Looking ahead at the CoCo's upcoming tournament slate
It's been an action-packed summer around the Scrabble world, with major tournaments happening all over. But with the fall equinox upon us soon, it's time to turn the page and look forward. There's a whole lot more Scrabble still to come.
As for the CoCo, we are most definitely looking forward, and we've got a lot to be excited about in the coming months. Big things are happening, from coast to coast and everywhere in between.
Now's as good a time as any to preview all the tournament action we've got planned for late 2023 and early 2024. Let's get into it.
Our old mainstays keep thriving
In the pockets of North America where CSW Scrabble has a particularly loyal following, we're continuing to put on successful events. To wit:
The D.C./Maryland/Virginia contingent is turning out again and again. We've got a 1-day tournament coming up this weekend in Columbia, MD, followed soon after by an October 2-day event in Potomac. Rob Robinsky, Sammy Okosagah, and Bob Linn have done a tremendous job getting those tournaments off the ground.
Austin, TX is booming. Jesse Day and company launched their "Texas CSW One-Days" series this summer, and they're already coming up on a fourth event, slated for next week. You love to see it.
In the Pacific Northwest, we're still chugging along. There was a 1-day tournament in Portland last month, thanks to director Dave Wiegand; there's a 1-day coming up in Seattle later this month. And there will be plenty more events in the PNW before too much longer, no doubt.
The CoCo exists to serve Collins enthusiasts, wherever they may be. Thanks to the efforts of a few directors in a few key regions across North America, we're delivering on that promise.
Growing our presence in the Southwest
While our classic CSW hotbed areas are doing their thing, what's equally exciting to see is the CoCo's growth into new areas. Case in point: the state of New Mexico, where we'd never held a tournament until director John Karris came to us with the idea to launch an event in the Albuquerque area.
And it worked! John's tournament, scheduled for Oct. 7, has already drawn a field of 7 players, and there's still over a month to go. He's got a great mix of expert and intermediate players, locals and out-of-town travelers. And thanks to John's efforts, the CoCo is now on the map in an entirely new city, in an entirely new part of the U.S. that we've yet to explore. How cool is that?
Looking ahead to the NACC
The North American Collins Championship (NACC) is our flagship tournament - the big championship event we've been looking forward to all year. Right now, the entrants list is growing steadily, and we're up to 31 players on the list as of this writing. I'm optimistic we'll have quite a few more than that in the end, as a number of tentative people have told us they're still figuring out their plans.
Our whole team is looking forward to this being our crowning event of the year, as CSW enthusiasts from across North America descend on Seattle the second weekend in November. If you're already signed up: Great! We can't wait to see you. And if you're not: What are you waiting for?! Get on it.
A star-studded tournament lineup for 2024
Speaking of flagship tournaments: We're getting ready for a big year in 2024, and it's headlined by three returning tournaments that many CoCo players already know and love.
New Orleans, LA: The Crescent City Cup is coming back in January for the 12th annual (!!) event. There's not a more beloved tournament in all of Scrabble than the CCC, and we're thrilled to have it under the CoCo banner for the second time.
Hood River, OR: The Hood River Open is another one of the longest-running fan favorites on the CSW scene, and Jennifer and I are excited to bring it back in 2024 for the sixth time. The HORO is open for registration now! Get hyped.
Austin, TX: We've already had two enjoyable Austin Tile X-Words (ATX) tournaments in April of 2022 and '23, but the 2024 edition is going to be especially awesome. It's being held on the same weekend as a total solar eclipse! This rare phenomenon is not to be missed - and hey, neither is the Scrabble tournament.
These are exciting times to be a Scrabbler. We've got a bevy of tournaments for players everywhere to enjoy, and more new ones rolling out all the time. To join in the fun, head over to our tournaments page and find the right event (or three) for you.