What happens when 40 concrete artisans are assembled in one place with the task of creating 10 world-class concrete cornhole platforms? The good folks at BLUEconcrete decided to answer this age-old question once and for all. In October of 2013, artisans from all over the planet gathered at the facilities of BLUE in Covington, Ga., for the third annual EPIC networking event.
This year’s event was anchored by 10 of the most respected artisans in the trade, each of whom was tasked with designing a cornhole platform to be cast at the three-day event. EPIC ended with a cornhole competition, taking place on the new platforms, between the 10 fearless leaders’ well-trained teams of cornhole experts. (If you are wondering just exactly what I mean by “cornhole,” think “bean bag toss.”)
Those attending were able to participate in the casting of these platforms, 10 different 3-D objects cast using 10 different processes and mix designs. There were demonstrations of products and techniques. There was hands-on sealer training. There was plenty of food and spirits, including two very happy pigs roasted to perfection over the whole of Saturday. There were competitions, and there were champions. The times that enjoyed the greatest fanfare were round- table discussions held on Thursday and Friday night discussing issues pertinent to artisan concrete. All of this was accompanied by an appropriate amount of debate, debauchery and laughter.
The event surpassed the sum of the experiences within it, so much so that description is confoundingly difficult. Just as the experience of working with concrete is often transcendent for the artisan, so too is the experience of working with concrete alongside such a talented group of artisans.
Was it training? Kind of. Was it a competition? Yes. Dusty Baker (Stone-Crete Artistry, Burns, Tenn.) won all of the various competitions for the event. The guy was on fire.
Was it a social event? Yes. Was it an opportunity to see the latest and greatest in concrete materials and techniques? Absolutely. But it was also more than that. At the end of the day, it was EPIC.
See it as it went down by searching #blueepic on Instagram.
