Marbula One Season 2 / Pre-Marble League 2021 Offseason Moments – Part 1

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.

A portrait of Project Marblearth correspondent NordiqueWhaler.

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

RetRollSpective – Solar Flares

Hello and welcome to another RetRollSpective, where we reflect on the history of marble sports teams that have appeared in the tournaments of Jelle’s Marble Runs. This time, we’re going to focus on the Solar Flares, a team that debuted in the Marble League 2021 Qualifiers. Read on to find out how this team has scorched the competition!

The official logo for the Solar Flares, designed by Tim Ritz.

Based in Meteorine, a seaside city, the Solar Flares grew up with a natural love for sunshine. Flare, Scorch, Radiance, Ember, and Blaze met on the city’s renowned Sunspot Beach, where the city regularly organizes recreational sports, open to every member of the community. One day, the five participated in a swing wave event. It didn’t take more than a few runs for them to realize their compatibility as a team.

“We felt a spark, that’s for sure,” Flare exulted. “Most of us knew each other from around the city, and after that day, we began to get close.”

The captain of the team, Flare. (Art Credit: Phantasm)

The five commuted from different areas of the city every weekend to Sunspot Beach, competing individually and together in sand rallies, football matches, diving, and more. When the recreational program ended at the end of the summer season, the athletes decided to enter a local youth league together, taking their team name, the Solar Flares, from the earlier threat of a solar storm a few months earlier. The Flares began competing in the fall of 2012 as they entered secondary school, and they quickly became known as rising stars of marble sports throughout Meteorine.

Two years later, following consecutive championships in their city’s youth league, the Solar Flares got the first big break of their career: an invite to the Stardust Classic. Held in the city of Polaria, the Classic invited a group of mostly local teams to the tournament, with the Solar Flares being a special exception, as formally requested by Royal Stardust:

The Solar Flares accepted the invitation, and the team, except for Blaze, traveled to Polaria to compete in the Classic. While they were recognized during the opening ceremony with little fanfare, the Solar Flares surprised just about everyone in the stadium when Radiance had a photo finish at the end of the Sprint Race. Timing and scoring revealed that the Flares had tied with the Sulfur of the Purple Rockets at the finish line, requiring a tiebreaker between the two teams. At the end of the first event, Radiance earned the silver medal in a hotly contested Sprint Race, with the Purple Rockets’ gold separating them from Astron of Team Galaxy, the bronze medalist.

“Astron came up to me right after the race, and they complimented me on a job well done,” recalled Radiance. “It was the warm welcome I needed after that nail-biter, and I’m happy to say that it was the beginning of a friendship that both of our teams treasure.”

Rather than becoming rivals, the Solar Flares and Team Galaxy became friends as the Stardust Classic went on, with both teams doing well in a majority of the events. At the end of the tournament, it was Team Galaxy that was ahead in the overall standings, but the Flares didn’t hold it against them. They decided to visit Galakonur after the conclusion of the Classic to visit the Galactic National Space Center and meet the families of the team members.

The logo of the Stardust Classic. (Design Credit: Phantasm)

The next summer, Team Galaxy was visiting the Solar Flares in Meteorine when Jelle Bakker announced the Marble League, an international marble sports league that would feature sixteen teams competing in a variety of events for an overall championship. The Flares did not qualify for invitation due to their youth, but they overwhelmingly supported Team Galaxy’s invitation to the League. A few months later, their efforts proved to be successful, and as thanks, Team Galaxy supported the Solar Flares’ efforts to compete in regional marble sports leagues around the world. Although many of the established tournaments, such as the MFC Championship League and the Ramen Bowl, refused to allow youth teams to compete, the Flares received a qualifier invitation from Ocho, an upstart marble sports organizer. The invitation was a chance to qualify for the Summer Series of Ocho’s Marble Competitions, which would debut in Ochatona in 2018.

“We were stoked to have another chance to compete, especially coming from outside of the region,” Eclipse said. “Of course…we weren’t expecting it to be delayed two years, but better late than never!”

After finishing their run in the youth league, the Flares continued to train in Meteorine, building a training facility and a small stadium to host friendlies. Two years after originally scheduled, the Solar Flares traveled to Ochatona to compete in Ocho’s Marble Competitions and debuted strongly in the 2020 Summer Series Qualifiers, earning fourth place in the Gutter Launch. With a seventh place in Balancing, ninth place in the Plinko Board, and thirteenth place in Endurance, however, the Solar Flares failed to qualify, missing the cutoff ten points behind in tenth place.

The Solar Flares’ ill-fated bronze match with the Landscapers during the 2020 Summer Series Qualifiers. (Photo Credit: Ocho’s Marble Competitions)

Naturally, the Solar Flares were distraught as they begrudgingly returned to Meteorine. As they pondered the future of their team, they received a second invitation from Royal Stardust, this time inviting them to watch the 2020 Marble League in Polaria. Initially, the team was thinking of declining, but after a surprise visit from members of Team Galactic, all five of the Solar Flares along with Coach Eclipse joined them on the return flight to Polaria. There, they helped Galactic prepare the Andromedome and train for the main tournament in the month leading up to the premiere.

“We’re lucky to know the Solar Flares,” gushed Starry. “They’ve been here for us as much as we’ve been here for them, and if they ever make it to the Marble League, I have no doubt that will remain a constant in our friendship.”

The Solar Flares remained in Polaria throughout the season to cheer on Team Galactic, who finished seventh overall. As the Marble League torch was extinguished in the Andromedome during the closing ceremony, Celestial, the intern of Team Galactic, handed Helios, the manager of the Flares, an official invitation to the Stardust Classic Reunion, which would be held a few weeks later.

From left to right, the eight teams participating in the Stardust Classic Reunion, depicted by Phantasm: Team Galactic, Supernovas, Blood Moons, Purple Rockets, Crazy Comets, Stargazers, Asteroids, Solar Flares. (Art Credit: Phantasm)

The Solar Flares’ showing in the Stardust Classic Reunion would be a relatively average one. They placed fifth in Block Pushing to kick off the tournament. The duo of Blaze and Scorch managed to snag silver in the Black Hole Funnel, but that would be the Flares’ last medal. In a photo finish with Dwarf from the Purple Rockets, Radiance only managed fifth in the Sand Rally, and Captain Flare could only muster a seventh at the Starlit Speedway GP, ending the tournament in fourth overall for the Solar Flares, more than a silver medal behind the Purple Rockets.

The Final Standings of the Stardust Classic Reunion. (Design Credit: Laurent Rollon)

Following the reunion, the Flares finally returned to Meteorine, where they planned to enjoy the rest of their summer months on the beach. The last thing anyone expected was another invitation, but that’s exactly what they got—and this one proved to be crucial.

“The Herbotamia Tournament was something we were always interested in, but when JMR took over we were still in the youth leagues,” admitted Ember.

“This time,” added Scorch, “we were old enough—and experienced enough—to take the 2021 Herbotamia Invitational by storm.”

The Flares received this invitation directly from the Minty Maniacs, and it didn’t take long for them to accept. After their summer ended, the Flares began formally training in their facility, the Fire House. They traveled up to Chlorotopia just one week before the invitational began.

Much like the Stardust Classic, the Solar Flares entered the invitational as a relatively unknown team, but surprised the fans and athletes alike after the first event, capturing the gold in Balancing with a score of 423. The Flares continued to impress throughout the tournament, earning a silver in the Funnels, a bronze in the Sprint, fourth in Collision, and a silver in the Minty Mania GP. At the end of the tournament, the Solar Flares had just one point over the Gliding Glaciers to win the 2021 Herbotamia Invitational.

The final standings of the Herbotamia Invitational. (Design Credits: Fouc, Jelle’s Marble Runs, MightyCucumber, Stynth)

As they rejoiced in their championship, an orange and blue marble, with colors similar to the Solar Flares’ uniforms, rolled up to the podium with a multicolored envelope.

“Today was a historic day for everyone involved, and these teams showed the passion of champions,” remarked Jelle Bakker. “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 Marble League 2021 Qualifiers! We will see you in Felynia!”

The five members of the team: Flare, Scorch, Radiance, Ember, and Blaze, gathered with the team’s fans after the 2021 Herbotamia Invitational. (Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)

Solar Power

an addendum by The Emperor

After five years of waiting for their chance to join the Marble League, the Solar Flares had finally earned it. On 13 April 2021, JMR officially announced that the Solar Flares would compete in the 2021 Marble League Qualifiers. The Solar Flares replaced the Hornets in Group B, who were purchased by the Bumblebees in a team merger that ended their competitive career in the Marble League. Notably, the Solar Flares were joined in Group B by Team Galactic, and for the first time, both teams would attempt to qualify for the renowned tournament together.

Following their invitation to the Marble League 2021 Qualifiers, the Solar Flares trained harder than ever, often spending their time training at Sunspot Beach together. They were even able to train with Team Galactic within that short timeframe!

Cosmo and Flare training at Sunspot Beach. (Art Credit: Phantasm)

“It’s really been helping us bond as teams, and come the qualifiers I think we’ll be able to finish right next to each other!” Flare said, beaming with confidence. After long days of training on the beach, the teams would spend time in the Fire House eating waffles and drinking lemonade.

“Wadiance haws a kiwwer waffwe rwecipie,” Quasar attempted to say while eating a ginormous waffle that was drenched in syrup. The rest of the team members laughed hysterically, with Astron falling out of their chair from the excitement.

The Solar Flares arrived at Felynia a little bit early, and got to experience the Crazy Cat’s Eyes setting up the stadium; Felynia Coliseum.

“It’s still unreal to us to see us competing with these big-name teams up here!” Scorch said, blushing. “I mean, look at these marbles over here!” they exclaimed, nodding at the Cat’s Eyes. Cyan Eye laughed and said, “Ay, soon you’ll be a big name team too, ya know! Only 28 teams make it to the Marble League, and even then…only 16 qualify! I believe in y’all, and we’ll be rooting for a good newcomer story for ya this season!”

Since the team had arrived in Felynia early, they decided to take a tour around the local area. Blaze suggested the team take a vacation to Cairoll to experience the nice, sunny beaches that reminded them of home. The team took a bus to Cairoll, where they were surprised to meet Killian Bladestar; a former JMRC member! Killian was an excellent tour guide and pointed out lots of various landmarks from the bus, including the Cat’s Dunes and Mirage Meowntain. The team thanked Killian, who mentioned that they would be off to Galeem soon, where they were often spotted performing on the streets.

The team spent a lot of time in the densely populated city, which was lined with sandy houses and balconies. A nightly ritual was performed in the city in honor of the legendary tale of Cleocatra, whom the locals told stories about each night. The team spent a lot of time touring the area: one night, Radiance got stuck on a cactus, and had to be rescued by Flare and Ember, who were pricked by the spiny plant as well!

Following their vacation to Cairoll, the team returned to Felynia decorated in crowns and toy scepters, laughing and having a good time. Little did they know that they would accidentally create a Marble League event in the upcoming few minutes…

Flare and Blaze had started playfully poking each other with their scepters, and they started having a sword fight. The rest of the team laughed and cheered them on, as Flare emerged victorious from the duel. Unbeknownst to the team, Red Eye was watching this unfold and approached the team.

“You guys…we might have to steal this! We’re trying to get some ideas for head-to-head competitions this year…and…Jousting! That’s what we’ll call it! Jousting!” Red Eye chuckled, and the team was thrilled.

“It was an accident, really!” Flare laughed. “And somehow we turned it into a Marble League event! Remind me to accidentally start playing trivia in front of Red Eye next time…” they snickered. Judging by the rest of the team’s sighs, Flare appeared to be a trivia whiz.

The team checked into their hotel and found that Team Galactic had booked a room for them already.

“Those guys are the best,” Ember said. “They’re so kind and helpful. I’m glad we’re such great friends with them, and that we’re able to finally compete on the big stage with them! This qualifier is going to be one for the history books, that’s for sure. You can count on that.”

The logo for the 2021 Marble League. (Design Credit: Pim Leurs)

In RetRollSpective, the Solar Flares may be new to the competition, but their experiences in their youth and countless training have prepared them for the big show. Their domination in the Herbotamia Invitational caught the eye of Jelle themselves, and we can expect great things from this team in the future. Best of luck to the Solar Flares in the near future, keep on rolling!

Credits

Writers: The Emperor, Stynth
Editors: Efmo, Smacg13
Artist: Phantasm
Graphic Designer: Laurent Rollon, Pim Leurs, Stynth, Tim Ritz
Photographers: Jelle’s Marble Runs, Ocho’s Marble Competitions
Release: 30/06/2021

RetRollSpective – Gliding Glaciers

Hello and welcome to another RetRollSpective, where we reflect on the history of marble sports teams that have appeared in the tournaments of Jelle’s Marble Runs. This time, we’re going to focus on the Gliding Glaciers, a team that came out of retirement to compete in the Marble League 2021 Qualifiers. Read on to find out how this team has chilled the competition!

The official logo for the Gliding Glaciers, designed by Tim Ritz in collaboration with MightyCucumber.

The Gliding Glaciers hail from an island city by the name of Glidavik, known for its tiny population and large, towering glaciers. Glide, Glidy, Glace, and Glacie grew up as childhood friends and dreamed of scaling the mountains of ice that separated the town from the rest of civilization. Their hunger for adventure was amplified by the stories they were taught in school of adventurers sailing across the world and scaling its highest peaks in search of the unknown, and they all promised each other, in their youth, that they would follow that dream for the rest of their lives.

Knowing this, it’s difficult to imagine why the Gliding Glaciers would ever attempt to qualify for what may be known as the most renowned sports tournament in the world, let alone enter athletics in the first place. Then again, it’s clear that the Glaciers were driven to pursue athletics through their dream to explore the world. All four of the friends attended the University of Snoronto after they graduated high school, where they met Glacier, a history major from Kebearing, a nearby metropolis. Glacier shared the four’s passion for exploration through historical means and became a natural addition to the friend group. The five began hanging out together, training in the same school gym as a marble sports team: the Snowballs.

“We didn’t get along, initially,” recalled Glace. “We had always been in the gym for at least an hour when they started to show up, and they just glared at us.”

The two friend groups became rivals, getting caught up in both academic and athletic competitions. It wasn’t long before the two groups had coalesced against each other—the Snowballs versus the Gliding Glaciers—and decided to hold athletic games and tournaments against each other. Stories of curling matches, bobsled races, ice dashes, and more defined the university’s culture and were covered by local and regional news stations.

“It’s really interesting, because the more we faced off against each other, the lower the stakes felt,” Glide said. “We realized that for all our differences, there was a lot we had in common, and though we didn’t become close, we did start to feel more acquainted.”

The original four members of the team: Glide, Glidy, Glace, and Glacie. (Photo Credit: JMR)

As temperatures started to cool down between the two teams, Jelle Bakker heard about the competition between the Glaciers and the Snowballs—news coverage of the rivalry had spread internationally. Because the Snowballs were leading the series at the time, they received a special invitation to the 2016 Marble League.

“We were a wildcard pick, plain and simple,” Snow stated. “We had to be. There was no way we were that good, even if we were performing well in the college leagues. It’s like we skipped the major and regional leagues of marble sports entirely.”

“We were just as good as the Snowballs. In fact, we won the match right after the Snowballs were invited,” asserted Glidy. “We didn’t really blame them for getting invited, but it felt awkward between the two teams after that.”

Both teams graduated following the Spring 2016 term, ending the rivalry naturally. The Snowballs headed to Knikkegen shortly after for the Marble League, while the Gliding Glaciers headed to Kebearing.

“I had been working on an artificial bobsled track for an engineering course,” Glacier explained. “It was for my core requirement…but I kind of went overboard and commissioned a real version of it.”

The 2021 realization of the Glaciers’ artificial bobsled track. (Photo Credit: JMR)

Throughout the summer, the team worked on finalizing the designs and beginning construction. By the time snow had started to fall, the Glaciers had completed the course, and they planned to celebrate by holding a friendly round. It was then that they were contacted by Jelle.

“Jelle offered to sponsor the tournament and find teams to compete alongside us. We were ecstatic—how could we say no?” recounted Glide. “The Snowballs were eager to compete and accepted, but no other teams responded. The friendly round became an arctic showdown.”

During the showdown between the two teams, the Gliding Glaciers set a world record of 6.588 seconds on their bobsled course, beating the Snowballs by over a second. The match decided the tournament: the Gliding Glaciers won 3-2, winning bragging rights and, more importantly, a provisional qualifying spot in the 2017 Marble League. Unfortunately for the team, their provisional qualifying spot was revoked following a rejection of their application by the full rules committee.

“We initially thought it was because we applied as a five-member team, but it was because our uniforms were too similar to the Jawbreakers’. Honestly, I would have been happy to change our uniforms to get into the Marble League,” Glacie confided.

The Gliding Glaciers face off against the Oceanics in the Halfpipe event of Qualifiers. (Photo Credit: JMR)

As the 2018 Winter Marble League neared, the Gliding Glaciers hoped that they would be selected as the very first hosts of the tournament, but the Snowballs were ultimately chosen for their new stadium, the Arctic Circle. Still, the Glaciers had reason to look forward to the tournament—their application for a qualifying spot had been approved, and this time, reserve members were permitted to compete on the team.

“It felt like everything had come together at last, and now it was time to prove ourselves,” Glidy insisted. “It turned out to be the exact opposite: we fell apart.”

The Gliding Glaciers’ debut in the 2018 Marble League Qualifiers was anything but convincing: with a score of 11 points, the Glaciers were last in their group and failed to qualify. They had, in fact, been mathematically eliminated before the Halfpipe event, and would miss out on a tournament being hosted on the continent across from their hometown of Glidavik.

The team stayed in the stands with the other unqualified teams to watch the main tournament. Although the Snowballs implemented a Bobsled event, they opted to use an outdoor course instead, holding the event outside on their Snowflake Slope.

After the 2018 Winter Marble League, the Gliding Glaciers were invited to participate in all three offseason exhibition events: the Consolation Race, 100 Meter Water Race, and Amazing Maze Marble Race. Glide competed in the first two races, placing dead last in the Consolation Race but third in the 100 Meter Water Race, their best performance yet.

Glide’s bronze medal in the 100 Meter Water Race was considered a sign that the best was yet to come. It turned out to be the opposite: their swan song in a mediocre professional sports career. (Photo Credit: JMR)

Glide departed the course feeling conflicted. They were happy that they had finally done so well in an event, and yet…what were they competing for?

“I’d lost sight of what I really wanted to do with my life until I rolled back and realized it. I was shocked at how far I thought I had come but how little I had actually accomplished,” Glide confided. “I wanted to sail oceans and climb mountains, not race across a water channel and climb K’nex scaffolding.”

The Gliding Glaciers announced their retirement from the Marble League, and all marble sports, with their absence from the Amazing Maze Marble Race. When news organizations reached out to the team for questions, their calls were left unanswered for weeks. It was later reported that the team had disbanded entirely but remained friends, and had embarked on an adventure to explore the entirety of their island.

“We ascended to the top of the glacier around our town, and looked beyond the horizon for the first time,” Glace recalled. “The sun was just rising, and we got to see it before any other marble on the island. That was a really cool feeling.”

Glidy looks back on that moment with pride. “That day, we brought our bobsleds and raced down the slopes. It was a thrill that we felt not because we were beating another team, but because we were truly enjoying our lives.”

Since then, the five had not entirely ruled out a return to professional sports, but their efforts were focused elsewhere: they joined the acclaimed travel company, Atlas Marbura, in early 2019. They headed the company’s most remote branch, based in Glidavik, and wrote travel guides for both popular and obscure locations around Marblearth. The company worked with the former JMRC in 2020 in planning and coordinating Stynth’s travels around the world.

The Gliding Glaciers’ Bobsled record was finally broken in 2021 by the O’rangers, with a time of 6.541 seconds. (Photo Credit: JMR)

Later in the year, the former JMRC reached out to the Glidavik branch for a different matter—the artificial bobsled track design from 2016. The five sent the blueprints over, free of charge.

“To be honest, we’re pretty surprised that we still have fans—in fact, we may have more fans now than we did when we were active,” Glacier mused, shrugging. “Life is full of surprises. I guess we’ll see what happens.”

The Climb

an addendum by The Emperor

The original logo for the Gliding Glaciers, designed by MightyCucumber.

The Gliding Glaciers members may have disbanded prior to the 2021 Marble League Qualifiers, but the team would live on. The original team members remained close friends and continued to live their lives to the fullest, free of competition. But Glide had another goal, too. Candy, the captain of the Jawbreakers, had called up Glide shortly after the Marble League Winter Special. The team was planning on retiring and wanted to inform the Glaciers of the news first, as they had been rejected to the Marble League prior to 2018 for having uniforms too similar to the team. Glide thanked Candy for the opportunity to take their place but declined. That is…until an idea sprung into their mind.

The following are excerpts from Glide’s journal, which was taken with them on their journey around the globe in search of new members to continue the Gliding Glaciers name and bring glory to the team while the old members could enjoy their life to the fullest. Glide’s journey was made possible by Atlas Marbura.

Day 1

The first stop on my tour is here in Old Zeldan, a remote island. I have a couple of friends who live on the island that I’ve gone mountain climbing with before, and they have informed me of an aspiring athlete here that could help with my goals. I touched down in the Old Zeldan airport and found the place barren and dry. There were dunes everywhere, with the sea breeze drifting in on the open-air airport. I hailed a taxi cab to my next destination, which would be the headquarters of The Bourne Network’s competitions.

I managed to meet Speny, the manager of the competition, who showed me around the facility. During this session, I was able to meet Alpine, a member of the Foresters, a prominent team in the competition. I managed to engage in a conversation with them, and they appeared intrigued by my offer. After talking it over with the rest of the Foresters, Alpine agreed to join me and the Gliding Glaciers organization. My next destination is around the globe, all the way to Vanillsinki.

Alpine winning Bronze in the Funnel Race in Speny’s Marble Tournament Season 3. (Photo Credit: Speny)

Day 2

By this time, since Alpine had agreed to my crazy idea, I figured it was time that I let the rest of the team know that I was getting the team together. They all wholeheartedly approved, and Glacie offered to provide a home for the team with their house on Glidavik. I managed to successfully book a ticket to Glidavik for Alpine, and then I took off for Vanillsinki, the home of the Valiant Vanillas. The Valiant Vanillas were a very popular team in the Marble Sports Games, a competition run by the JMA member, The Emperor all the way over in Philamarblia. I was mainly interested in Frost, their star athlete. Frost had won the first-ever Marble Sports Games event and had a very impressive track record. I arrived in Vanillsinki to find the team returning for a short break from the ongoing season, Season 3. Twist had just won the team’s second gold of the season, and the team sits in second halfway through. I managed to meet the whole team, and they were very nice individuals.

Near the end of our meeting, I sprung the news on Frost. It took them a while to make a decision, which I respect. Frost’s verdict was not one that I was expecting; they said they wanted to join the Glaciers, AND stay on the Valiant Vanillas at the same time. I knew that this would be possible, but it could provide a lot of stress for the teams. The rest of the Vanillas backed Frost, however, and I accepted. Frost had the potential to do both, and I knew better than to doubt them. Tomorrow, it’s time to meet the next candidate, one hailing from a competition in Marblyland.

Frost wins gold in Speed Skating in the Marble Sports Games Season 3 Qualifiers. (Photo Credit: The Emperor)

Day 3

After booking a ticket to Glidavik for Frost, I booked my next flight with Atlas Marbura, this time to Marblyland. Marblyland is home to one of the JMA members, Orbitball, who hosted a competition by the local beaches. One of the fan-favorite teams from the competition is the Orcas, who hail from a small alcove buried deep underneath the city. These marbles trained in extreme weather conditions day in and out, often underwater, and Polar would be greatly suited to the training heights of the mountains in Glidavik. I managed to meet Orbitball in their stadium by the shore, where they were setting up an Underwater Race event. The Orcas were getting ready to line up in the gates, and after watching their run, I called Polar over. We talked about the local food and diners that they liked to eat at for a bit (apparently they have a bit of a sweet tooth. I’ll have to call up the Jawbreakers to have them settle that). I finally popped my proposal on them, and they agreed to join me and my mission.

That means three members are down, two to go. My next stop is the home of the Green Ducks, all the way up in Bermenghank…

Polar saying farewell to their teammates. (Photo Credit: Orbitball)

Day 4

I was exhausted after my travels for the previous few days, so I took the day to explore Marblyland a bit. The city had a lot of fine cuisines that I really enjoyed, and relaxing on the coastal beaches was a welcome breath of fresh air. I acquired a cup of hot chocolate and a baguette from a local cafe run by the Lattes, another youth league team participating in the Marble Sports Games. I then booked a hotel for the night and am currently enjoying a relaxing evening, watching re-runs of Marble League 2018.

Day 5

I began the day with an early breakfast, before catching a flight to Bermenghank. I touched down in the northern region, a place that was always covered with snow and had mountains peaking into the clouds. Upon my arrival, I put on my ski jacket and earmuffs. It was cold in Snoronto, but it was frigid in the northern mountains of Bermenghank. The locals appeared to have adapted to the cold however and didn’t seem to be bothered. I took the ski lift up to the resort above, which was run by the Icebergs, a popular team in the region run by SuperJackJack, who ran the local competition the Marble Games. The Icebergs ran the ski resort above, and I was greeted happily by Iceberg, who was the member I most wanted to meet. Iceberg had a good history in the competition and had a winning personality and mindset. And that’s the kind of athlete that I was looking for. Iceberg accepted my proposition and promised that the rest of the team would be there in the fan section to support the Glaciers.

Arctic of the Arctics, Iceberg of the Icebergs, and I, Glide, in the Ski Resort. (Photo Credit: JackJack)

Day 6

My final stop on my agenda was Sheetersburg, a city in the frigid region of Rollsia. This last marble had caught my eye for different reasons than the others. Recommended by their cousin, Sheev, Sheet was no ordinary marble. They weren’t the best athlete or student, but Sheet was one of the kindest and nicest marbles that I had ever met. Every marble in the region knew of Sheet and their kindness; how they could always lend a helping hand and be counted on for support. I managed to meet Sheet in the sleet on Beet Street (and yes that was intentional. They insisted.) in front of the luxurious Sheetersburg Palace, home of the royal family. Sheet offered me a slice of cake as we sat in the snow, sleet pounding our heads. We talked about the snowy weather for a little while, before I asked Sheet if they would join me on the Glaciers. Sheet looked around, pondering for a little bit, but they accepted. Now, I had my full roster. I called up Atlas Marbura and scheduled my final flight of the journey, and Sheet and I are headed to Glidavik now. It’s time to get the band together!

Sheet (right) and Glide (left) in Sheetersburg. (Photo Credit: The Emperor)

End of Journal.

Sheet and Glide returned to Glidavik and found the rest of the team members in Glacie’s cabin, drinking hot cocoa and watching a rerun of the Raceforest Grand Prix. The team was cheering on the Snowballs, who would finish the race in fifth. Glide’s crazy dream of recruiting a new Gliding Glaciers team was coming to fruition. Alpine, Frost, Polar, Iceberg, and Sheet. Everything was coming together. Glace offered to manage the team’s finances and travel, of which Glide accepted without a second thought.

“It’s gonna be great!” Glidy said as the rest of the team trained on the steep mountains of Glidavik. “We’ve been contacted by the Minty Maniacs, they want us to compete in an exhibition tournament in Herbotamia to test the new team out! We’re gonna get a feel for the competition here, and hopefully, our crazy dream will work!”

Early in the morning of 13 April 2021, the Gliding Glaciers boarded their Atlas Marbura plane to Herbotamia, where they would be participating in the Herbotamia Invitational. They started off with a bronze medal in Balancing, losing to Team Plasma and the Solar Flares, who won the event. Then, in a stunning upset win, Frost managed to win the Funnel Endurance event, putting the Glaciers in second overall. Sheet continued the Glaciers’ domination with their third consecutive medal, this time a silver.

“I’m quite shocked, to say the least.” An exhausted Sheet stated in the locker room. “I didn’t really have such high expectations for myself, but I’m very pleased to have delivered a solid result for myself, and for the team!”

Somehow, the Glaciers were still only TIED for first, even with 3 medals. The Solar Flares had replicated their successes with one medal each of their own. The Glaciers would stamp their authority on the rest of the field, winning their fourth medal in a row, this time a silver. Somehow, even with these four medals, the Glaciers would not win the tournament, as they would place fifth in the final event, the Minty Mania GP, and finish the tournament one point behind the Solar Flares.

At the conclusion of the tournament, Jelle Bakker, the organizer of the Marble League, approached Glide with an envelope. “Today was a historic day for everyone involved, and these teams showed the passion of champions,” remarked Jelle. “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 Marble League 2021 Qualifiers! We will see you in Felynia!”

That same day, JMR officially announced that the Gliding Glaciers were coming out of retirement to compete in the Qualifiers. The Glaciers replaced the Jawbreakers, who were completely retiring from marble sports, in Group A. For the first time in four years, the team would be competing against the Snowballs for a qualifying spot in the Marble League.

“We’re so thrilled to be competing in the main league this year!” Iceberg said, blushing. “I’ve always dreamed of competing in the Marble League, and we’re gonna give the qualifiers our all!”

In RetRollSpective, the Gliding Glaciers’ new team members might not have bonded as much as they’d have like to, but they froze the competition in the Herbotamia Invitational and caught the eyes of Jelle themself. We can expect the new team to continue their domination soon. Best of luck to the Gliding Glaciers in the near future, keep on rolling!

Credits

Writers: The Emperor, Stynth
Editors: Efmo, Smacg13
Graphic Designers: The Emperor, Fouc, MightyCucumber, Novawolf, Pim Leurs, Stynth, Tim Ritz
Photographers: The Emperor, JackJack, Jelle’s Marble Runs, Orbitball, Speny
Release: 30/06/2021