In 2012 I had the privilege of winning the title of All Around Clown. When asked to write that past article I wanted to make sure that I included information about my past and what it took to accomplish that goal. Never did I actually expect to be writing a year later after winning the title once again during the Malaysia 2013 convention.

I did have an idea in the back of my head, an idea that I tried very hard to ignore. During the 2010 and 2011 conventions my father won All Around Clown two times in a row and was given the title of Master Clown. To my knowledge this particular title has only been received by one other individual, Luis Casaino. Could I join the two of them as a Master Clown? I certainly did not expect to. I knew that competition would be tough and as always, nothing is ever guaranteed. So during competition I just tried to have fun and enjoy the comradery that comes through competing together.

I did not expect to win All Around Clown, but I did hope for it. I knew that if I did not win that I wanted to be the first standing to applaud whoever would win if that was the result. I know how much work it takes. As it went, I did actually have that opportunity to stand and applaud. I cheered and looked on as Ashida Sin Han Lung was awarded the title of 2013 All Around Clown at the convention in Malaysia. How could I disagree? She had done a fantastic job during competition and she deserved to be recognized as the 2013 top winner.

After all of this you may believe how surprised I was to get a phone call the following month from our president informing me that after reviewing the score sheets they had found out that the scores for All Around Clown came back a tie. This rare occurrence granted me the title as well as Ashida, and by being my second year, allotted me a spot with my father and Luis as a WCA Master Clown.

I am very proud of that title, but it is not for the title alone that I competed. There is something about competition. There is a hidden value in having something to work towards and strive to accomplish. It is also just a lot of fun to compete, to try to come up with something others in my profession will enjoy watching, and to hang out backstage or put on my number with a hundred other clowns.
I want to encourage you to enter something this next year in Chicago. Yes, competition is about an individual, but through competition you become a part of a group. In a strange twist competitors somehow bond into a brotherhood. We cheer for each other, take pictures and share the overall experience.

When I do enter competition I want to make sure that I am giving my best. I get more nervous for a competition like these than I do for an actual show because I care so much about what I am presenting. I want to make sure that I am doing good material. Here are a couple of tips that I recommend when competing. Who knows, maybe next year you will be the All Around Clown!
1. Read the rules! This is the biggest one. I go through each rule and see if I hit all the criteria. Picking up one point here and another there adds up. After reading through the rules I ask myself the questions listed on the judging form. Does my skit have a beginning, middle and end? Do my shoes match the cuffs on my jacket? Is my paradability prop funny?
2. Be time conscious. In paradability be aware of when your time starts and when it ends. Do your bit and move on. If I have an allotted 5 minutes for a skit competition maybe I want to use background music that runs 4 minutes and 30 seconds. When the music ends, get off stage. Often when I perform live the routine is either longer or shorter based on audience response. My timing is based on the audience. Be aware of this and how it effects the length of your presentation.
3. Practice. Run through your material. Try out your paradability prop before showing up at the convention. Practice your balloon sculpting and face painting. Make sure you pack the right props and take time one afternoon during the convention to practice your skit one last time. Practice will make you better and will help calm your nerves.
4. Do your best. Competition is supposed to be fun. It can be nerve wracking, stressful and challenging, but when it is all over we want clowns to be able to say they had a good time.

In competition every point matters. This is why I was able to tie for All Around Clown. This year I took first in single skit and third in paradability. I was not expecting to place in paradability and I was pretty sure I would not win anything in make-up and wardrobe (and I was right). I was hoping to place in single skit, as I knew that it was my strongest category. However I knew that while competing for All Around Clown I could not take any category for granted. So I went out and bought a new handkerchief to put in my back pocket that matched my shoes and my shirt. I tried to come up with an original walk-a-round and I customized my music for my skit so that there was a music intro and outro. One less point (even in the category of make-up and costume which I did not even place in) and I would have missed out on All Around Clown and Master Clown.

I want to end by saying thank you to those who worked with the competitions and scoring this past year. You do a lot of work no one sees. Thank you to the judges. You have the most thankless task at the convention yet we need you desperately. Thank you to all my fellow competitors. You inspire me to keep pushing. Finally a special thank you to those who double checked the scores and found out the All Around Clown category for 2013 was a tie.