It all went down last Saturday at the Olympus theatres where the Barbados E-Sports/Shadwayne Gaming Frutee Cap to Crown tournament was held. Gamers from all over the island came together to compete against each other in Tekken 8, Super Smash Bros and EA Sports FC 26 and it was epic.
Usually to enter any event, a ticket needs to be purchased, Cap to Crown which was an event sponsored by Frutee, required a unique but fitting form of entry. Attendees had to purchase a special Frutee drink and show proof of their purchase by bringing the label or the receipt to gain entry into the event and for most, Xtreme Red was that flavour.
While some of the winners and competitors prepped by playing the game consistently before attending ‘Cap to Crown’, winner of Super Smash Bros competition, Shakobe Bentham, had a different strategy.
“I took a break from the game before today. I didn’t really have any preparation, I just came and I decided to practice by myself…get the basics back in my head and I wasn’t nervous because I’m pretty familiar with the people here,” Bentham said.
Safe to say his strategy paid off as he walked away with not only a big shiny trophy but a brand new gaming chair, gaming console and other gaming equipment.
Bentham, 22, has been playing video games from the early age of 4 and gave words of encouragement to those interested in getting into gaming and e-sports by extension.
“If you find that you improve practicing online, practice online,” he shared. “If you play better against other people in person then do that and if you want to get into e sports…try to find a community to connect with…and come out to play.”
One of the winners, who goes by the gamertag ‘Harbour246’, shared his thoughts on the importance of there being events and initiatives like ‘Cap to Crown’ here in Barbados.
“I am glad more events like this are coming around because back in the day we didn’t have this sort of opportunity,” he expressed. “I am glad Shadwayne and co are actually doing this and putting it forward, to put Barbados on the map and potentially to higher heights.”
The ‘Cap to Crown’ tournament reached a fever pitch as 20-year-old Evan Holder secured the Tekken 8 championship, adding another layer of excitement to the high-stakes event. Despite having roots in the MOBA world as a League of Legends player, Evan successfully transitioned his competitive drive to the fighting game arena.
Though he admitted to feeling the pressure of the live crowd, his experience testing his skills against international players from the U.S. gave him a tactical edge. By prioritizing intense focus over the distractions of the audience, Evan remained triumphant, proving that a disciplined mindset and cross-genre experience are just as vital as technical execution in the quest for a trophy.
President and founder of the Barbados E Sports initiative, Ricardo Knight, alongside vice president and co-founder Shadwayne Wilkinson, worked tirelessly on Saturday to ensure the event was a success. Knight described the event as ‘amazing’.
“It was definitely a brilliant tournament…we pulled off something really amazing here. The energy during the finals…this is what we chase after … .as a former competitor…coming from overseas and seeing what it’s like over there, I just want to recreate that and be able to capture that spark and energy… “
Wilkinson, whose character is named ‘Gustav’ had a royal rumble style entrance. Gustav played against two daring competitors. With Gustav cap off and the Shadwayne cap on, Wilkinson shared his thoughts on the outcome of the event.
“This is one of the major steps going forward, showing Bajans that yes, we can pull off great events like what you see on tv…at international levels”, Wilkinson said. “We can build stories, we can build legends…it’s only more to go with the Gustav royal rumble, Cap to Crown…the sky is the limit right now.”
You just had to be there. The energy was electric and the competition was intense, nail biting and exciting. Especially for the winners and competitors of the respective tournaments as they received prizes in the form of cash, vouchers, gaming chairs and consoles among other prizes and they each took home big shiny trophies.
Brand manager of Frutee, Keito Forde, stated that there is a very strong relationship between Barbados E Sports and Frutee and big things are in store for the future.
“Look out for us doing some other things really soon,” he shared. Big things, delicious prizes…we’re coming back.!”