I am coming to Amsterdam By myself for a week, and am looking for some cool people to hang out with, am a chilled out former marine who needs a break from the combat world. Normal type of guy other than that.
I am sorry I am not going this year. But if you are going around the time of the cup you will meet a lot of nice, cool people.
The High Times cup sucks as a way to judge reefer or any such legitimacy (After all it is run by High Times) but it is a great time to meet people and sneak into the Melkweg (through the cafe side). People will generally let you use their passes to buy ganja at a discount and usually a day pass is enough should you want to see the expo.
Get someone who has a nicer lanyard to let you use their "official" one and tuck it in so the lanyard shows but the pass is hidden.
Don't say because Im female that I get away with it because I have gone every year since 2000 and only paid in 2000! I have been to every awards show (Thanksgiving night), and we used to go with 2 of my x's fellow producers, 3 guys and 1 gal!
So, it is possible to attend the cup and have a great time without supporting High Times.
For 4 of those years we stayed at a local artists house in Amsterdam.(RIP H.O) It was free but we always bought him dinner, paid for a cleaning woman after we left and left him tons of hash and grass we had left over! The best way to visit the cup is as a local! .
Peace