Bladder Grabber 2023

AMA Fast Combat top 4 at the 2023 Bladder Grabber, from left: Gene Pape, fourth place; Cary Minor, third; Mike Alurac, second; Austin Minor, champion. Mike Hazel photo.

Norm McFadden Memorial

Seven-round Fast Combat tournament, Aug. 19-20, Snohomish, Wash.
Half A Grabber double-elimination 1/2-A Combat contest, Aug. 18

Austin Minor wins Bladder Grabber

Bladder Grabber photo gallery below

By Gene Pape, contest director

Wow, what a contest. Sorry repeat ½-A winner Greg Machen, you were upstaged by 18-year-old Austin Minor, flying in his first AMA 328 Fast Combat contest after flying a Big Block model for the first time just the week before.

Austin is no stranger to winning Combat contests. I first met Austin and his family at a contest in Phoenix, Ariz., in 200,8 where Austin won against the best in the country.

He warmed up by placing third in the ½-A Combat event. He won against flyers like ½-A winner Greg Machen and former Bladder Grabber champion Bill Maywald. Watching him fly was a real treat. Austin was joined by Mike Alurac in second, Austin’s uncle Cary Minor in third, and Gene Pape in fourth receiving awards for Fast.

The Fast competitors were clearly tired and/or rusty on Saturday. There were many midair collisions, crashes, and not-that-great matches with a few good ones thrown in here and there.

Sunday started a bit early at 9 a.m. in an effort to get things concluded in order for the Minor family to be able to make their flight home to Kansas City (they got home at 3:30 a.m. Monday morning). The first match showed that Sunday would not be like Saturday as Don Jensen and your author started the day off with barn-burner match, which Don won. The rest of the day just kept going with more of the same. The only breaks in the great matches came when we had to take breaks for skydivers coming down.

The three rounds scheduled for Sunday were concluded by 12:30, leaving plenty of time for awards presentations and to honor the late Norm McFadden, whom this year’s contest was a memorial for.

The pace of the Fast event was made possible by one of the best Combat judging crews I have seen in a very long time, led by Event Director Mark Rudner. He was aided by judges Dave McFadden (Norm’s oldest son) and Nils Madsen, circle marshal Bill Varner and pull tester Dave Green. The pull testing was made painless by using the pull testing device that Bill Maywald created and generously allowed us to use.

Not to be ignored, the ½-A event, which was run on Friday, provided plenty of action. While last year’s winner Greg Machen returned undefeated as this year’s winner, he did not have an easy time of it, facing top fliers including World Championship Team member Cary Minor and 2022 Bladder Grabber Fast winner Russ Hester. Tony Huber returned to flying after many years of sacrificing his own time as a competitor to judge at the Bladder Grabber. I would love to see him have a chance to fly more, as he was able to finish second to Greg in ½-A after not flying for several years. As previously mentioned, Austin Minor warmed up for Fast by placing third in ½-A. The winners in ½-A were rounded out by Mike Alurac in fourth.

This article would not be complete without mentioning Andy Minor. While his son Austin and his brother Cary were prize winners, Andy was right in the middle of the action, pitting and flying great matches with wins of his own. Andy also provided live Bladder Grabber coverage for us on Facebook. What a treat to see a family who have so much fun together flying Combat at an extremely high level.

If you’ve never been to a Bladder Grabber at Harvey Field in Snohomish, Wash, then you don’t realize what you are missing. Yes, this is a premier Combat contest, but it is also a great place to spend the weekend watching the airplanes taking off and landing all day long. Watching the airplane full of skydivers take off, drop the skydivers into the sky, then return in dramatic fashion to pick up another load. And, if you get there early enough you can watch hot air balloons taking off for their day’s adventures.

Many thanks to Norm McFadden’s widow Karleen, who provided the sponsorship, lunches, and encouragement to make it possible for this to be the great contest it turned out to be. And, of course, for the Creamsicles. Thanks to sponsor and Bladder Grabber founder Bob Carver, without whom I believe Combat in this country would not be what it is today. I visited with Bob and his wife, Peggy, a few days before the contest. He was planning to come out on Sunday but what he expected to be a one-day stay in the hospital got extended so he couldn’t make it.

Thanks also to sponsors Bill Cave, John Knoppi, Jeff Dawson, Ron Colombo, and Tom Strom of Bigfoot Hobbies. Thanks to Jeff Rein who provided sponsorship funds and helped me so much with how to navigate all the things happening 350 miles from my home. Special thanks to Tony Huber and his brother who did all the work making the awards, T-Shirts, mugs and too many other things to mention happen, and providing goodies for the awards presentation.

A great contest takes great group of sponsors, officials, and of course, competitors. This contest was that.

It was so good to see so many of my friends who, unfortunately, I was too busy to visit with enough. As competitors they all contributed a large part to this contest even though I haven’t mentioned them all by name. Thanks everyone!

Results of the 2023 BLADDER GRABBER Fast Combat contest (15 entries) (Northwest standings points in parentheses):
1. Austin Minor, Kansas City, Mo. -- 5 wins, 2 losses
2. Mike Alurac, La Mirada, Calif. -- 5-2
3. Cary Minor, Kansas City, Kan. -- 5-2
4. Gene Pape, Eugene, Ore. -- 5-2 (12)
5. Tony Huber, Renton, Wash -- 4-3
Don Jensen, Pomona, Calif. -- 4-3
Bill Maywald, Irvine, Calif. -- 4-3
Andy Minor, Kansas City, Mo. -- 4-3
9. Greg Carter, Arcadia, Calif. -- 3-4
Ron Colombo, Dearborn, Mich. -- 3-4
Russ Hester, Florence, Ore. -- 3-4
Mel Lyne, Garibaldi Highlands, B.C. -- 3-4
13. Greg Machen, Belfair, Wash. -- 2-5
14. Bill Cave, Burson, Calif. -- 1-6
15. Lee Letchworth, Ione, Calif. -- 0-7

HALF-A GRABBER results (10 entries) (Northwest standings points in parentheses):
1. Greg Machen -- 6-0 (10)
2. Tony Huber -- 4-2 (9)
3. Austin Minor -- 2-2
4. Mike Alurac -- 2-2
5. Lee Letchworth -- 2-2
6. Bill Cave -- 1-2
7. Ron Colombo -- 0-2
Russ Hester -- 0-2
Andy Minor -- 0-2
Cary Minor -- 0-2

Bladder Grabber photo gallery

AMA Fast Combat contestants, officials and members of Norm McFadden's family, from left: Russ Hester, Tony Huber, Greg Carter, Bill Cave, Ron Colombo, Don Jensen, Mike Alurac, Austin Minor, Cary Minor, Bill Maywald, Mark Rudner, Andy Minor, Bill Maywald, Mel Lyne, Greg Machen, Gene Pape, Karleen McFadden, Dave McFadden.

Half-A Combat participants, from left: Travis Machen, Greg Machen, Cary Minor, Bill Cave, Austin Minor, Andy Minor, Tony Huber, Ron Colombo, Mike Alurac, Russ Hester.

Gene Pape, facing camera, conducts a pilots' meeting. Mike Hazel photo.

Start of a Fast Combat match. Crew at left is holder Russ Hester, pilot Gene Pape, and starter Greg Machen. At right, pilot Bill Maywald is ready. Mike Hazel photo.

Mike Alurac (left) and Cary Minor are ready for match to begin. Mike Hazel photo.

Minor family airplanes await action. Gene Pape photo.

Cary Minor examines the wreckage after a collision. Gene Pape photo.

Fast Combat winner Austin Minor with his prizes. Gene Pape photo.

From left: Andy Minor, Karleen McFadden, Austin Minor, Dave McFadden, Cary Minor. Gene Pape photo.

From left: Dave McFadden, Karleen McFadden and Contest Director Gene Pape.

Everyone autographed one of Norm McFadden's Creamsicles. Gene Pape photo.

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This page was upated Aug. 26, 2023