More than 100 senior citizens from four provinces overran the Innisfail Curling Club to battle for court shuffleboard western Canadian supremacy.
The Innisfail-based Alberta Shuffleboard Association has run singles and doubles tournaments before at the Innisfail facility but this is the first time in western Canada that a team competition is taking place. The tourney for seniors between the ages of 56 and 87 took place from August 11 to 15.
“Court shuffleboard is very similar to what you find on cruise ships,” said organizer Brian Scott. “The climate is nicer aboard ship though. Our game is played a little differently than what you might find in the States as Texas players wax the biscuits as opposed to the court, which is what we do. It changes the game.”
Court shuffleboard has been played since the early 1500s by royals such as King Henry VIII and has since been adapted to harsher climates.
“My father played court shuffleboard for 35 years before he passed away, and I think it has been in North America for about 100 years,” added Scott. “It is, by comparison, a young game in America, but old in Europe.”
For the team competition in Innisfail, 12 teams of at least eight players competed in 16 frames, or eight of each colour.
“Our teams have unique names in the tournament,” said Scott. “While our players come from Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, the teams are named after where they spend a lot of their time. As a result, the Tex-Az Bandits have players who spend time in Arizona and Texas and the B.C. Mountaineers spend time in the mountains. There is even a team called the Therapists.”
As the tournament is low key, the players compete for the love of the game with first-place winners in each of the two divisions receiving jackets and their names on the trophy.
“The Alberta Shuffleboard Association has been around for more than 20 years, having played out of Delburne and Brooks previously,” added Scott. “There are associations in Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Alberta. Our next event is a Jackpot/Turkey Shoot from September 9 to 11.”
Anyone interested in joining the shuffleboard association can contact Ken Wardley at 403-652-7552 or go to the Canadian National Association website at theshufflersnews.wordpress.com.
