2019 – Washington Koi & Water Garden Society

Once again, the Washington Koi & Water Garden Society held its annual Koi Show at the lush and beautiful Sky Nursery in Shoreline. While this 28^th annual show was smaller than usual (do we have aging hobbyists?), the 85 koi entrants were spectacular and the visitors to the show were in awe of the tankfuls of living jewels. This was our 5^th year at this wonderful greenhouse venue, with its natural light and protection from the northwest weather.

Under the able leadership of Show Chair (and President) Rob Kenny, the show set-up began on Wednesday, when strong and spry members loaded up the truck for the drive from Woodinville to Shoreline, thanks to crew members Marlowe Fenn, Marty Dopps, Jorn Beam, Karen Miller, Lucy Macneil, and myself. This year we used a pallet system and a lift truck, which was a bit tricky on the loading end but made the delivery of equipment to the show site and unloading easy. Tanks were set up, positioned, disinfected, and ready for the water to come in on Thursday. Bio-barriers were then added between tanks.

Sky employees made sure that the smooth cement floor was clean as a whistle and helped establish our auction area, computer entry area, and mini-lounge. Our show volunteers were able to access water, soda, sandwiches, salad, and cookies during the set-up and show itself. No volunteers starved or had to leave the site to get nourishment, thanks to auction co-chair Helena Hileman, who took her food duties seriously.

Ted Baughman took charge of the air system again and also the tank filling, helped by his crew. Monte McQuade, our water quality guru, made sure that the tank water was superbly conditioned. The sales area, Info table, fish sales areas were set up, and everything was ready for the fish entrants to arrive Friday afternoon. Benching on Friday was handled by Jennifer Treiberg and Ted Baughman, assisted by Dan Forkan. Computer entry was completed by Rob Kenny and Lucy Macneil, and later in the show assisted by Gwenna Eckert and Jennifer Treiberg.

Meanwhile, our two American Koi Judges Association judges, Michelle Gravenish and Gary Elmore, had flown in from Minnesota and Georgia, respectively, and were readying for the judges’ dinner, held at Arnie’s Restaurant in Edmonds, where Rob Kenny and Lucy Macneil filled them in on our procedures and rules. The salmon and sunset were spectacular at this waterfront location.

On Saturday morning, the judging began. Our Judges were assisted by Ted Baughman and Dan Forkan. At the same time, our Fish Sales area had a line of people waiting to buy gorgeous small fish. Leigh Lincoln took charge and was assisted by Ellen Gottas, Aaron Wong, Ashley Watkins, Monte McQuade, Neil Friedman, and Jorn Beam. The Sales Table stalwarts, Barb Sundgren and David Aho, assisted by Julie Forkan, began selling show t-shirts, pins, and jewelry, and handing out “How to Care for Your New Fish” information. All volunteers received a free show t-shirt, sporting the design by Theresa Baalke West, a Kentucky artist, whose art metamorphosed into our show posters, postcards, pins, and 1,500 show booklets, as well as the t-shirts. We loved the art and found the aqua shirts a refreshing change from the black of the last number of years.

The Information Booth, chaired by me, had returning volunteers Carol and Marshall Goldberg, Marsha Cox, Joyce Tsuji, Lucy Macneil, Ben Cooke, Julie Forkan, Catherine Knowlson, and Kim Anderson, who answered questions about herons and raccoons, sold Super Raffle tickets, and helped fill out membership forms. The club sold nearly $1,000 worth of raffle tickets, and the winners were announced at show closing on Sunday. Michelle Gravenish won the 60,000 Alaska Air miles donated by Chris Charbonneau, Kevin Ward won the stunning fabric art, donated by Lucy Macneil, Madeleine Sanders won the Sakai sanke, donated by Pan Intercorp, and Teri Odegard won the autumn foliage planter, designed by Sky Nursery. Info people also promoted the October Beginner’s Wet Lab, led by Dr. Tim Miller-Morgan, and we gained 10 new club members at this show. Security was provided by club members Dean and Deb Wheeler, Evangeline Erskine, Matt Kemp, and others.

While all of this was going on, Auction chairs Karen Miller and Helena Hileman, and auctioneer Doug Hertzog, were at the ready for the 2 p.m. auction, which also included 35 large auction fish, donated primarily by Jorn Beam (thinning his herd), which had been pre-bagged. The auction started promptly at 2 p.m., dry items first, and then on to the fish, which had a large crowd of bidders waiting to take home fine koi specimens, described in glowing detail by fish auctioneer Ted Baughman. The auctions were fun and financially successful, thanks to the many donors who provided art, koi equipment, koi food, garden items, restaurant dinners, koi-themed clothing, and the large koi.

The winners: Jorn Beam’s size 5 Sakai Fish Farm Sanke took home the Grand Champion Award as well as the Mature Champion Award; Jorn also won Grand Champion B for his Sakai Tancho Becko, size 5, as well as Best in Size 5. The Junior Grand Champion title went to a size 4 Sakai Fish Farm Sanke, kept by Lucy Macneil and Nancy Moore, which won Best in Size 4. The Young Champion, a size 3 Beppo Sanke, went to Bill Tullis, also winning Best in Size. The Gene Gowan Baby Grand Champion prize went to Gwenna Eckert, for her size 2 Sakai Fish Farm Sanke, also Best in Size, and she also received the Reserve Champion trophy for her size 6 Sakai Fish Farm showa. Notably 4 big awards went to sanke this year, and a size 5 koi edged out a size 6 koi for Grand. Holly Vu won the Novice award—she brought many size 1 koi, winning best in size 1 for an utsuri mono. Oddly, this year we had only four size 6 koi, and no size 7s.

Club members and family then retired to the Nile Country Club for libations, dinner, and presentation of awards to the winners, judges, and our Show Chair. The judges commented on the excellent quality of the koi at this little show, and what a good time they had as our judges.

On Sunday, sales, info, fish sales all continued, and the chief event was the Judges’ Walk About, where Gary Elmore and Michelle Gravenish explained to the eager crowd why they chose these specific champions. At 1 p.m. sharp, Super Raffle winners were announced, judges went to the airport, and koi were bagged, oxygenated, and left the scene. Once the tanks were disinfected and emptied, the Girl’s Volleyball team from Lynnwood High School and various parents dried the tanks, all arranged for by Kim Anderson, and then the tear down crew loaded the truck. On Monday, everything went back to the storeroom, and strong volunteers put away equipment for yet another year. Plants returned to the Sky Nursery greenhouse section where hours before koi sparkled in the sunlight. And volunteers retired for much needed R & R.