AWFS Wrap Up

By George Vondriska

Posted: July 22, 2009

A view of the AWFS Show Floor

The WWGOA team is back from AWFS in Las Vegas and we're all a little tired, but it's a good kind of tired. We did lots of walkin' and talkin', along with the 17,000 or so other attendees (we don't have final attendance figures from AWFS yet).

I have to say, with the economy being the way it is, I didn't expect to see much from manufacturers in the way of new products. But I was pleasantly surprised. We've got plenty of fodder for our upcoming New Product Blowout. Watch for this special article in our next newsletter.

Fresh Wood competitor, Timothy Keating from Cedar Ridge High School, Chapel Hill, N.C., won The People's Choice Award for his Wandering Roses Table.

In addition to meeting with manufacturers, I love checking out the exhibit of students' work, the Fresh Wood Competition. This incredible gallery highlights some of the best of the best being produced by high school and post-secondary students. Don't let anyone tell you there are no young people doing woodworking. There are some incredible up and comers out there.

Finally, if you want to see some fun, you can get on the sidelines and watch the BSRA (Belt Sander Racing Association) sanctioned Belt Sander Races. Who knew this could be a sanctioned event? From standard to souped up, these machines tore up the track. It was a blast to watch. The rest of the WWGOA team was excited about the prospect of building an entry of our own for the next race.

So, we're digesting lots of cool information, and getting it ready to get in your hands. As we bounce back, we've also got our sights on the next big show, IWF (International Woodworking Fair) 2010.