races
Iron Tailor
Nerf Dueling
Oddities and Curiosities
Penny Farthing Races
Scavenger Hunt
Tea Dueling
Teapot Racing
Tea Stroll
Umbrella Fencing
Writing Relay

General Rules and Safety

Most of the General Rules and Safety are common knowledge, but I wanted to add a couple things here.

  • Be respectful. We all are human. We’re going to make mistakes and things are going to go wrong, but if we take the time to be courteous to our fellow competitors, it makes foibles that much easier to work through.
  • Play fair. Don’t be a Mr. Bungle. Cheating won’t be tolerated and could disqualify you from the games. Games being the operative word. It’s important to do your best, but do it following the rules.
  • Be prepared. Make sure you have everything you need to compete. Take time to gather your thoughts and materials in advance so you’re not stressing last minute. Make a game plan. Take notes. Communicate with your team members.
  • Do your best. Every game deserves your best eort. Putting pride in what you do and the way you compete can give you a wonderful sense of accomplishment.
  • Be a good winner OR a good runner-up; respect your opponent. It’s just a game folks! Emotions can run high during competition, but it is what it is…a game. Be happy you won, even jump up and down (I know I am a zealous winner), but make sure to be conscious of your opponent’s feelings. Shake hands, high five, fist bump, kind words…make sure to let your competitors know that you acknowledge their eforts. If you didn’t win your game, don’t take it as a defeat, but learn from your losses to do better the next time.
  • Be a team player. If you are working with a group, teamwork is an important factor for winning. Showing respect to your teammates includes listening to each other, working together patiently, communication, trust and most of all…teamwork!
  • Practical dress. Know what to wear for your game. If you are playing croquet, maybe reconsider that really tight full body corset. If you are an engine in the Penny Farthing Races consider not wearing those skin tight leather pants and remember your goggles. Read the rules for each game and dress accordingly.
  • And most of all….have fun! Sports are amazing because they bring people of all different backgrounds together to work toward the same goal. The fun should be enjoying the process and playing the game to the best of your ability while having a good time. It’s called a game for a reason!