Several Special Prizes were awarded for diverse merits. The reasons for the choice of each winner are mostly one of a kind.
The Pechvogel Award – (The Bad Luck Award)
Harm Bakker, Amsterdam
His cello bow (nr. 15) was the only bow from all 78 bows in the competition which experienced following fate; it was chosen by the Judge Bernd Etzler as the winning Cello Bow, but Etzler asked after a sleepless night to change nr. 15 to nr. 26. which means that Tibor Kovacs won a 2nd Grand Prix for his cello bow. We congratulate both Harm and Tibor for their deserved nominations and of course Tibor for the victory, and wish Harm for the next time more luck!
here the original Judging Sheet from Bernd Etzler:
The 5 Marie-Pierre Delaruelle Awards
Cody Kowalski – The Youngest Participant of the Competition
Mitsuaki Sasano – The Oldest Participant of the Competition
Paul Goh – The Best Competition Participant from Singapore
photograph by Ben Bonouvrier
Vladimir Mukhin – The Best Competition Participant from Russia
Dominic Wilson – The Best Competition Participant from England
The Shirakawa Award for the best Ivory bow of the 18 ivory mounted bows of the 2015 Darling Ivory Project
Ulf Johansson, Sweden
The Shirakawa Rice Cooker Award for the most helpful Bowmaker from the participants of the Competition (this was the most desired Award!)
Harm Bakker, The Netherlands
The 3 Kaaskop Awards, chosen by Harm Bakker in name from almost all Dutch Bowmakers
The typical Dutch ball shaped cheese.
Murat Ufuk Güler – The Best Competition Participant from Turkey
Kaspar Pankow – The thinnest Participant from the Competition who might be in need for supplementary food.
and last but least:
Andy Lim – The Best Potential Bowmaker in the Room
Eric Fournier, Andy Lim, Marie-Pierre Delaruelle, Cody Kowalski & Emmanuel Bégin