MILLINGTON — On April 25, 26, and 27, several thousand people competed in the 53rd Ward World Championship Wildfowl Carving Competition and Art Festival at the Roland E. Powell Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.
To those who are heavily invested in wildfowl decoys, it’s like the Super Bowl of wood carving.
In the 50 years it’s been held in Ocean City, there hasn’t been a native-born Marylander who ever took first place.
Until this year.
Mali Vujanic, a native of Kent County, captured first place beating out 19-time World Champion Pat Godin and successful author and five-time champion, Tom Matus.
Godin came in second this year; Matus took third.
At age 56, Vujanic, born in Massey, Maryland, won a championship ring, $3000 cash prize and a plaque declaring him “Best in World,” the Rich Smoker Heritage Award for Single Gunner.
Impressive as it is to take down former reigning champions, he also beat out 33 entries from four different countries in that category: Single Gunner.
The award winning painted decoy of a ringtail duck took him about 12 hours to carve.
There was no jealousy among the competitors either. When Vujanic was announced the winner, he was congratulated by his friends and peers to uproarious applause.
Not only is winning good for his business, Mill Creek Decoys, he also said it’s great for the Eastern Shore.
“There was only one other guy from Maryland who ever won, and he was not native-born,” Vujanic said.
For Vujanic, growing up on the Chester River, he sees his victory as coming full circle, dating back to Maryland’s early wood carving roots.
He pointed out the late Stephen and Lemuel Ward, the Ward Foundation’s originators, who were considered the godfathers of carving, were also native Marylanders, out of Crisfield.
He sees his winning as carrying on the Maryland tradition.
And he did indeed represent Maryland well. As all entries this year, he submitted a carving of a ringneck duck into the competition that was judged in three categories: form, function and ability to resemble the species.”
The decoys were tested in Assawoman Bay behind the convention center and one of the judges was an ornithologist who scrutinized the decoy’s appearance, how close it resembled the species.
Vujanic had many to thank for this achievement.
His ninth grade art teacher in Kent County High School Ben Dize was instrumental in his progress, a mentor from 1981 to present day. Dize, ironically also a native of Crisfield, helped his eager students by opening up the vocational wing of the shop, Thursday evenings.
Vujanic also practiced on his own, even avoiding partying with his friends to work on his craft, he quipped. As talent happens from dedication and practice, he began to get more efficient. Then after he graduated in 1985, clients began to take notice of his work.
He continued his passion of wood carving throughout his marriage and his career in land management. He kept his passion going, returning to that time when he first became enamored with the craft, in his middle school years.
He desired to get away from his work environment, and so three or four years ago he went into carving full time.
“That was a great decision,” he said.
Since doing it full-time he’s sold carvings to Mike Trout, the All-Star Centerfielder for the Los Angeles Angels, and also a former U.S. president in Texas, to name just a few. He said because of this craft, he has connections with people all around the world.
And as successful as he is, he’s also accessible.
He teaches carving/painting classes at his workshop in Massey for beginners and advanced learners. He’s also a published children’s book author who’s finishing up his latest, a series of how-to-books that will be available in the next year or two.
And with all this going, he fully plans to compete again next year, under the same category. Next years goal under World Single Gunner’s is Blue Goose.
Vujanic stopped to reflect about his business and where he wants it to go and how to expand it.
Right now he works in the exact same spot he first started carving in middle school, in his mother’s house two doors down from the home he shares with his wife, Brenda, his son Victor, graduating Kent County High School next week and his daughter, Sarah.
His mother was extremely pleased when she found out he won first place... but was not surprised.
“She always said I was a World Champion,” he said with a smile.
Check out Vujanic at Mill Creek Studios for more of his work or to drop him a line, visit facebook.com/MillCreekDecoys/.
Most Popular
Comments / 0