Austi-Con kicks off Friday

Published 10:20 am Thursday, May 12, 2016

Michael Jordal, center, explains the rules to a new game called “Flick ‘Em Up!” With friends Jesse Qualey, right, and Gary Meyer, left, during a weekly game night at Jordal’s home. Jordal will host the first ever Austi-Con this weekend.  -- Herald file photo

Michael Jordal, center, explains the rules to a new game called “Flick ‘Em Up!” With friends Jesse Qualey, right, and Gary Meyer, left, during a weekly game night at Jordal’s home. Jordal will host the first ever Austi-Con this weekend.
— Herald file photo

An Austin man is turning his passion for gaming into a public event this weekend.

Local board gamer Michael Jordal will host a weekend of gaming with a focus on tabletop gaming Friday through Sunday in the ballrooms of the Holiday Inn Austin Conference Center, 1701 Fourth St. NW starting at 8 a.m. each day.

The event will feature a variety of scheduled games throughout the weekend, as well as open gaming tables.

Email newsletter signup

“It is a lot of fun for people from all over to get together and play these games” Jordal said in a press release.

He expects approximately 100 players to attend throughout the weekend. The event is free and open to the public. Attendees will also receive a swag bag on a first come, first serve basis.

The tournament also has a charity focus and will include a silent auction throughout the weekend with proceeds going to the Autism Day Camp programs, which are run through the Hormel Historic Home. Three camps are held throughout the summer, and Jordal’s wife, Kate, is the director of one of the camps, called Camp Just for Me.

Game pieces are arrayed at the start of Michael Jordal’s recently purchased game, “Flick ‘Em Up.”

Game pieces are arrayed at the start of Michael Jordal’s recently purchased game, “Flick ‘Em Up.” — Herald file photo

“We’re very fortunate to have these camps in Austin and they are an important cause to my wife. I thought it would be a really nice way to give back to the community,” Jordal said in the release.

Several board game companies have provided donations to the event and there will be play to win events in which participants can win the copy of the game they are playing, a board game library, and door prizes.

Some of the games that will be played include: Star Wars Armada, Dead of Winter, Street Fighter 5, Firefly, and Dungeons and Dragons.

For more information about the event, visit the Austin-Con event page on Facebook or contact Michael Jordal at jordalmichael@gmail.com.

Read a full feature on Michael Jordal here: Game On: Gaming convention coming to Austin