This is Part 2 of Nordique Whaler’s Offseason Moments series.
For Part 1, click here.
For Part 3, click here.
For Part 4, click here.

Tumbletown

I planned to be in Tumbletown the next day, where the Raspberry Racers were hosting a Meet and Greet with the team. I bought these tickets in advance. I arrived outside the Razzway alongside plenty of other fans of the Razzies, some of which I recognized from attending all the races in Marbula One. The Razzies’ season had been very up and down and after Ruzzy got a bronze at Arctic Circuit, the team suffered a 5 race streak of earning 0 points, including Razzy getting stuck during the Raceforest GP. Fortunately for Razzy, they were able to salvage their season at the Midnight Bay GP, earning bronze, and the team finished 14th once again.

I had taken a table alongside some friends of mine: Piney, Foucaulf, and Roilan. While we were waiting we talked about the past season, showing off a bunch of stats and graphs that Fouc and I each worked on. Piney showed off some of their incredibly realistic art of the Raspberry Racers and planned on getting one of them signed by the Racers. Roilan talked about the success of a nearby hockey league which has gotten the attention of a lot of fans around Tumbletown after the Razzies won the event in the MLWS. Then an announcement came on “Please welcome the 2019 Marble League Champions, Raspberry Racers!” Out on a magenta carpet came Razzy, Rezzy, Rizzy, Rozzy, and Ruzzy alongside Coach Berry. The Marble League Trophy from 2019 was being carried by Razzy. Razzy said “Thank you all for coming out to our event. While Marbula One did not go the way we hoped, we had an amazing time touring the Marblearth. Now we set our focus on Marble League 2021. Do you see that trophy over there? We are going to get a second one in Felynia!” The crowd roared, envisioning a second championship.

When they were done they gathered around the facility. I went up to Razzy to talk about Marbula One. Razzy told me “Yeah we were hoping we’d improve on that awful first season, and even if it’s the same place we got, it’s two medals more than all of last season.” I said, “You also came close to podiuming in the MLWS after winning Hockey, do you think the momentum from the end of each tournament will carry over into Marble League 2021?” Razzy then said “Remember the Maze event? We won over experienced teams like the O’rangers and Savage Speeders, then proceeded to win the Marble League right after that with a historic performance! So we’re hoping something like that happens again.”

I wished Razzy the best of luck, but after that last part, it made me think of something. The Crazy Cat’s Eyes topped the 2019 Raspberry Racers record for points per event in a single tournament, and it just so happens that CCE is hosting Marble League 2021. Could there be something personal going on? I went up to Ruzzy, the reserve member who stole the show in 2020 winning the Hurdles event after Razzy left with an injury. I asked Ruzzy about the record CCE beat and they said this: “We had a feeling after the Aquamaring that our record was in danger. The fact that CCE took home 7 medals in 12 events compared to our 8 medals in 16 events brought some comparisons along in the media. However, CCE dominated us with 5 golds compared to only 1 from 2019. So while we want to succeed, there is a target on CCE’s back. Even more so than the Savage Speeders and O’rangers, and yes even those awful Limers.”

The Raspberry Racers also brought out a treat for everyone, the Raspberry Space Racer sundae featuring the syrup of the same name. The Razzies had been testing the product locally before the planned worldwide release of these. This was actually my second time having it as this was offered at Marble League 2020 with Team Galactic’s space ice cream. The product was a hit. After dessert, Rezzy went on stage to close out the event “Thank you all for coming to our event. We hope to see as many of you in Felynia for Marble League 2021.” The 2019 champs have their eyes set on more than just a championship. I bid my friends farewell and that we would see each other at the Marble League.

Fouc then whispered something to me: “Beware the smell in Sotsevsa”. I didn’t know what he meant until I got back to my room that night, when I realized that the next team I was slated to visit was the Limers. That’s when I figured it out.

Sotsevsa

Fouc was right. The area around Sotsevsa smelled like a landfill, a shame because it looked like a nice city, but the smell ruined it. There could only be one team enough to tolerate it and that is the Limers. Fittingly, they have unfortunately been called trash again by critics with a 19th place finish. Even a bronze medal at Tumult Turnpike was overshadowed by Limelime’s “sulking” incident at Raceforest. When I pulled up to the train station from Tumbletown, I felt lost and did not know where the facility was. Then a garbage truck came up and somehow, I recognized the driver. It was Jellime, who was on the Limers in 2016. “I think the team was looking for you, hop on. I have to go by the facility eventually.” Well, that was some experience. I went from a fancy night with the Razzies to riding a garbage truck to the Limers facility.

Jellime told me about the truck “I still work with the team, but this is my offseason job. I’m actually pretty used to it, have had this for five years now.” We arrived at the facility and as soon as I walked in the area smelled much better, a nice citrus scent around the facility. Lemonlime and Limelime were there at the front. “We apologize for the… uh… way you got here. I’m guessing some of the other teams, especially the Razzies probably spoiled you.” You can say that again. The Limers have not been good in the Marble League. The Limers were testing out some of the events, some they did alright and others needed some work. “I feel we have too much of a burden from our history of poor finishes,” Sublime told me. So I told them this. “If you want to make it to Marble League 2021, try focusing on the present instead of the past. Who cares if you were trash then?”

The team took that strategy and did some of the events again, this time with better results. Sublime came up to me and said “I think this could work. Ignoring the (awful) past could help shed our label as trash. I’m hoping we can take advantage of the opportunity of getting another shot to qualify this year.” Part of me wants to see that happen, but who knows how the qualifiers will shake out. Will we see the Tumult Turnpike and Snowboard Cross Limers? Or the 2019-2020 Showdown and Raceforest Limers? Only time will tell. I wished the Limers the best of luck and returned to the station for the train to Buzznya.

On the train, I got a message from Prim. Team Primary finished the mural from earlier. It looked like a pure masterpiece. Prim said the mural will be located inside Palette Park for years to come.

Buzzpig

The biggest headline the Bumblebees had during the season somehow had nothing to do with Marbula One. Yes, they hosted a race, but the season was pretty average for them. They had a good start but faded in the final seven races and they finished 13th. The loud, but small, fanbase that the Bees had during the season was able to grow after a near podium at their Honeydome. Now, during the season, their nearby rival Hornets announced they had filed for bankruptcy and to the surprise of a lot of marbles, the Bumblebees had bought their rival and acquired the Hornets. So I had a lot of questions about what the merger would bring. It was already announced the Bumblebees would be keeping their name but what else would happen?

I arrived at the Buzznya Union Station and waited for the bus to Buzzpig. The two teams, er, the team were planning to be at the Honeydome that night. When I got there I was greeted by Bumble, the Bumblebees captain. “Hey Nordique, welcome back to the Honeydome!” Bumble said as I entered the facility. “We have gone through some changes since you last been here.”

The Honeydome still looks the same from the race, but it feels different with the merger. We went up to the Hive part of the track where all the other members of both the Bumblebees and ex-Hornets were there. Honey and Vespa were sitting enjoying some biscuits discussing their M1 experience. Hive and Swax were running around the track in a friendly race. Bea, Bomble, Wasp, and Yellowjacket were all reminiscing about their Bug Circuit days. Stinger came up to me saying this: “It feels weird that for a long time we have been rivals and it was not so long ago we just competed against each other in Marble League 2020, but we are very fortunate they have given us a second home and we have enjoyed being united under the Bumblebees moniker. Point is, after those two tournaments that I won’t talk about how we did, we suffered financially and Buzzkill literally became a ghost town.” Bumble then came from behind me and finished Stinger’s statement. “We didn’t want to see our rivals be dissolved entirely like the Jawbreakers were, so we chipped in and let them join us. While there are still going to be five of us competing in Marble League 2021 the other members will still have a part on the team as assistant coaches.”

I felt a sense of empathy that two rivals, from even before the Marble League and going all the way back to the Bug Circuit, would end up merging. I guess it makes sense for the two teams, one was suffering financially and one didn’t have many fans, so perhaps the merger will work out in the long run. Still, it gave me thoughts of what if other teams ended up doing the same thing like perhaps the Speeders and O’rangers, but I dropped that apocalyptic idea.

After that, I went up to Honey who was recapping their M1 experience. “I really liked the experience we had from Marbula One as it allowed some more exposure on the Bumblebees as a whole even though the season did not go the way we hoped it to. If only we had that medal, Bumble has still not gotten over the incident at Misty Mountain after colliding with Cerulean. It’s a shame that was our most memorable moment.” I did not want to bring that incident up to Bumble. They could’ve easily gotten a medal had that not happened. Honey then talked about what to expect in the qualifiers “We still don’t know how we will look in Marble League 2021, we might have a Hornet member or two, and we’re still debating on whether to keep the yellow and brown look, the Hornets black and yellow look, or perhaps a mix of both.” I left the decision to the team. (EDIT: Looks like it’s the same team from before and the yellow and brown marbles are also staying.)

Time was running short so I could not do the mass Marbles and Monoliths round they all were getting ready to do alongside Queen and Swarm as well. I wished the Bumblebees the best of luck as they figured out the remaining details of the merger. I had a big appointment coming up the next day with the Minty Maniacs so I went back to get some rest.

Herbotamia Invitational

I had this day circled for a long time. The Minty Maniacs had invited me to come to watch the Herbotamia Invitational with them in a VIP Box at Pepper Field. Even though they were not competing in this as the invitational had planned on using a neutral site, there was a lot of hype surrounding it. Speaking of which, the Minties did not live up to said hype in Marbula One as they finished in 18th with no medals. The team’s most notable moment was being the first team to not qualify on their home track during the very first race of the season. It was much better in the MLWS back here as the Minties hosted and finished 6th with a silver and a bronze, a better showing for the fans up here in the Himarblelaya Mountains. As I returned for the first time since then the Minties had planned this tournament with a very special prize awarded to two of the teams. What that is I have no idea.

After a rest outside Chlorotopia, I arrived at Pepper Field with my ticket. There all the Minty Maniacs were in the VIP box enjoying the food as we waited for the opening ceremony. “So glad you could come!” Minty Drizzel said to me as I took my seat. “Thanks for inviting me to the tournament!” I said back to Drizzel. “We planned this tournament so we could give some other teams a chance at competing after not having an official tournament in a while. Some of these teams were here last year as well doing a test run of the new stadium.” I remember being here twice, once for Marbula One (which I will not bring up in front of the Minties), and the other for MLWS. It is one of the biggest and fanciest stadiums on Marblearth. Minty Fresh joined along, “We thought we would give some of the teams the experience we had last season when we came out of nowhere and took home this!” Minty Fresh pulled out their bronze for the team’s stunning third-place finish, and Minty Drizzel did the same. Behind me, Minty Flav, Minty Swirl, and Minty Mint all pulled out their bronze medals.

The Box had other very recognizable Maniacs including Miss Minty and their child Minty Chip. This was Minty Chip’s first full tournament after being alongside for the final two races of Marbula One. The Indigo Stars were here as well, which I found very strange considering they only met in the Qualifiers before Marble League 2020 that they failed to get into. Indie said “We were meeting outside Felynia scouting out the upcoming Marble League 2021, the Minties were there as well and they told us about this tournament and that there is some tie into it. So we accepted the invitation to watch together!” Glad to see they could come along.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Minty Hint, the Coach of the Minty Maniacs. “Welcome to a very special edition of the Herbotamia Invitational! We have selected eight teams who have not been in a major competition for a long time to get some action back in a 5 event tournament. I have been given two envelopes from a secret marble that contains the prize for two of the teams.” The secret marble was on the stage but it looked disguised so I couldn’t tell who it was. They looked nothing like any of the Minty Maniacs.

Then the teams started to roll out. The first was the Gliding Glaciers who I remembered from 2018, and plenty of the crowd remembered them as they went crazy overseeing them for the first time in three years. Team Plasma also got a rowdy welcome as they were welcomed back. The Black Jacks and Valiant Violets each came out as well as former Hubelino rivals. They partook in the Invitational last season as well. Then the Yarble Yellers and Grape Nuts from the Fruit Circuit came. It had been a long time since the Fruit Circuit was a thing though a reunion happened not too long ago. “AAAAAA” rained through the stadium as the Yarble Yellers were expected to be among the favorites alongside the Glaciers. The Balls of Flame then came out to the sounds of “Check Em”. The team from the Seven Seas Circuit is one that had not competed in a long time. There was one team left and while I remembered the previous seven, this one I had never seen before. An orange, blue, and yellow team came out. Minty Hint announced this team as the Solar Flares. I asked Minty Flav, “Who are the Solar Flares?” Flav responded, “I found them at the Stardust Classic. Team Galactic told us about their times with them and we felt let’s bring them here.” Miss Minty overheard us and also knew of the Solar Flares “Ocho also had the Flares in their tournament a while ago.” I asked the Indigo Stars if they remembered them but all I got from them was “Oh yeah, this team, uh… they exist!”

The Solar Flares, like the Minty Maniacs, stole the hearts of the crowd in Balancing with an unbelievable score of 423 that included two finishers and two that nearly got to the end. It was 15 short of the Hazers record set back in 2019. The crowd was stunned. I did not believe it either, neither did the Minties. The other seven runs were not even close though Plasma had the next highest at 380 and the Glaciers got 376. The first event was in the books and the Solar Flares took the early lead. As the Marbles rode the elevator up to the top of the Funnel Tower for Funnel Endurance, I told Minty Drizzel, “Solar Flares are starting to remind me of your team last year”. Eight Marbles, one from each team, rolled down the funnels trying to see how long they can last. For some reason, the Valiant Violet marble nyoomed through the tower, exactly what you are not supposed to do. Needless to say, they finished last.

The Balls of Flame, Black Jacks, Grape Nuts, and Team Plasma marble all came through next in that order. That left the Solar Flares once again alongside the Gliding Glaciers and Yarble Yellers. A shove by the Flares marble sent the Yarble Yellers down the final funnel, but the momentum took them out as well and the Solar Flares settled for second. The Gliding Glaciers came out victorious.

Next up came the Sprint. With only eight runners there would be three races instead. The top 2 from each race advance to the final race. The Solar Flares marble ran in the first heat alongside Team Plasma, the Grape Nuts, and Black Jacks. Amazingly the Flares run continued as they advanced alongside Plasma. The Gliding Glaciers and Yarble Yellers moved on from the other heat over the Valiant Violets and Balls of Flame. The final just so happened to be the top 4 in the standings. Fearo from Team Plasma won over the Glaciers and Flares who rounded out the podium.

At this point, the Solar Flares and Gliding Glaciers were tied at the top with Team Plasma standing two behind. It was time for Collision. Team Plasma went first against the Valiant Violets and in a stunning upset the Violets bested them 4-1. This probably kicked Plasma out of contention with the Solar Flares defeating the Grape Nuts 2-0 and the Gliding Glaciers beating the Black Jacks 3-1. The other heat had the Yarble Yellers over the Balls of Flame 3-2. This time it was the Yarble Yellers who beat the Solar Flares denying a top 2 battle chance. The Gliding Glaciers easily took down the Valiant Violets. In the final, the AAAAAA’s rained down after the Yarble Yellers took home gold. The Violets ended up with bronze but the Glaciers with the silver took the lead in the standings by 4 over the Solar Flares and 9 over Team Plasma as we headed to the final event.

The Marbles took their place on the grid of Minty Mania based on the reverse order of the standings. The Black Jacks took the pole because of this, with the Glaciers and Flares starting in the back. 23 laps awaited to decide the championship. The green flag was off and the marbles rolled down the track from the first race of M1. The Solar Flare marble took the lead from the Black Jacks at lap 5 and led for most of the race. The Gliding Glacier marble was stuck in the midpack. Team Plasma was stuck near the back of the pack and was fading fast. Fortunately, it didn’t finish last as the Valiant Violet marble fell off the track on the banked curve after a hard hit from Team Plasma. A yellow flag was waved but the runners were able to proceed as the race was not affected. Only a few laps remained at this point and unless a challenge would come by the Gliding Glaciers this could be the moment for the Solar Flares. A challenger did come in the penultimate lap, but it was the Grape Nuts who passed the Solar Flares and held on in the final lap to win the race. The Solar Flare marble finished second and the Black Jacks were third. Balls of Flame, Gliding Glaciers, Yarble Yellers, and Team Plasma rounded out the rest of the race (Violets DNFed).

At the end, the final standings were unveiled and by one point, the Solar Flares had won the Herbotamia Invitational over the Gliding Glaciers. The Yarble Yellers snuck past Team Plasma for third. Rounding out the standings were Team Plasma, Grape Nuts, Black Jacks, Valiant Violets, and last but not least, the Balls of Flame.

Then the moment had arrived. As the winning marbles took their steps on the podium with the crowd still in disbelief over the amazing performance the Solar Flares had in winning the Herbotamia Invitational, Minty Hint asked the secret marble to reveal themselves. It was Jelle Bakker!

“Today was a historic day for everyone involved, and these teams showed the passion of champions,” Jelle remarked, waving two envelopes. “These envelopes contain the prize for each of the two teams, and I bet they will enjoy this. Congratulations to both the Solar Flares and Gliding Glaciers, you both will have the opportunity to compete in the 2021 Marble League Qualifiers! We will see you in Felynia!”

The crowd gave a rolling ovation and the two teams couldn’t believe it. The Solar Flares were about to live their dream come true and have a chance at Marble League glory. The Gliding Glaciers relished the fact that they had been given an opportunity to rejoin the Marble League and were optimistic about making it this time around. All of us in the box could not believe what we just saw. It did remind me of the Minty Maniacs season last year, they came out of retirement and took all of us on a ride we would never forget. “Surprise!” Minty Fresh screamed out at the Indigo Stars, Miss Minty and myself. Minty Chip chuckled at Fresh. “This was our plan all along!” I did not believe it. “After we found out the Jawbreakers retired and the Hornets were taken over by the Bumblebees, we pitched our plan to Jelle to help find their replacements and how our season went would be the motivation behind bringing these teams in.”

Well played, Minties. They have given the Solar Flares and Gliding Glaciers a moment they will cherish forever. As we left the stadium I wished the Minty Maniacs and Indigo Stars the best of luck in the upcoming Marble League. I already know the Minties will be there as they are auto-qualified, but I hope the Stars, Flares, and Glaciers can get through as well.

Polaria

Minty Flav mentioned the Solar Flares came from the Stardust Classic. I do not remember much about it but I knew Team Galactic got their start there. I had not been out to Polaria since Marble League 2020 ended, and they put on a show. It was one of the best Marble League concepts ever. They did alright as hosts finishing in 7th but everyone remembers them finishing in fifth six different times in the tournament hence the nickname “Team Galacfifth”. I personally think “Team Fourlactic” works as well since they’ve done that now six different times in the past year, plus, Starry was 4th in the racer standings. Like Marble League 2020, Team Galactic finished in 7th. Starry was again one of the top marbles taking home two silvers, while Pulsar fell behind and finished in the midpack of the racer standings.

When I got to the Andromedome, it felt a bit eerie—probably because the last time I was there there were over 10,000 marbles in attendance. Now, it was just a few. When I saw Starry and Pulsar, they were reminiscing about the Marble League: “This was our spotlight. I won a couple of events in 2017, yet that is nothing compared to hosting the actual Marble League. Was the biggest honor of my life.” Starry told me about the previous season. Pulsar then said, “Even though we only got the one silver, having the roar of the crowd from getting on the podium and doing the wave with them was truly something else.” I asked the two of them where the rest of the team was to which Starry replied “Oh! Cosmo, Astron, Quasar, and Black Hole all went back to the International Space Marble after the MLWS was done to finish up some stuff there. They have been watching us from way above the second half of Marbula One. Don’t worry, they’ll be back in time for the qualifiers.”

In the meantime, a few Galactic fans showed up including their majesty Royal Stardust themselves. Alongside Royal Stardust was talk show host John Rolliver who sponsored the entire Marble League last season, Mellacus, Novawolf, and Emperor. Mellacus and Novawolf worked with Jelle and Team Galactic helping to get the Andromedome set for the Marble League and Emperor was one of Galactic’s biggest fans and has been a mainstay in the trivia league we are in. Pulsar then told us “Now that we are all here, follow me to the Black Hole Funnel.” We all went up to the highest part of the Andromedome and the Funnel was still up from the Marble League. Starry said “We figured since the rest of the team is away, do you all want to try out some of the events with us from last season?” We all said yes and proceeded to line up at the gate.

This was the first time I had even competed with a Marble League athlete. Pulsar said “One slight change compared to the event last season, it’s every marble for themselves, no teammates. Even Starry and I will be against each other.” Once the gate lifted, we all took off. It was very clear that Starry and Pulsar were way better than the rest of us, mostly because they are professionals. I was trying to stay on while my eyes were going all over the place due to all the spinning. Stardust was the first to fall into the Funnel and finished last. Then came John Rolliver and Mellacus. Emp fell into the funnel in fifth place, a place we all knew so well. I could not hold on any longer and dropped down into fourth place. Nova was right behind me in third place. Emp then told me “Hey, just like in trivia, Fourdique all over again!” “It’s going to be a bit before Starry and Pulsar get down. They love it here,” said Nova. It was only 20 seconds when Nova went down. It was 30 seconds when Starry and then Pulsar finally came down. Pulsar then said “Yeah one day you might be able to hold on long enough compared to us two, but there’s one winner amongst you. Congratulations Emp! You got our beloved 5th place and that makes you our winner here!”

I asked the group “Do any of you remember the Solar Flares?” Starry then said “Oh yeah, we finally saw them a few months ago last season when we all had a reunion of the Stardust Classic.“ Pulsar then said, “They had one of the better designs that weren’t ours.” I then said, “They are coming to the Marble League this upcoming season.” Starry and Pulsar didn’t believe me, but I pulled out the front page in today’s paper saying they would be joining alongside the Gliding Glaciers. Starry, a bit surprised, said “Wow, I had no idea they were ready to join us in the Marble League! We actually have not had any other team besides us from the Stardust Classic join the ML at any point.” Pulsar, also stunned, exclaimed “Hopefully we can both get into the Marble League together! I would love to see that.”

Then we all took part in the Stardust Accelerator, except it was only for five laps instead of 33. We all took our spot in the gate based on the result of the Black Hole Funnel reversed, except for Starry and Pulsar who instead of starting in P7 and P8 decided to start in P15 and P16 so to give the other six of us a head start. As we started I went straight for the front alongside Novawolf. Stardust, who started on the pole, was already lagging behind and was easily passed by Starry and Pulsar on the backstretch. I wanted to make sure I got a good start before Starry and Pulsar would move on up because it was almost certain they would. I led the first lap, but that ended up being the only lap I led as Starry just nyoomed right past me and took the lead. Pulsar was also right behind me shortly after.

Once Pulsar got past in lap 3, the two Galactic teammates went stride for stride. Starry ended up winning the race about a half-second past Pulsar. I was able to hold on for third place even though Mellacus was right on my tail at the end. Emp finished in 5th once again, followed by Novawolf and John Rolliver. Royal Stardust did not finish the race as the belt stopped before they could start the final lap. Starry then came up to me and said “The Savage Speeders must’ve given you some tips. Great work out there getting the best of the others’.’ Pulsar then went up to Emperor and said “A true Galactic fan, you placed 5th in both of our events!” As we wrapped up and headed back I asked Starry and Pulsar, “If you could give CCE some advice on how to host a Marble League, what would you tell them?” Starry said, “Even though it’s special, try to treat it like every other Marble League and you’ll do fine. If you treat it like it’s something different and that being host was everything, you’re going to end up like the Oceanics did when they hosted, they overlooked that there were 15 other teams competing and it all fell apart for them.” Pulsar then added “Same as what Starry said, and just go out there and do your best. We all saw what you did in M1 and you had one of your better years last season finishing in 5th. I would tell them to enjoy the moment because it is something that they will always look back on.”

Click here to keep reading about Nordique Whaler’s trip around the world!

Credits

• Writer: NordiqueWhaler
• Editor: Stynth
• Graphic Designers: Fouc, Jelle’s Marble Runs, MightyCucumber, Stynth
• Release: 30/06/2021

Hello everyone, Nordique Whaler here, and welcome to the journal of my travels between Marbula One Season 2 and Marble League 2021 Qualifiers! I was motivated by Stynth to embark on an around-the-world trip after they did a similar trip last year. Along the way, I got to know most of our favorite marble athletes and how things have been since M1S2 and how some are preparing for ML21. Hope you enjoy the entries!

This is Part 1 of Nordique Whaler’s Offseason Moments series.
For Part 2, click here.
For Part 3, click here.
For Part 4, click here.

Helarve

I figured since we ended the season at Midnight Bay, I might as well begin my journey right here in Helarve. The Midnight Wisps season was very up and down and like the first season they got one medal, but this time it was a gold medal. Wospy was struggling early on getting only two points, then was able to win at Palette Park. I met with the Wisps at Midnight Bay as they were getting prepared for the qualifiers.

I proceeded to ask Wospy about that moment “How did it feel after having the race of your life going from last to first and winning a battle with Speedy?” Wospy responded: “I felt like I needed to silence some critics. It did not seem right that I kept being compared to Mary just because I went scoreless in the first half. I used the break to run some practice races here with Wispy after the MLWS. I needed to get close to catch the draft in order to pass. If you watch early on in the Raceforest GP, you can see I did just that. Unfortunately, I bumped into the safety marble exit lane and lost some positions. I did take into account the obstacles for my next race at Palette Park and starting from the rear I implemented my draft strategy to zoom all the way to the top. Battling Speedy was one of the hardest things I have ever done—I was getting exhausted—but when I saw them bump into the wall after the banked curve, I felt that this was my chance to shut everyone up. I took the lead back in the penultimate lap, but I knew Speedy was coming up right behind me and I nearly lost it bumping into the same wall. It was perhaps the hardest medal any one of us has ever gotten.” Wospy was gassed after saying all that fast.

I don’t blame Wospy for running to the oxygen tank as soon as the race ended. The thought of everything that Wospy did would have had a regular marble like me pass out. Wospy kept that gold medal next to their one from the Underwater Race in 2017.

Wispy then shouted “Hey, let’s all race to Midnight Hollow! Just like old times.” Wospy was on board with that idea. I could not keep up with those two at all. I haven’t been to Midnight Hollow since it was originally named Harva. The rest of the teammates were already there waiting for Wispy and Wospy to finish up at Midnight Bay. Along with Wuspy, Wespy, Waspy, and coach Wyspy, Ghost was also there. The two of us have been releasing charts after every race this season. Ghost’s charts were by where the marbles ranked and my charts were based on how far each marble was behind the leader. This allowed us to get caught up and recap Marbula One with our formulas. It just so happened to be “Full Moon Midnight” that night: where as soon as the clock strikes midnight, the bells ring around the city of Helarve but the sound is loud enough to be heard in the park. Combined with the backdrop of the city and a full moon, it is a perfect tradition to commemorate the night. The Wisps come here every full moon, per tradition. When we heard the bells start to chime to the tune of the chant, we all embraced the celebration of Full Moon Midnight at Midnight Hollow.

Wispy then told me: “We are training hard to make sure that in a few months we can all be back here with a second Marble League Championship. After coming so close last season, and missing out on prequalifying—especially seeing Crazy Cat’s Eyes earn the host bid right behind us–we are going to build off after that.” From the times I’ve watched them, if they get on a hot streak, the Wisps will be put in a good position to contend with the top teams and maybe bring home a second trophy.

Stormholm

After some rest, I journeyed out west a bit to Stormholm to check on the Thunderbolts. The Bolts had a very up and down season in M1, with the highlight being Bolt racking up three medals, the first time the Thunderbolts had three medals in a tournament since Marble League 2018 and the first with the modern roster. Bolt was one of the top marbles this season which was very surprising considering the Thunderbolts were previously eighth in M1 and the past Marble League’s haven’t been much, finishing 13th in both 2019 and 2020 which included a medal drought of 27 events. The MLWS brought the Thunderbolts back into title contention with a 5th place finish but it easily could’ve been a podium spot. Like that tournament, a late collapse kicked the Bolts down from the podium and they finished 6th.

When I arrived at Short Circuit, I was greeted by Thunderstorm, the team’s coach. The Thunderbolts had just completed an early workout session and were on a lunch break. “Welcome to our facility!” Thunderstorm said as I entered. The area was surrounded by tesla coils and a giant plasma ball. “The team has been anticipating your arrival.”

I took my seat next to Bolt and Shock, the two marbles representing the Bolts in Marbula One. Thunder, Lightning, and Zap sat across, as we all dug into an order of Momo’s Dumplings, which after Momotorway this season, had opened up locations all across Marblearth.

“I tell you, I don’t know what Momo puts in these, but these are probably their best batch yet.” Shock said after downing one whole. The rest of the team nodded. Thunder then proclaimed, “In a few months, we can enjoy these with a Marble League trophy soon!”

After lunch, the Thunderbolts went back into session, getting ready to test Balancing. On the way, I asked Bolt if the three medals they got will empower the Thunderbolts to new heights. “The two silvers and the bronze for me have done their part but I was so hoping I could’ve made one of these gold. After coming up short in the MLWS, we feel encouraged that we are able to learn from our mistakes and set our eyes forward to Marble League 2021 Qualifiers.” I’ll be honest, this is the most optimistic I have seen the Thunderbolts in quite some time. I watched them run the Balancing event a couple of times. It looks like they are ready for when the real deal comes: with their visions set high, the Thunderbolts do not want to be a middle of the pack team like in the past years, their eyes are set on glory.

Wingdon

I took a flight out from Stormholm later that night to Draklin in preparation for my meeting with the Green Ducks. I figured they would be in a better mood after going the entire ML20 and MLWS without a medal. Marbula One Season 2 was a different story for the Ducks as they improved on their sixth-place finish from the previous season, won a race, podiumed in two other races, and were able to finish 3rd overall. It was the Ducks’ second final podium finish along with Marble League 2019 where they finished 2nd in their inaugural tournament. I arrived at my hotel when I received a text from Mallard.

“Change in plans for tomorrow, instead of meeting at Greenstone, we will all meet at the top of Wingdon. Same time. See you then.”

Wingdon is the highest mountain on the entire island. I had actually planned on making a visit there sometime but wasn’t planning on doing it this trip. Fortunately, there is a railway that leads to the summit. The next morning I boarded the train at the bottom of the mountain. The Ducks had already been climbing the mountain earlier in the day, so when I arrived at the summit they were already there waiting.

“Glad you could make it!” said Mallard. “We wanted to have a special celebration for our season and thought we’d save it for when you got here. I proceeded to say “A well-deserved one for that podium spot you have earned.” Billy, Ducky, Quacky, Goose, and Bombay followed us to a part of the mountain with a steep cliff. It had been a long time since I had climbed a cliff, but once I saw what Billy pulled out of their bag, rock climbing would look easy compared to what was in store. Along with the gold medal came a hang glider. Seven of them to be exact. I knew each member already had one, so my initial guess was that it was a spare until I realized I was going to be gliding.

I felt nervous, I had never glided in my life. Billy did help me get set up with some practice runs. and gave some tips. I asked about the Arctic Circuit race that they won. “It felt like there was one big make or break moment, and that was the 90-degree curve at turn 7. I had some difficulties there early on but once I got used to it I studied how the other marbles approached it, then used that to my advantage. After battling Smoggy, I was eyeing Ruzzy and I wanted to get close to them but stay toward the right side of the track that way when we hit the turn I would be in front. From there, the race was won.” After that, they said, “Ready to give gliding a shot?” I rolled down and took off. The rest of the team was already off and there I was. Gliding over Wingdon. You could see far beyond the city of Draklin from here including the Ducks facility at Greenstone. It felt like being on the poster the Green Ducks had.

There was one thing Billy forgot to teach me, landing from high altitude. Yep, I had a rough landing in a field but fortunately was not hurt. “Not bad for a beginner.” Quacky, Goose, and Coach Bombay all thought I did pretty well for a first-timer at one of the Ducks’ favorite hobbies. Billy then collected the rest of the gliders, then Mallard said, “Stop, look in your bag.” I went back to see there was an extra item in my bag, a note that said, “For NW-Props for nailing that prediction at Arctic Circuit and believing in us. Consider this glider a gift from us. – Billy”.

I didn’t know what to say, except to thank the Green Ducks on such a fun adventure. Ducky then said, “We are planning on starting a youth league so we can mentor marbles who want to live out their dreams like we did a couple of years ago.” “You should come to check that out next time you come back around here,” Mallard told me as we were leaving Wingdon. I could see the Ducks becoming great leaders to future generations. After all, they are a fun team to root for, and hopefully this time they can replicate the 2019 success that they brought to M1 into the upcoming Marble League.

Vellis

Where have we heard this before, “never count out the Savage Speeders”? Their first two races were abysmal with Speedy falling off the belt at Minty Mania and Rapidly finishing dead last. Everyone thought the dynasty was over, but you know that was not the case. Speedy recovered instantly to win at Honeydome, then added two silvers to finish second in the Racer Standings. Rapidly needed a bit to improve as they finished the last three times and DNQed one other time, but you know what I’m going to say again. Rapidly proved critics wrong by finishing with two medals in their final two races including winning at Midnight Bay. The performance moved the Savage Speeders all the way up to second place. It was the first time all season the Savage Speeders had been in a podium spot after any race and they picked the perfect time to do it. While it may not have been a championship, it proved that like in Marble League 2020, this team is not out of it until they are. The silver earned the Speeders their sixth podium finish in eight tournaments, and teams beware they are coming into Marble League 2021 as perhaps the hottest team around after finishing M1S2 with medals in 4 of 6 races.

The Speeders facility had grown since the last time I visited. Speedy noticed me as I pulled up. “Hey, Nordique! It’s just me over here, for now, the training session doesn’t begin for another hour. In the meantime, I’ll show you around our renovated facility.” I felt honored to be given a tour of the Speeders updated facility by one of the greatest marble athletes ever to compete. The first place they took me was the Savage Speeders Museum that was brand new. Inside it was a theater showing some of the Savage Speeders’ greatest moments in their history. There were artifacts from each of the tournaments they have been in including the relay block from 2016, a steeplechase hurdle from 2017, a planet marble from Collision in 2020, and a light sculpture from Midnight Bay to name a few. Then Speedy told me “I think you will like this room the best, it is my favorite.” The highlight of the whole museum was the trophy and medal room. In it were all 34 medals the Savage Speeders have ever earned sorted by tournament, and right in the middle of the room were the three Championship trophies the Savage Speeders earned, as well as smaller trophies for the three runners-up podiums they got. Speedy’s Racer Championship trophy and runner-up trophy for both seasons were there as well. Speedy pointed to the Marble League 2016 trophy: “This right here was the one that started it all, it’s my favorite of all of them, just because of how much it meant to us and how it set the stage for us in the years to come. Of course, the Marbula One trophy last season and the Marble League 2020 trophy have their own places in our hearts as well.”

After the tour, the other Speeders arrived with Coach Quickly followed them. I had some time to hang around to watch part of their session. I originally thought the Speeders were very secretive when it comes to training methods but it did not look like anything different to them. However I wonder if they are only showing me a fraction of their strategy so as to not give everything away. Sprint came first since the track did not need to be set up. I noticed there were now five lanes of the track instead of the four so each Speeder had a chance to run against each other. They ran the Sprint twice each, with the second run faster on average. In between the Sprint and Relay I went and caught up with Rapidly while Speedy, Velocity, Swiftly, and Whizzy prepared for the Relay. The Relay was going to be done five times with each member doing each part of the Relay once while the extra member sat out for one run. I wanted to know how Rapidly was able to pull off the two-race stretch they had after such a horrible start to the season. They told me this:

“The beginning of the season was completely different than what I thought it was going to be since I had a strategy from Season 1 that I brought, but it seems like the other teams figured me out, and I tried to change it except it made me worse. So after Momotorway I spent some time alone training and trying to be much faster. I wanted to shut up anyone who thought I was washed up, being carried by Speedy, and even some that thought I was a Cube. So my strategy was this for the final two races: Ignore the other 15 racers, just focus on the path ahead and be yourself. Even with the obstruction at Misty Mountain, I did not want to be distracted by them and I kept going and was having the race of my life, though I still had a way to get to Cerulean, Momo, and Wispy. The Red Flag changed everything and I was able to get by them and finally make the podium. It felt like a sigh of relief.”

After that we watched the other Speeders perform the first of five Relay heats, and they crossed at a pretty impressive time. While the other members calmed them Rapidly finished their story “Speedy gave me some tips on how to master Midnight Bay considering they won this race last season. Combining what I did at Misty Mountain and what Speedy taught me allowed me to climb up the leaderboard, and once I got past Razzy I wanted to make sure I kept that lead the rest of the way through. I knew Cerulean was behind me but I didn’t want to focus on them because if I did I’d lose the lead so I just focused on what was ahead of me again until the race ended. Winning this race was a huge sigh of relief for me and knowing it got us a podium spot it made it all the sweeter.” Rapidly was up now for the Relay and after the other relay runs were done, it is safe to say the Speeders have not missed a beat and continue to perform like a Marble League was every day.

After the Relay was done I thanked the Savage Speeders for showing me around the facility and to cover part of their session. I will not go into detail about how fast the team was or which marble did the best, but I would not be surprised to see another trophy in that room and a few more medals to go along with it, as the Savage Speeders are favorites to defend their crown in Marble League 2021. As long as there is a chance they can win, never count out the Savage Speeders.

Van Gotterdam

I took a flight that night to Van Gotterdam, home of Team Primary. The team had a regression in Season 2 notably in Prim who finished 4th last season in the Racer Standings with every race in the top 4, to that 4th place the highest Prim ever finished this season. Rima was Mary’s replacement and while they were better than Mary there was still work to be done, as Team Primary finished in 16th. This would be the first team I would visit that finished in the bottom half of the standings so I had to lower my expectations on enthusiasm.

I pulled up to Palette Park the next morning where the team was enjoying their off day at the track. I saw on the jumbotron it said “Welcome Nordique Whaler to Palette Park”. The team then snuck up from behind me in surprise. It was a nice little welcome that the team had thought of at the last second. Prim said “We have a little something special planned for today.” I was curious to see what it was. Rima unveiled a large canvas the size of a jumbotron. It was black and white so it could’ve been all Snowballs for a moment, but out came the paint. Mary then told the team “One of our favorite moments from this season was the time we all got to host a M1 race. Even though we did not win it, we would like to create this mural that our friend Betawolfs made the template for to thank JMR for allowing us to host a race. We will recreate the final lap with Wospy beating out Speedy, we will also have some of the other marbles closer together.” The mural will take a couple of days to finish so I would not be there when it was done but I was assigned to paint Wospy crossing the finish line.

I asked Rima, who was painting Speedy, about how the season went for Primary. They told me “We were disappointed at our performance this season. There were moments like myself taking Pole at Raceforest or Prim hanging around in the top 3 at Savage Speedway that we had but wanted to take advantage of. Unfortunately, we didn’t. Though I have to say participating in Marbula One was an experience I will never forget.” Imar was painting Smoggy when they said, “I believe we can get into the Marble League this time around, we came so close to it last season.” Team Primary has not participated in the Marble League since a 14th place finish in 2017 though Prim and Mary did join forces with Team Momo in 2018. When our time was done we got a few of the Marbles done including the three podium finishers. “Thank you so much for your help today,” Prim said, looking at what we had done. “We will have the rest of the mural done soon, and we’ll send a picture of it when it’s finished.” Let’s see if their Marble League Qualifier will be as good as their art is.

Click here to keep reading about Nordique Whaler’s trip around the world!

Credits

• Writer: NordiqueWhaler
• Editor: Stynth
• Release: 30/06/2021