This year we had five contestants vying for the coveted Magician of the Year honors in the category of Close-up Magic. The competition was tough, and the judges had a difficult time in deciding the winner. In keeping with the slight change in our contest rules, our winner was announced at the end of the evening rather than at the banquet in January. Read on to find out who competed, and who won.

The first contestant was Bruce Martyn. He began with a short vent routine, introducing us to "Critter." He then had Bill Stoops hold a small piece of foil on his outstretched palm and asked him to imagine that the foil was getting hotter. Evidently Bill had a very good imagination because he had to drop the foil before it burned him! Bruce then called Jim Davidson to the front and asked him to bring out the combination lock that Bruce had given him earlier in the evening. Bruce had shown Jim how to change the combination of the lock and then asked him to make a new combination, not showing anyone. Bruce was able to divine the correct combination, without ever touching the lock. Bruce finished with a new book test.

Jered Schaurgaard drew the second position of the evening. With the help of Scott Wolf and Sarah Cramer he demonstrated how he used trained props to do his magic. A fifty cent piece showed a centavo how to find a card in a sealed deck. Then a signed card switched places with a folded card that had been paper-clipped to Jered's lapel from the beginning of his performance! Jered ended his performance with a nice effect in which a spoon bent in Sarah's hands.

Our next contestant was Bruce Spell. He started by showing the four queens and asked an audience member to name one. He then demonstrated that he had control over the spectator's mind by showing the named queen to be the only queen with a red back. After another demonstration of "mind control," Bruce called Scott Wolf and Sarah Cramer back to the stage to participate in a gambling game. A gold chain was placed in a figure eight pattern on the table. Scott and Sarah alternated placing their fingers in one of the loops, and Bruce pulled the chain. If the chain remained wrapped around their finger, they won. They used Bruce's money and he won it all back. After a version of Spell Bound with a money exchange rate travel theme, Sarah helped Bruce with one last effect in which her signed card ended up in an envelope. A nicely routined display of close-up magic.

Norm Marini was next to grace the stage. He began by pulling out a piece of rope, the end of which was attached to a card case. So Norm began with a card effect. Once again Sarah selected a card that was then lost in the deck. It turned out that the card she selected had the words "Your Card" written on its back. It also turned out that it was "My (Norm's) Favorite Card." Norm then had two cards selected and performed a nice version of triumph with both cards. The cards also ended up being separated into red and black halves. Norm then introduced his chameleon cards. The cards' backs changed to match the last back they touched, and the fronts changed to match the last fronts they touched. After a nicely performed ring on rope routine, Norm caused four coins to travel from his hand into Sarah's hand. He also performed a copper/silver transposition, which at times left the audience speechless, and seemingly incapable of applauding. Norm ended with a nicely performed cups and balls routine.

Our poor audience volunteer Sarah may have a legitimate whiplash claim against the club. As soon as she sat down her services were once again requested. This time she joined Jim Davidson and Joe DuPerry as volunteers to help the final contestant, Steve Ehlers. Steve took the stage with a pack of cards and a cigarette in hand. He quipped that he knew it was a nasty habit, but that he was up to two packs a day. He even claimed his wife laid down an ultimatum, either he goes or he stops doing card tricks. He said he was doing better on "the patch:" a small patch of playing card applied to the epidermis. In any case the audience was treated to a fine display of card effects by one of the best. Selected cards were mentally discovered. They were signed, lost in the deck and then revealed in surprising ways. One proved to be "the patch" that was on Steve's arm, under his sleeves, from before the show. The last one proved to be a little difficult, so Steve called his wife on a cellular phone. It seems she is doing some part time psychic work. After handing the phone to Sarah, Steve's wife told her to look in the envelope that Steve had given her to sit on. Her signed card was in fact in the sealed envelope! Steve ended with a nice miser's dream sequence.

And the winner is...

Steve Ehlers. Congratulations Steve! And a job well done by the other contestants - the judges did not have an easy time!