About Us

Co-Founders:

Mark Stevens is the organizer, a co-founder, and 6-year participant of the annual trip to Munich.  He is responsible for all of the details of the trip, from hotel reservations to beer tent reservations.  After a night at the Fest, Mark can most likely be found passed out on a train somewhere while wearing a denim jacket belonging to no one in the group.

Jason Duke is a co-founder and 6-year participant of the Oktoberfest.  He is a friendly drunk and you will often find him spitting out German sentence fragments to wary Korean tourists who are simply asking him, in English, where the train station is located.

Derrick Drury is a co-founder and 6-year participant of the Oktoberfest.  Originally designated the Impartial Judge, he has now moved beyond those bounds and is a serious contestant in his own right.  Derrick has been working on his dancing poses, and finally came into the spotlight in 2008.  (See the pictures!)

2009 Participants:

Danielle Gibbons is a 4-year participant of the Oktoberfest.  We met Danielle, along with Megan Hitchcock and other members of Team California, on a Wednesday night in 2005.  Danielle wasn't able to join us in 2006, but managed to clear her schedule and, along with several friends, join us in 2007 and 2008.  Thanks to a last minute attack on her conscience, she and Shannon will be joining us once again this year!

Jennifer LeBouf is a 2-year participant of the Oktoberfest.  We met Jennifer in 2007 when she travelled from Huntington Beach, California to meet Danielle and Shannon.  She couldn't join us in 2008, but Danielle talked her into going for 2009 and she is so glad she did!  Jennifer will definitely be returning with the group in 2010.   

Buck Stevens has just returned from his rookie trip to the Oktoberfest.  After years of hearing his son Mark pester him about "hanging with the guys" in Munich, he has finally agreed to set work aside and come show the Europeans how things should be done.  We're all glad Buck has decided to go, and hope this is the first year of many more to come!

Mike Andrews has just returned from his rookie trip to the Oktoberfest.  During the 2007 Auburn football season, Mike heard Mark talking about the trip, and decided on the spot to go. His work schedule wouldn't allow him to join us in 2008, but once the Team returned in October, Mike already had his airline ticket booked and was ready to go!

Kim Schlachta has just completed her second trip to the Oktoberfest.  After years of preparation with the Cape Coral (FL) German American Club's annual Oktoberfest, Kim decided to take things to the next level and prove she could hang with Mark in Munich.  Not only did she prove her drinking abilities, but her singing and dancing abilities as well! 

Michael Rabalais has just returned from his rookie trip to the Oktoberfest.  After hearing Kim talk about the Oktoberfest trip for a year straight, he decided it was time for him to join in the fun.  Mike came up to Atlanta with Kim this summer to meet some of his new teammates and managed to impress quite a few people with his drinking prowess.  If a spontaneous Boot Line Chug pops up, he's definitely one of our five.

Bill Quandt has just returned from his rookie trip to the Oktoberfest.  After Mike Andrews begged Bill's wife enough, she finally gave in and allowed him to join the guys for a few beers over a long weekend.  Bill got to know a few team members at Vreny's and is looking forward to meeting everyone else on Thursday.

Ben Bakker is, by far, the craziest guy we have met from the Netherlands.  That's probably the reason we get along so well and have such a great time with him and his friends!  After we met Ben in the Hofbräu tent in 2005, he was able to join us several times in 2006 and for the full trip in 2007 and 2008.  Ben will be joining us in Barcelona and Madrid for 2009.  

Wim Klopmeijer is the first person we have met that comes close to taking the "craziest" title from his fellow Dutch teammate.  Wim joined us for the first time in 2008 and, after we observed his superior beer drinking skills, we immediately invited him back to join us in 2009.  Along with Ben, Wim will be joining us for six days of fun and sun in Barcelona and Madrid.  

Paul Kendall met the guys from Team Atlanta in 2007 through an invitation from Mark, his favourite beer drinker.  Paul and the others from the UK were unable to make it back in 2008 but, after lots of pestering from fellow team members, Paul decided to make 2009 the year of international travel by heading to the US during the summer and to the Wiesn for this year's Fest.    

Alex Strehl is one of our favourite Munich residents.  We met Alex in the Hofbräu tent at the 2004 Oktoberfest, and he has become a close friend of everyone in the group.  Alex and his friends joined us again for quite a few litres in 2005, 2006 and for his birthday weekend in 2007 and 2008. We always look forward to seeing him and his beautiful girlfriend Sylvia! 

Irene Carlús is another of our favourite Munich residents.  Irene met the group through a mutual friend in 2007 and hasn't looked back.  She always keeps the team members smiling, and after the Fest is over each night, she keeps them dancing until the early hours of the morning as well!   Irene is originally from Madrid, and we are relying on her suggestions for TA's trip to Spain in 2009.

Julia is yet another of our favourite Munich residents.  Mark officially met Julia on the first night of the 2005 Oktoberfest, and she joined our group several other times before we returned home.  She is, by far, the most beautiful woman we have met in Germany and everyone constantly competes for her attention.  Julia joined us again in 2006 to 2008, and is planning to meet up with us several times in 2009.

Previous Participants:

Paul Medlock is a 2 year participant (2007 and 2008).

Steve Benson is a 1 year participant (2008).

Sharon Sanford is a 1 year participant (2008).

Michael Sallas is a 4-year participant (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007)

Josh Phillips is a 3 year participant (2004, 2005 and 2007).

Charlie Utz is a 1 year participant (2007).  

Rob Vermillion is a 2 year participant (2006 and 2007).

Cyrus Bhedwar is a 1 year participant (2007).

Erik Heimer is a 1 year participant (2007).

Megan Hitchcock is a 2 year participant (2005 and 2006).

Matthew Morris is a 1 year participant (2006).

(Matt was the first to document the 2006 Oktoberfest in a semi-diary form.  If you want to find out how crazy things were for us, you can read about it here.)

Joe Bucher is a 1 year participant (2006).

Jenn Gemini is a 1 year participant (2006).

Dave Jones is a 1 year participant (2006).

Wendy Fletcher is a 1 year participant (2006).

Worth Wells is a 1 year participant (2005).