What IS GSL?

The GSL Championship was created in 1979 to provide an encouraging, objective, and a hospitable venue for sophisticated scale vehicle modelers, regardless of their interests, to compete where craftsmanship and technical innovation would be recognized and rewarded.  As well, GSL offers an enjoyable and congenial atmosphere where friendships are formed, and where old friendships are renewed.

Since 1999, the GSL Championship has been formally affiliated with IPMS/USA through the sponsorship of the Utah Miniature Automotive Guild, an official IPMS/USA Region 10 Chapter. This affiliation has been acknowledged with special advertisements in the IPMS Journal. The GSL Championship expresses its appreciation to IPMS/USA for access to the special event insurance that our affiliation with the Society affords. GSL also urges all scale vehicle builders to join the IPMS/USA to support the entire hobby through membership in the Society.

As a reaction to other historic shows where certain building styles were favored and others discouraged by the judging preferences and selection of winners, and as a further reaction against competitions were personalities and public favor played significantly in the outcome, the GSL Championship was fashioned to provide a "safe harbor" to competitive builders interested in aggressive, quality building. The GSL Championship has been a forum where excellence, craftsmanship, good humor and friendship would be sponsored and encouraged.

Roger Yu, Pat Bibeau and Fred Bell having a great time posing for the camera at GSL XIX.

Over the years, the antiseptic fairness of the GSL Championship has encouraged an everwidening group  of wonderful and very competitive scale vehicle builders to attend and be a part of the series of the greatest scale vehicle contest series ever created. As an outgrowth of that commitment to fairness, GSL competitors and attendees have developed a cheerful demeanor where friendships are made and renewed regularly where it is safe to share ideas and techniques, and where each builder's efforts are respected, and where everyone is challenged by the work they see.

In fact, one of the several attractions of the Championship has always been the cheerful and cordial demeanor of the participants. The attendees and builders always share their techniques and thoughts about building better  models, encouraged in no small part by judging impartiality and good humor that are hallmarks of the Championships.

The Twenty-second GSL International Scale Vehicle Championship and Convention will be presented Thursday, April 30 through May 3, 2009 at the Salt Lake Sheraton City Centre Hotel (the same excellent place where GSL-XXI was held). The overnight room prices have increased by just one dollar per night! Here are the details: All rooms are $92 base rent (1-4 person occupancy) plus room tax of 12.46% for an approximate per room cost of $103.50.

Plans are now underway for the Twenty-Second GSL Championship. We will again present the traditional range of competitive Classes, three days of seminars, two days of Museum tours, the Museum-benefit auction, the famed Trade Show, four days of renewed friendships and shared experiences, and the Awards Breakfast on Sunday morning, May 3. We will start the Championship and Convention on Thursday morning, April 30, 2009 with a general "welcome" opening session at 10:00 a.m. to hand out the Championship and Convention schedule, acquaint everyone with last-minute details and developments, and talk generally about the event. The Contest Hall will open for registering scale autos for competition at 11:00 a.m. that Thursday morning, and seminars will start at Noon, Thursday and extend through Saturday afternoon, May 2, 2009. Judging will occur on Saturday evening, starting at 5:30 p.m. with the Awards Banquet held on Sunday morning, May 3, 2009 at the Sheraton Hotel.

Please return to the home page for the GSL Championship and check out the other information on the Twenty-Second Championship, as well as the history of the Championship.

See you in April/May 2009!