Dear friends,
Change is in the air in the world of memory. Three weeks ago, we published our Open Letter and the support we have received has been absolutely tremendous. In the weeks since then, and for months before, we have been preparing what many of us have been dreaming of for a very long time: a free, independent and democratic federation. Today, we announce the launch of the IAM: the International Association of Memory.
We’re kicking this off with two tournaments under the IAM banner in the next two weeks. The first is a clear highlight of the memory year: the XMT in San Diego on June 24–26. The second will be the US Memory Open in Los Angeles on July 2–3. Our next challenge will be to provide continuity and organise our own World Memory Championship. This is a high priority for us and we are certain we will make this happen in the best possible way.
The IAM will soon publish its own homepage with rankings, a tournament calendar and further information about who we are and what we do. People who agree with our aims can ask to be mentioned on the homepage as supporters. We will also keep you updated regularly—here and on other sites—about the progress of the IAM, so that you can see it growing and gaining traction for yourself.
Though the IAM is an independent federation with its own championships, we will ensure continuity in terms of world rankings and titles for those wishing to keep them. On top of the standard disciplines we all know and are used to, we now have the freedom to experiment with new disciplines and formats. We see a world where athletes have a real say in the evolution of memory sports, which will therefore grow, develop and change along with all of us. We see a world of opportunity. We believe in the true and deserved future of this sport. We believe in its freedom. Most importantly, we believe in you and your rights as athletes, arbiters and organisers.
The IAM is here: We invite everybody to join us and participate in the democratic process of improving the sport. We invite everybody to approach us, to write to us, to ask us all about it. We invite everybody to see this with an open mind: We would love to have your support as we embark on this exciting new endeavour as the International Association of Memory, the IAM.
In the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., which rang true so often and provided support and inspiration for so many: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.”
Kindest regards,
- Mücahit Aköz (Memory athlete; Turkish team)
- Tansel Ali (Winner Australian Memory Championship 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2015)
- Phill Ash (Memory athlete; British team)
- Hafssa Askaoui (Memory athlete; Moroccan team)
- Bartłomiej Boral (Memory athlete; Polish team)
- Tobiasz Boral (Winner Polish Memory Championship 2012 and 2013; creator of SWMSR world ranking)
- Steffen Bütow, GM (trainer of memory athletes; former memory athlete; German team)
- Lars Christiansen (Winner Danish Memory Championship 2015)
- Søren Damtoft (Senior world memory champion 2014 and 2015)
- Florian Dellé (arbiter; tournament organiser US Memory Open and Memo Games)
- Nelson Charles Dellis, GM (Winner US Memory Championship 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2015; organiser XMT)
- Luis Angel Echeverria (Memory athlete; US team)
- Adeniji Adeniyi Emmanuel (former arbiter)
- Claire Ferguson (former arbiter)
- Darren Ferguson (Memory athlete; British team)
- Livan Grijalva (Memory athlete; American team)
- Thomas Hirt (Memory athlete trainer)
- Ameel Hoque (Memory athlete; British team)
- Gabriele Kappus (Arbiter)
- Raj Jain, GM (Memory athlete; Indian team)
- Alisa Kellner, GM (Memory athlete; German team)
- Katie Kermode (World record holder 5 min Names and Faces; world no. 41)
- Omkar Kibe (Memory athlete; Indian team)
- Daniel Kilov (Memory athlete; Australian team)
- Clay Knight (Memory athlete; British team)
- Kelly Knight (friend of the sport of memory)
- Marlo Knight, IMM (Winner UK Championship 2015; world no. 39)
- Boris Nikolai Konrad, IGM (tournament organiser; president of MemoryXL; winner UK Open Championship 2012; world no. 15)
- Nathalie Lecordier (Arbiter)
- Johannes Mallow, IGM (World memory champion 2012; world no. 1; world record holder 5 min Binary, Dates and 10 min Cards)
- Simon Orton (Winner Australian Memory Championship 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007; organiser and programmer XMT)
- Hordiy Ostapovych (Memory athlete; Ukrainian team)
- Jürgen Petersen, GM (Memory athlete; German team)
- Ben Pridmore, IGM (World memory champion 2004, 2008 and 2009; organiser Friendly Memory Championship; world record holder 30 min Cards)
- Roberto Memory Man Racasa (Tournament organizer; memory athlete; Filipino team)
- Simon Reinhard, IGM (World no. 4; since 2010 Athlete Representative at the WMSC; world record holder 5 min Words and 15 min Words)
- Ola Kåre Risa, IGM (Winner Swedish Open Memory Championship 2013; world no. 10)
- Fabian Saal (Winner South German Memory Championship 2014)
- Almantas Šarakojis (Memory athlete; Lithuanian team)
- Christian Schäfer, IGM (Winner Cambridge Memory Championship 2010; world no. 12)
- Kevin Schulz (Memory athlete; team Terra)
- Mike Smauley (Winner South German Memory Championship 2003)
- Charifa Souissi (Memory athlete; Moroccan team)
- Scott Sussex (Memory athlete; British team)
- Sri Vyshnavi Yarlagadda, IMM (Memory athlete; Indian team)