jetfour
Smash Journeyman
Edit: 04/03/10 Here's the shortened version edited so that nonsmashers could read. When I get the time I'll revise it full of more shffls and doubleshines than your body has room for!
Jackie Tran
03/24/10
An intergalactic, anthropomorphic blue jay made him famous
His eyes were wide open. Sean Benner couldn't blink or he would lose his focus. His Adam's Apple protruded as he made a mistake and his opponent took advantage of it. His opponent jumped right over him and kicked him in the back of the head. It didn't matter because he kicked right back. The opponent yelled as he was propelled off the mountain, unable to make a safe recovery.
The battle was over. Two more matches of these virtual clashes remained. Benner won them both easily.
Benner, also known as 'Forward', is a professional video gamer. He is known for his use of the character Falco from the video game “Super Smash Bros. Melee” for the Nintendo GameCube. He has earned thousands of dollars playing the game in tournaments from Southern California to Massachusetts.
When Benner was growing up, his older brother Ryan would tell him about professional gamers for the Capcom arcade game “Street Fighter II.” Benner was inspired by how a person could be talented enough to be famous for playing a game.
“Super Smash Bros. Melee” was one of the earliest games released for the Nintendo GameCube and quickly became a best-seller. It is a game where the goal is to knock the opponent off of a floating island. However, it is more complicated than a game of bumper boats. The floating islands have obstacles and players use characters such as Mario and Pikachu from various Nintendo franchises.
When Benner tried the game, something clicked. His quick adaptability and skillful hands led him to become a talented player. He beat all of his friends easily and within a few years became the best player in the state of Arizona. He dominated local tournaments and began traveling occasionally to to attend out-of-state tournaments.
Benner received friend requests on social networking Web sites from people in countries such as Switzerland and Brazil with messages from other gamers complimenting his talent from videos they saw online.
Benner had heard stories about another professional gamer who traveled across the country just to play the game. He decided to start his own journey.
In March of 2007, Benner was 19 years old. His apartment lease was up and he did not want to stay with his messy roommate. He saw the opportunity to use his gaming skills to travel the country. He was confident in his skill to win tournament cash prizes and sustain himself. Other video gamers were hospitable enough to provide him with free housing. He had about a thousand dollars saved up and began his journey by flying from Phoenix to Boston.
As Benner won tournaments, he used the cash winnings to fund transportation and eating expenses. He flew when he had to but carpooled with other Smashers when he had the opportunity. Since he didn't have to spend money on housing, he bought new clothes and ate at Chipotle up to five times a week.
One of Benner's closest friends was Daniel Rodriguez, known as Chu Dat in the Smash community. “He and I were alike,” Benner said. “He was the respected best in his area and he was very active. He hosted bi-weekly Smash tournaments.” Rodriguez housed Benner for weeks when he was in the Virginia area.
A girl by the name of Janet caught Benner's interest. The interest was unrequited, however. “She followed me around all the time and she was charming,” Benner said. “But she was attached to me out of respect for my Smash talent.”
“Social dynamics in Smash are like at a swim meet. If you're a talented Smasher at a tournament, people will worship you. If you're a talented swimmer at a swim meet, you'll be popular. If you're a pro swimmer at a smash tournament, people won't care and vice versa.”
After about a dozen tournaments, Benner went to Klamath Falls for his aunt's wedding. “I was tired of Smash,” Benner said. “It's a mental exercise and you get stressed out after playing so much of it . . . I needed a break.”
When the wedding was over and Benner got enough time with family, he traveled to Washington for more tournaments. He crossed the border to British Columbia, Canada for another tournament.
One weekend, Benner stayed with Jason Zimmerman, known in the Smash community as Mew2King. Zimmerman is also one of the most successful Smash players, consistently placing top 3 at the biggest tournaments in the country.
“That was one of the worst Smash weekends in my life,” Benner said. “When you're used to winning and then you play one of the best players in the world for days, losing even when you're trying your hardest – it's demoralizing. But when I visited home after staying with him for a couple days, my margin of skill to my former rivals was so much bigger. I got so much better.”
Over two months, Benner was on eight-to-ten tournament winning streak nationwide. Other smashers began approaching him like royalty. “When people were looking up to me so much, it was frustrating,” Benner said. “No one talked to me as an equal. Some people groveled at my feet. There are a few people that would still freak out meeting me even if it was at a swim meet.”
The biggest single prize he won was more than $1,300 at INNsomnia V in West Memphis, Arkansas. At that tournament, he defended his old grandmaster title against a wave of next generation of the best players from across the country.
“DaShizWiz was an up-and-coming Falco player ready to take me down,” Benner said. “It was amazing how much technical skill he had.” Benner managed to retain his title and walked out with over a grand in his pocket.
“I spent my money wrecklessly at times, like when I bet Chu Dat that I would pay for his food for a week if he ate nothing but hot wings the entire time,” Benner said. “I somehow lost that bet.” When Benner was low on money, he had a few tricks, such as keeping a constant supply of gallons of water. “It was a cheap way to keep me full.”
Benner won (and spent) almost five thousand dollars during his national journey.
“When I got back home, it felt great to sleep in my own bed,” Benner said.
Intense 22-hour gaming sessions took a toll on Benner's body. He was overweight and had long messy hair. He cut his hair and decided to focus on his fitness and presentable image. He wanted to focus on his non-gaming career and explore new thoughts and cultures. At age 21, he became a computer sciences major at Pima Community College. He lost 40 pounds after eating more health-consciously and working out. He used his blue eyes and new athletic physique to help him charm a Vietnamese and French lady by the name Soleil Vo, now his girlfriend.
“He was fascinated with culture and especially enthusiastic about eating ethnic food,” said Andrew Vo, 16, brother of Benner's girlfriend and fan of Forward. “He learned basic Vietnamese to thank my mom for the food and complimenting her.”
"I want to start my own video game development company," Benner said. "I want to make games that are actually good."
Benner still attends tournaments, though much less due to school. The next tournament he will be attending is at Long Beach, California on March 27.
“During that national trip, I learned that everybody is the same in some ways,” Benner said. “Everybody has money issues, everybody has love issues. I learned I can't run away by traveling.”
Jackie Tran
03/24/10
An intergalactic, anthropomorphic blue jay made him famous
His eyes were wide open. Sean Benner couldn't blink or he would lose his focus. His Adam's Apple protruded as he made a mistake and his opponent took advantage of it. His opponent jumped right over him and kicked him in the back of the head. It didn't matter because he kicked right back. The opponent yelled as he was propelled off the mountain, unable to make a safe recovery.
The battle was over. Two more matches of these virtual clashes remained. Benner won them both easily.
Benner, also known as 'Forward', is a professional video gamer. He is known for his use of the character Falco from the video game “Super Smash Bros. Melee” for the Nintendo GameCube. He has earned thousands of dollars playing the game in tournaments from Southern California to Massachusetts.
When Benner was growing up, his older brother Ryan would tell him about professional gamers for the Capcom arcade game “Street Fighter II.” Benner was inspired by how a person could be talented enough to be famous for playing a game.
“Super Smash Bros. Melee” was one of the earliest games released for the Nintendo GameCube and quickly became a best-seller. It is a game where the goal is to knock the opponent off of a floating island. However, it is more complicated than a game of bumper boats. The floating islands have obstacles and players use characters such as Mario and Pikachu from various Nintendo franchises.
When Benner tried the game, something clicked. His quick adaptability and skillful hands led him to become a talented player. He beat all of his friends easily and within a few years became the best player in the state of Arizona. He dominated local tournaments and began traveling occasionally to to attend out-of-state tournaments.
Benner received friend requests on social networking Web sites from people in countries such as Switzerland and Brazil with messages from other gamers complimenting his talent from videos they saw online.
Benner had heard stories about another professional gamer who traveled across the country just to play the game. He decided to start his own journey.
In March of 2007, Benner was 19 years old. His apartment lease was up and he did not want to stay with his messy roommate. He saw the opportunity to use his gaming skills to travel the country. He was confident in his skill to win tournament cash prizes and sustain himself. Other video gamers were hospitable enough to provide him with free housing. He had about a thousand dollars saved up and began his journey by flying from Phoenix to Boston.
As Benner won tournaments, he used the cash winnings to fund transportation and eating expenses. He flew when he had to but carpooled with other Smashers when he had the opportunity. Since he didn't have to spend money on housing, he bought new clothes and ate at Chipotle up to five times a week.
One of Benner's closest friends was Daniel Rodriguez, known as Chu Dat in the Smash community. “He and I were alike,” Benner said. “He was the respected best in his area and he was very active. He hosted bi-weekly Smash tournaments.” Rodriguez housed Benner for weeks when he was in the Virginia area.
A girl by the name of Janet caught Benner's interest. The interest was unrequited, however. “She followed me around all the time and she was charming,” Benner said. “But she was attached to me out of respect for my Smash talent.”
“Social dynamics in Smash are like at a swim meet. If you're a talented Smasher at a tournament, people will worship you. If you're a talented swimmer at a swim meet, you'll be popular. If you're a pro swimmer at a smash tournament, people won't care and vice versa.”
After about a dozen tournaments, Benner went to Klamath Falls for his aunt's wedding. “I was tired of Smash,” Benner said. “It's a mental exercise and you get stressed out after playing so much of it . . . I needed a break.”
When the wedding was over and Benner got enough time with family, he traveled to Washington for more tournaments. He crossed the border to British Columbia, Canada for another tournament.
One weekend, Benner stayed with Jason Zimmerman, known in the Smash community as Mew2King. Zimmerman is also one of the most successful Smash players, consistently placing top 3 at the biggest tournaments in the country.
“That was one of the worst Smash weekends in my life,” Benner said. “When you're used to winning and then you play one of the best players in the world for days, losing even when you're trying your hardest – it's demoralizing. But when I visited home after staying with him for a couple days, my margin of skill to my former rivals was so much bigger. I got so much better.”
Over two months, Benner was on eight-to-ten tournament winning streak nationwide. Other smashers began approaching him like royalty. “When people were looking up to me so much, it was frustrating,” Benner said. “No one talked to me as an equal. Some people groveled at my feet. There are a few people that would still freak out meeting me even if it was at a swim meet.”
The biggest single prize he won was more than $1,300 at INNsomnia V in West Memphis, Arkansas. At that tournament, he defended his old grandmaster title against a wave of next generation of the best players from across the country.
“DaShizWiz was an up-and-coming Falco player ready to take me down,” Benner said. “It was amazing how much technical skill he had.” Benner managed to retain his title and walked out with over a grand in his pocket.
“I spent my money wrecklessly at times, like when I bet Chu Dat that I would pay for his food for a week if he ate nothing but hot wings the entire time,” Benner said. “I somehow lost that bet.” When Benner was low on money, he had a few tricks, such as keeping a constant supply of gallons of water. “It was a cheap way to keep me full.”
Benner won (and spent) almost five thousand dollars during his national journey.
“When I got back home, it felt great to sleep in my own bed,” Benner said.
Intense 22-hour gaming sessions took a toll on Benner's body. He was overweight and had long messy hair. He cut his hair and decided to focus on his fitness and presentable image. He wanted to focus on his non-gaming career and explore new thoughts and cultures. At age 21, he became a computer sciences major at Pima Community College. He lost 40 pounds after eating more health-consciously and working out. He used his blue eyes and new athletic physique to help him charm a Vietnamese and French lady by the name Soleil Vo, now his girlfriend.
“He was fascinated with culture and especially enthusiastic about eating ethnic food,” said Andrew Vo, 16, brother of Benner's girlfriend and fan of Forward. “He learned basic Vietnamese to thank my mom for the food and complimenting her.”
"I want to start my own video game development company," Benner said. "I want to make games that are actually good."
Benner still attends tournaments, though much less due to school. The next tournament he will be attending is at Long Beach, California on March 27.
“During that national trip, I learned that everybody is the same in some ways,” Benner said. “Everybody has money issues, everybody has love issues. I learned I can't run away by traveling.”
![Эикельманн [РУС]](/data/avatars/l/153/153661.jpg?1415225120){kind=avatar}
