The 2026 Ohio State Panning Championship will take place at the OSPA Norris Claim on Saturday, June 27.  Who will take home the "Ohio Cup" with bragging rights for the year?  Activities will start at 10:00AM.  To register, you must be a member of the Buckeye Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America (BCGPAA), Ohio State Prospectors Association (OSPA), or the GPAA Southern Ohio Tri State Chapter.  If you plan to attend the days activities, please fill out the form below.  This will help with food and potluck planning.  Thanks!

Rules:  (NOTE: Some rule changes will happen before the event.  They will be updated on the website and here when those changes happen)

We are proud to announce The Ohio State Panning Championship.  The 2nd Annual Championship will be held on June 27  at the OSPA Norris Claim.  Activities start time TBA.  While the event is open to the public to attend, you must be a member of the Buckeye Chapter of the GPAA (Gold Prospectors Association of America), the GPAA Southern Ohio Tri State Chapter, or the Ohio State Prospectors Association (OSPA) to compete for the Ohio Cup, presented to the winning group for a years worth of bragging rights!  The individual (Male and Female) Awards are open to anyone, but you must reside in Ohio if you are NOT a member of the 3 mentioned clubs above.

The OSPA has graciously allowed all Buckeye Chapter and Ohio Southern Tri State Chapter members who wish to camp for the event to camp on the OSPA Norris property Friday and Saturday nights.  They have also invited both chapters to their monthly meeting on Sunday as well!  You must be a GPAA member AND a declared member of those 2 chapters to camp those nights at Norris.  They are also allowing those members to prospect for those couple of days, but a waiver will need signed first to be able to prospect.

There will be a small raffle to help offset the cost of the plaques for the individual awards, run by the OSPA.  If you have an item to donate to them for the raffle that would be awesome!

The Buckeye Chapter will supply a small lunchmeat and cheese tray and buns for lunch for the event this year.  If you would like to bring a side to share, it would be appreciated!

Pre-Registration is Required!  To participate in the event, you must either fill out the online entry form found at https://forms.gle/CvPwqiXUt1d66HwXA, or send an email to ohiobuckeyegold@gmail.com and we will get you signed up.

(Below times are estimates, and will be adjusted accordingly when available)  NOTE: there will be a few rule changes coming before the event.  The final set of rules will be posted here when set.
 
9:00AM – Arrive

10:00AM – Speed Panning Warmups.  Grab a pan and warm up your speed panning skills in one of the panning troughs provided.

11:00AM – Time Qualifications Begin For the Championship.  The process for the points scoring will be as follows:

1.)     Each person will have the opportunity to speed pan.  This will be timed by a scorekeeper.  When you submerge your pan in the water, the timing will start.  When you pan down your material, locate the 3 gold nuggets in your pan, pick them out and present them to the judge in your hand, your time will be stopped and officially scored.
2.)     Once everyone has the opportunity to go through round 1, you will have a 2nd opportunity to speed pan again.  You will then have the opportunity to select which score of your two you would like entered as your final score.
3.)     OHIO CUP AWARD – Each chapter will have their scores tallied up for an average score across their respective chapter.  The chapter with the lowest time (Score) average will be declared the 2026 Ohio State Panning Championship Winner, taking home the Ohio Cup.  This cup will be in the possession of the winning chapter for 1 year, and must be returned to the following years Ohio State Panning Championship to be awarded to that years winner.  The Ohio Cup will have engravable plaques on it to show each years winner.  It will be the responsibility of the hosting chapter to have that years nameplate engraved for the winner.
4.)     INDIVIDUAL AWARDS – The lowest score for male and lowest score for female will each be declared the Ohio State Panning Championship Individual Winner.  The host chapter each year will be responsible for for having 2 plaques made: 1 for Male winner and 1 for Female winner.
5.)     TIE BREAKER – In the event of a tie on the Ohio Cup, each of the tied chapters will have their top 2 scorers pan again.  We will then average each of the chapters to determine a winner.  This will continue until there is no longer a tie.  In the event of a tie on the Individual Awards, the 2 tying individuals will each have another panning opportunity.  This will happen until we no longer have a tie.
6.)     SCORE KEEPERS – We will have 2 score keepers for the event.  The score keepers are eligible to participate with their respective chapter.  The 2nd score keeper will keep score of the 1st score keeper as they pan, and so on.
7.)     HOST CHAPTER – The Ohio State Prospectors Association (OSPA) will be hosting the 2nd Annual Ohio Panning Championship at their Norris Claim.

1:00PM – Lunch.  If the panning has not concluded, we will break for lunch and resume panning after.  Please be sure to let us know in your registration what you plan to bring for a side for lunch.  Lunchmeat and cheese / buns will be provided.  (Not required to bring anything)

1:45PM – If necessary, resume panning.  If additional time is not needed, winners and awards will be announced and presented, and photos will be taken at this time.
 
We hope to see you at the event!  For more information, visit the Buckeye Chapter of the GPAA on Facebook or at www.buckeyegold.com.  All information will also be posted on the Facebook pages of the Southern Ohio Tri State Chapter as well as the OSPA.