My profound apologies to shuffleboarders in Canada and around the world. Knowing little or nothing about the game, I nevertheless believed in the often-touted opinion that it’s singularly played and enjoyed by “white-cap” retirees as a means of killing their ample free time. I was entirely mistaken. Moreover, so are those who continue to think that floor shuffleboard is nothing more than a geriatric pastime. Recent knowledge has taught me that it’s a genuine sport which falls under the umbrella of the International Shuffleboard Association (ISA), whose member countries span the globe from Canada to Germany, U.S., Japan, Austria, Brazil, Norway, U.K., Australia, Russia and the Netherlands. Although so far unsuccessful, efforts have even beenmade to have shuffleboard become an Olympic sport. “A lot of people think all you have to do is shoot a disk down a narrow court and that’s all there is to it,” said Jim Corbeil, president of the Canadian National Shuffleboard Association (CNSA). “They could not be more wrong. It’s not a tough physical game, but you certainly have to use your head and strategize.” For those who have never examined a standard court, it is 39 feet long by six feet wide with scoring areas at either end. As a game comparison, think curling. Instead of curling stones, shufflers use cue-sticks to push team-coloured, weighted disks down the court aimed at having them rest within the marked scoring area. Just like in curling, the objective is to both score and prevent opponents from scoring. “Strategy and execution are part and parcel of the game, yet it can be played by people of all ages and physical capabilities,” said Corbeil. “While fun and social interaction are integral components of the sport, there is a distinct level of competitiveness,” he said. Competing, in fact, is a big deal not just at the local club level but also regionally, inter-provincially and internationally at the annual ISAWorld Championship hosted this year by Vienna, Austria. Next year, competing shuffleboarders will head Down Under, when Australia will be the host country. Speaking from her Ontario home, current ISA president Myrna Bilton is one of the game’s most enthusiastic cheerleaders. “You can learn to play shuffleboard in five minutes, but you can spend a lifetime getting better at it,” she said. Moreover, she is not alone in her love for the sport. Across Canada, for instance, there are hundreds of active CNSA members with clubs in every province except Newfoundland. The game often takes place in off-season facilities such as arenas and curling rinks − thus limiting play in those particular venues fromMay to September. In southern climates, of course, shuffleboard is typically played outdoors where sun and temperate weather are mostly guaranteed year-round. Not surprisingly, as fall turns to winter, many Canadian snowbird shufflers head south to Florida, Arizona, Texas and California, where there is an outstanding abundance of clubs. “People who haven’t played the game don’t know what they’re missing,” said Roy Babcock who left his Huntsville, Ontario home in October for Florida to play several state tournaments over the winter. “Whether playing at home or away, the game has a lot to SHUFFLEBOARD There’s a lot more to the game than its “old folks” stereotype. by Donna Carter Recreation 46 | www.snowbirds.org
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