Woohoo!!! Awesome!!! Phantom Regiment is the 2008 DCI World Champion!!! Yes!!!

When I saw this email tonight, I couldn’t believe me eyes. I quickly went to DCI’s website to double check, and sure enough, they were champs!

**** DCI World Championships - World Class Finals ****
**** 09 August 2008 - Bloomington, IN ****
01. 98.125 - Phantom Regiment
02. 98.100 - Blue Devils
03. 97.325 - The Cavaliers
04. 96.800 - Carolina Crown
05. 94.750 - The Cadets
06. 93.175 - Bluecoats
07. 93.025 - Santa Clara Vanguard
08. 90.425 - Blue Stars
09. 88.250 - Blue Knights
10. 87.275 - Boston Crusaders
11. 87.200 - Glassmen
12. 85.225 - Madison Scouts

I’ve been a phan of Phantom since I was first introduced to DCI in 1993 . (The Phantom Wedge, their signature move, is truly something magnificent to behold. Gives me chills…) I’m not hardcore, but I do keep up with the scores throughout the year and try to go to at least one show a year, though this summer has gone by so quickly, I missed all the local ones.

Through the early season, Phantom was usually in 3rd or 4th place, flip-flopping with Carolina Crown from show to show. Mid-season, they began to consistently overtake the Crown, but they still couldn’t break into the top two, which consisted of the powerhouse Cavaliers (the Green Machine) and The Regiment’s nemesis, Blue Devils.

Then the World Championships came. They were still in third after the quarter finals, but shifted into another gear, cracking the ceiling and placing second at the semis and pulling out an astonishing first in the finals.

The Regiment’s repertoire this year was Spartacus:

•     Ein Heldenleben
•     Selections from Spartacus
•     Toccata from Piano Concerto No.1
•     Dance of Ecstasy
•     Battlefield from “KA”

This is only Phantom’s second title, the other being a tie in 1996…with the Blue Devils. I wish I could have been there!

Great end to a not-so-great day!