5 reasons to get hyped for the California Open in December
Late last week, we officially opened for registration what's perennially one of the marquee events on the Scrabble tournament calendar - the California Open, which will be back for the 16th time in December.
This year's CO will take place in downtown San Francisco over the weekend of Dec. 12, and it will feature 20 games over a stretch of 3 days. Ed De Guzman will be running the show, with a little assistance here and there from both CoCo- and WGPO-affiliated helpers. All parties involved are looking forward to an excellent event.
We've still got a long way to go until this year's California Open gets underway. Almost 3 months, in fact. But if you ask me, it's already time to get hyped. This is going to be one of the events of the year.
Why should you be excited about this year's CO? Here's why...
It's a Scrabble institution! Seriously, how often do you get a chance to go to the 16th annual anything? Especially in Scrabble, where there's all sorts of turnover when it comes to events and directors and whatnot, it's pretty rare. But the CO has endured, and it's been one of the most beloved events on the North American tournament calendar dating all the way back to the late aughts. When you're there, you're a part of Scrabble history.
The host city is one of a kind. San Francisco is a city unlike any other. From the beautiful Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge to the ridiculous hills one must climb to get from basically anywhere to anywhere, it's a unique city with a unique look and feel. Add in the rich culture and amazing food, and you've got a city that's absolutely worth visiting for a long weekend of Scrabble.
The event always draws a great field. Throughout these 16 years, we've seen the best players in North America flock to San Francisco to compete. And recently, that's especially been the case in Collins - last year's CSW division drew 33 players from across the U.S. and Canada, the most in the tournament's history. We're hoping to build on that success and draw an even bigger group this time around.
It's as well run as they come. The CO has always had great directors at the helm. These days, it's mostly Ed running the show, and he runs it expertly. Over the years, though, it's taken a village. Just about every San Francisco-area Scrabbler you know has played at least some small role in helping run the CO at some point over the years; collectively, the whole SF player community has pitched in and helped make the event the long-running success that it is.
...and once again, it's a CoCo event! We're excited to say that, for the second year in a row, we're teaming up with Ed and the CO team and the WGPO team to be a part of this iconic tournament. So pack your purple hoodies and get ready to put that CoCo rating on the line.
We were proud to be a part of the California Open in 2024, and we're raring to go again in '25. We hope you all are just as excited to play the CO as we are to be sanctioning it. If so, we'll see you there in a few months' time.