I just flew back from El Paso, and boy are my arms tired (from all the juggling of course!).
Seriously though, what an amazing festival it truly was. So many incredible performances, workshops, events, and memories. It was very gratifying to hear so many people remark about how great all the venues were, how close everything was, and how smoothly the event ran.
The Annual General Meeting at the El Paso fest.
Special thanks to our anonymous donors iiWii and Unna Med for helping to make this festival as phenomenal as it was. Because of their generosity, this festival had the highest championships prize money in IJA history, free brunch all week for all attendees, an event DJ, onsite massages, and the most souped-up version of The Gauntlet obstacle course to date!
It’s not too early to look forward to next year’s festival! In 2017, we will be celebrating our big 70th anniversary festival in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Festival Director Dan Holzman has hit the ground running and has already shared with us some of his epic plans for this monumental event. More details coming soon!
Board members Scott Cain, Nathan Wakefield,
Marvin Ong and Ian Michael Loughlin
at the El Paso fest (left to right).
In IJA political news, I’d like to welcome Scott Cain and Ian Michael Loughlin to the IJA Board of Directors. Both are very accomplished individuals, and it is exciting to have them lending their skills to the IJA.
There are lots of great things coming up. Be on the lookout for a new IJA website, exclusive membership content, and a few other surprises in the coming months!
As always, if you have any ideas, questions, or just want to touch base, feel free to reach out and contact us anytime.
Honored to continue to serve you,
Nathan Wakefield
IJA Chairman
Nathan Wakefield
Nathan is a juggler from Southeast Michigan. He first learned to juggle in college, and has written for the website Streetjuggling.com. He previously served as Chairman of the IJA and also held various officer positions. When he is not frantically trying to learn new manipulation skills, he enjoys producing music, acting, and watching horror films.