When unmovable object meets unstoppable force, something has got to give; sparks fly, the ground shakes, and metal debris flies straight towards the on looking crowd. The audience flinches, the smoke clears, and aluminum chunks are imbedded into the inch thick protective plastic that separates the bystanders from the opponents. Everyone in the crowd knows they just watched something important, something amazing, and the cheer is on, "Megabyte! Megabyte!"
Welcome to the annual Combots Cup 2005, the Robot Fighting League National Championship. Held at Fort Mason, in San Francisco, it is a two day event, November 12 and 13, of battling robots, some new to the sport like Team Wildrobotics with Wildboar, while bringing back legends of the sport, like Biohazard of Motley Crew, out of retirement to battle for the first ever $10,000 grand prize.
The feeling among the competitors this year is raised level of excitement to the sport of robotic fighting. "This is the largest prize ever," John Mladenik, a self-employed electrical engineer from Escondido, said as his seven member crew got ready on Friday for the weekend. John's crew, Robotic Death Company, have been competing for several years in this sport and his robot Megabyte has one several awards, including the 2003 Heavyweight RFL Championship held in Minnesota. Robotic Death Company along with others like Biohazard had gotten their start back in the days of BattleBots, the show that had once been on Comedy Central. Joe, a member of John's crew remembered the old days. "Before, we had sponsors and there was money for robots, but now, without television, the money comes from our pockets. It�s an expensive hobby, and I'm excited to see such a big prize this weekend."
With such a big prize for a growing sport, the weekend brought out legends in the league to this occasion. Biohazard, a star from BattleBots, has come out of retirement to fight in this event. With its primary weapon of invincibility and its secondary, humility, Biohazard has more victories than any other robot in the history of this sport. While the arena is filled with professional crew teams hovering over their bots like NASCAR pit crews, there are other enthusiasts, students and husband/wife teams, who are the heart and soul of the hobby of robotic fighting. Joseph Murawski from Team-X-Bots from Portland, Oregon, sits at his table working on Speed Bump XL, a middleweight robot. "I usually come here with my wife, but she couldn't make it. A lot of people who come here are just small groups of people who really love this hobby. There are not many of us and it�s good to come here and meet others who share the same interests."
Team Axonn, owners of Big Betty, are also from Oregon, and this is the first time Joseph has ever met that crew. "We live in the same city and we have never met. I couldn't believe it."
While Combots Cup is a friendly place for fellow robotic enthusiasts to meet and exchange ideas, roles quickly change within the squared protective ring where these robots duel to their deaths. Within the course of two days, over fifty robots will burn, spin, flip, smash, trash, or completely annihilate their competition in a quest for the big prize.
"People have been talking online for months about who's going to be fighting who," John from Robotic Death Company replied. "There is a lot of buzz about Megabyte fighting Biohazard. A lot of fans want to see that match."
Well, on Saturday, fans got see Megabyte go up against Carlo Bertocchini's legendary brawler. Within seconds, Megabyte's spinning shell began hammering away at the once mighty Biohazard. Biohazard's aluminum frame quickly became shreds under the sheer force of Megabyte's spins. Soon, the protective arena was filled with a shower of sparks and a hail of debris. One piece cut deep into the bulletproof protective cage causing the audience to flinch.
"Protect your children!" the announcer shouted.
But there was no need to duck for cover. Quickly, the match was over, and Megabyte was the winner. The crowd cheered as the robot did some victory spins and another great win was added to the history book of underdogs.
For Robotic Death Company, it was a well deserved win. For Carlo Bertocchini, it was the death to a legend. But for the fans, it was a chance to see a young family oriented sport develop into something that has the potential to endure forever.
As I watch children playing with miniature version of the robots in a miniature arena, I see the faces of future enthusiasts who can take this sport beyond the walls of Fort Mason and into their own garages, the place where all great hobbies begin.
For more information on the Robotic Fighting League and to find out about future events like ROBOlympics 2006, visit www.combots.net, also you can find a list of over twenty other fighting robot events at www.botleague.com. To find out more about the history of Megabyte, visit www.roboticdeathcompany.com.