Colorguard & winterguard

Chops Colorguard was founded by Rob Thomas in the summer of 2001 under the name Hot Chops. That same year, Chops launched its first Winterguard, and competed in the North Star Circuit. The Winterguard included percussion players alongside dance, flag, and weapon performers.

 

After a brief hiatus, Felipé Mendoza brought back the Winterguard to compete as an Independent World Class Winterguard in both the North Star Circuit and WGI, taking first place at the WGI North Star Regional and going on to win the 2006 North Star Championship. The following year, Chops Winterguard returned as an Independent World competitor and earned a silver medal at the North Star Championship. In 2008 they became the first Independent World Class Winterguard to represent the state of Minnesota at the WGI World Championships. Unfortunately, the year after proved to be a lean time for the Chops Drum Corps, and along with field shows, the Winterguard program was also cut.

 

After this second hiatus, Chops Winterguard returned to the floor in 2018 under the leadership of Taralee Cayce, with a twin focus on fun and accessibility. Jared “Cedric” Norberg stepped up as Director in 2020 and has continued to build on these new traditions.

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