Giggles and gasps were heard throughout the Hilton Community Hall Saturday night during the Second Annual Crokinole Tournament hosted by the family of Gord and Gloria Hawdon.
A total of 78 people attended the evening event which saw novice players and skilled players ranging in age from teenagers to retirees battle it out for a year’s worth of bragging rights.
Participants hailing from Sault Ste. Marie to Bruce Mines including St. Joseph Island and as far away as Bradford, Ontario came together for an evening of fun.
Some had never heard of the game or how it was played while others had played for years, perhaps around the kitchen table or as students of Central Algoma Secondary School in the intramural events.
On the web, the earliest known crokinole board was made in 1876 in Perth, Ont.
In an interview following the tournament, Hawdon said he first got the idea after talking with fellow Islander and avid crokinole player, Dick Kent, who pushed him to host a tournament.
“He (Kent) loves to play and said we should get a tournament going because its a long winter,” Hawdon said. “He said, 'I go shack wacky’, so it was time to get some boards and see if it was a hit.”
That was in 2015.
The first tournament took place at the Richards Landing Town Hall attracting 52 people at 13 tables.
The Hawdon’s did not participate.
The response was so positive that it has become an annual event, an ice breaker, Hawdon said, and way of getting the winter in.
The tournament location was moved this year to Hilton Beach.
The move was due in part to the size of the hall and the opportunity to increase the number of tables in use should interest in the tournament continue to grow.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Steve Hawdon added.
Each table contains four players, representing two teams. Each team is designated a letter, A or B. Each four-some play as many times in eight minutes to constitute a round of play.
The pair that wins the most times in the time allotted wins the round then advances to the next table and a new pair of opponents.
Points were given for a win and a tie. The most 20 pointers, the highest single point a player can achieve are also recorded.
Upcycled trophies were presented to the first, second and third place players, as well the team scoring the most 20’s.
This year’s winners - first place: Randy and Brenda Barbarie; second place; Kurt Barbarie and Kyle Gilbertson; and, third went to Tom and Kirsten Young.
The most 20’s went to the Barbarie and Gilbertson team with 37.
As a family, the Hawdon’s gather around a small crokinole table and play often.
“So, my son Steve and I decided to build a big board, a four-foot square board,” he said adding that board is now used as the, play-off board. “As time passed, we didn’t play as often as we should.”
Transporting a large board was inconvenient.
Since 2001, Hawdon estimated that he has made more than 40, three-foot hand crafted boards.
While most boards, some personalized, remained on the Island, four boards including one four-footer went to United States.
The date for the 2017 tournament is yet to be determined but Hawdon said it will be early in the New Year.