 Last year, Team Odyssey Nail Systems (ONS) was neck-and-neck with OPI for the Team Cup, but unfortunately they lost the title by mere points. This year, Team ONS—headed by Trang Nguyen and Van Luu—put their noses to the grindstone to ensure a victory. The combined effort and dedication of the entire team—present at every Nailpro competition—made them a shoo-in for this year’s Team champion. When asked if competitions still make him nervous, Nguyen says, “No, I don’t get nervous for competitions anymore. But I am nervous for my team. They are very young and still learning.” Looks like Nguyen had nothing to be nervous about after all! Team members included: Milena Bogasow-Biebl, Jeesook Chang, Lin Yi Chen, Mi Rae Cho, Monika Diekmeier, Max Estrada, Choi Yun Hee, Louise Higgins, Jeehyang Jeong, Seungja Kam, Mari Kinoshita, Yuho Kwon, Kirsty Meakin, Nobuko Miyako, Yuki Marooka, Trang Nguyen, Alisha Sale, Yeo Jeong Shim, Masae Shimizu, Kirsty Smitheman, Sieun Song, Megumi Tamura, Hitomi Tanigaki, Lin Yi Wen, Eunhye Won, Catherine Wong, Patricia Wong, Yi Soon Yoon.
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At this point in her competition career, Lynn Lammers has her setup down to a science. On competition mornings, she arrives at the arena with her game-face on. She has already meditated and rehearsed the steps in her mind. She sets up her station in a precise order, with every tool at her fingertips. Once the competition clock starts, Lammers’ head stays down and she falls into a trance—focused, single-minded and driven. While she has competed countless times, she is careful not to go completely on autopilot; it’s that concentration that has brought Lammers to the top position for the second year in a row. “It was tough this year,” she says. But whether she’s competing in her favorite category—Design Sculptured Nails—or her least favorite, “3-D nail art does not come easy to me,” she’s up for the challenge. And her next challenge is spreading the word about nail competitions. “They’re really so helpful and important in the career of a nail artist,” she says. 
It was a banner year for Trang Nguyen; his team won the Nailpro Team Cup and he walked away with a second-place trophy. After competing for 17 years, the love of a good challenge keeps him going. When it comes to his favorite competitions, “I like any kind of technical nail,” he says. In fact, the more technically difficult, the better, which is why we weren’t surprised that Nguyen took home this prize.
Another familiar face among Nailpro Cup winners is John Hauk. For the second year in a row, Hauk finds himself in the top three, and this is no doubt because competitions are as important to his craft as working in a salon and as an educator for OPI Products. Participating in these venues throughout his career is what keeps Hauk at the top of his game. 
