After a successful first tournament in Chatham, organizers of a weekend crokinole event hope to continue to grow the game throughout the area.
Turns & Tales: Chatham Board Game Café and Bookstore hosted the National Crokinole Association-sanctioned tournament on Saturday, with 50 people taking part, including 21 playing competitively.
Called the February Frosty Flick, the event offered cash prizes to top finishers, who collected points for their respective rankings.
However, it also allowed a chance for players to compete for fun, or even to simply learn more.
“We’re really pleased with the turnout,” Terry Johnson, owner of the downtown business, said. “We’re pleased to bring something like this to Chatham-Kent.”
Most of the players came from Southwestern Ontario, with all ages taking part.
Given the enthusiastic response, Johnson hopes to hold another tournament in the future, as well as look into possibly starting a local crokinole club.
“It’s a simple game to learn, but a difficult game to master,” he said.
Turns & Tales held a crokinole contest during Crowfest last October, which led the business to explore the idea further.
Association spokesperson Nathan Walsh, who is also a top crokinole player, credited Johnson and his business for the work they put into the event.
He added that many tournaments take place in such venues as community centers or fire halls.
“It’s kind of rare for it to be affiliated with a business,” he said. “(And) we can sort of branch out into new areas.
“Overall, it’s really exciting to be here.”
Walsh, of Kitchener, said crokinole has gone through many revivals over the years, including during the pandemic.
He called it a great way to pass the time.
“It’s a game they can play at home. You can play with family too,” he said. “People were spending a huge amount of time with family. It definitely felt like crokinole got more and more popular.”
Ray Beierling, who is from Dorchester, near London, takes part in eight to 10 tournaments each year, of which he’s won a few.
Playing for 40 years, he said he was first introduced to the game as a child by his babysitter. After that, he was hooked.
“(I’ve played) pretty much my whole life,” he said. “(It’s) the camaraderie and social aspect of it.”