One thing I realize as a sports fan is a love of a rather broad range of sports, and self-admittedly my interests can run to the fringes of the sports world as well.
I doubt many in the city, maybe no one except me, tunes in on YouTube.com on a regular basis to watch Badminton World Federation or Professional Squash Association events.
And, yes dear readers I love Battlebots on television, and view it as a sport, in spite of the protestations of my better half to the contrary.
So, it was a blast recently when I caught up with Canadian designer Mark Demers, one of the team leaders behind the Battlebot ‘Lucky’.
Not too surprisingly Demers came to designing a ‘bot after initially becoming a fan.
“Like you I remember seeing it on television and I was a fan,” he related in a recent telephone chat. “It looked like fun.”
Demers, who lives in Ottawa, is an engineer, although he works on the marketing side of things rather than actual design.
So Battlebots “was kind of an outlet for engineering for me,” said Demers.
When Demers first watched Battlebots he was in San Francisco where the TV show taped. He watched for a year. Attended events in season two.
And by year three he was involved with a ‘bot.
The design of a ‘bot is a balancing act for Demers, who admitted the simplest approach to success is generally a powerful vertical spinner with Tombstone the “poster ‘bot” for such designs.
But, he wanted something unique too.
“It’s interesting, I like to have something fun and entertaining to watch,” he said, adding “I like the challenge of designing something different.”
That said it’s not easy to be wild in design, and competitive too.
“It’s hard to be unique when there are only a few designs to be effective,” offered Demers.
In the end, Demers, the lead designer on the tem, went with a flipper, partly because he loved watching ‘bots such as Bronco flipping opponents across the floor.
“That’s awesome when they get under a guy and its going eight-10-feet across the arena,” he said.
Lucky has not quite achieved the success of Bronco as a flipper, and Demers said he expects better of his ‘bot.
“Our record has been mediocre,” he admitted adding “we’re more competitive than we’ve shown on the show so far.”
Realistically Lucky is a middle of the pack ‘bot, yet to crack the top 16 in a season, but Demers said they aspire to show the potential be believes the ‘bot has.
The ‘hobby’ is not a cheap one, although Demers noted; “the goal is to make a few dollars at it.”
Like soccer though, Demers said to just play is cheap, to get to the top level and be competitive takes investment, adding he doubted a reasonable competitive battlebot could be designed and built for under $20,000.
Of course at the top level you are competing with design teams from around the world, with Demers noting there are four, or five teams in Canada with an eye on the ‘Big Nut’ the trophy handed out each season on Battlebots.
It’s not easy to be the best, and it gets harder every year.
“The level of competition today compared to five years ago is incredible,” said Demers, adding major design and engineering companies and top university teams are building ‘bots now
So I finally asked the big question; is Battlebots a sport?
“I consider it a sport,” said Demers. “I think it is as much as car racing is a sport.” Then he added that doesn’t mean he sees himself as an athlete.
As for the upcoming season of Battlebots, Lucky will be staying home due to COVID concerns, but Lucky will be back in the future assured Demers.
