Rockgamer.com reported last month about a competition with a nice booty.  No, not that kind of booty!  Well, the results are in and one lucky (and talented) Guitar Hero player Ryan Gebhardt took home the top prize of $10,000 besting over 700 competitors.  There were also prizes handed out for Best Costume and in total $20,000 was given away.

MINNEAPOLIS, June 7, 2008 – In a blaze of guitar riffs and rock star kicks, Ryan Gebhardt from Waltham, Minn. won the $10,000 grand prize in the 2008 “Rock the Lake” Guitar Hero tournament at Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. Besting a field of more than 700 competitors, Ryan Gebhardt received a check for $10,000 on the stage of the Mystic Showroom Saturday evening. With more than $20,000 in cash and prizes, including the grand prize, the event was the biggest Guitar Hero tournament in the state of Minnesota – attracting competitors from across the country.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t even play Guitar Hero very often,” said Ryan. “I just have a great memory for pattern recognition. It’s genetic.” “I don’t want to seem unexciting but I plan to put the money toward my college tuition.”

Competitors battled head-to-head on 50 Guitar Hero stations during the qualifying rounds Saturday afternoon. The final round was held on the Mystic Showroom stage as Ryan Gebhardt and runner-up Joseph Viseth from Elk River, Minn. battled for the $10,000 grand prize.

“Guitar Hero fanatics from across the Midwest came out to participate in today’s tournament,” said Bryan Prettyman, vice president of marketing for Mystic Lake Casino Hotel. “The energy from all of the competitors was electric. We would like to congratulate Ryan Gebhardt as well as the rest of the finalists, and thank everyone who came out to compete.”

To participate, tournament competitors had to be at least 18 years old and Club Mystic members. Club Mystic Membership is free and could be completed the day of the event. Every registered participant was guaranteed one match in the qualifying round and a free T-shirt. All songs during the competition were randomly selected and played on “medium” difficulty, with the semifinals and final round increased to the “hard” difficulty level. The top three “Best Dressed” rockers also were be rewarded with cash prizes.

List of “Rock the Lake” Finalists and Prizes:
Tournament Champion: $10,000 — Ryan Gebhardt: Waltham, Minn.
Tournament Runner Up: $3,000 — Joseph Viseth: Elk River, Minn.
Third Place: $1,500 — Daniel Lew: Minneapolis, Minn.
Fourth Place: $1,500 — Chris Bock: Lakeville, Minn.
Fifth Place: $750 — Mike Clawson: Litchfield, Minn.
Sixth Place: $750 — Matt Levahn: Maple Grove, Minn.
Seventh Place: $750 — Dan Read: Carver, Minn.
Eighth Place: $750 — Yifu Chen: Shanghai,China

Best Dressed Rockers and Prizes:
First Place: $300 — Jaek Packniak: Milwaukee, Wisc.
Second Place: $200 — Kevin Boese: Brownton, Minn.
Third Place: $100 — Darcel DuPris-Fleming: Maplewood, Minn.

Visit us on the web at www.mysticlake.com 

Mystic Lake Casino Hotel, the premier gaming facility in the Midwest, continually creates new, fun and exciting entertainment experiences for its guests.  Mystic Lake offers gaming, exceptional dining, headline performers, unique special events and luxurious accommodations.  Mystic Lake Casino Hotel is located 25 minutes south of Minneapolis/St. Paul in Prior Lake.