Marbles tournament wrapping up in Wildwood

The Wildwoods welcomes marble shooters for annual four-day tournament
Monday, June 22 through Thursday, June 25

The Wildwoods, NJ – June 15, 2009 – Mibsters from across the country will meet in the Wildwoods from Monday, June 22 through Thursday, June 25, to compete in the 86th Annual National Marbles Tournament.

Players selected from local tournaments held in cities throughout the United States will unite in the Wildwoods for a week of serious marble competition, along with fun on the famous Wildwoods Boardwalk. The mibsters, boy and girl marble players ages 8-14, will compete for national honors, college scholarships and many other prizes and awards during the tournament. Over 1,200 games will be played throughout the four day tournament in the Wildwoods, with the top eight shooters advancing to the semi-final competition. The top two players will compete in a best of 15-game series for the championship.

The victorious male and female will each receive a $2,000 scholarship for higher education, a plaque and many other prizes. The two will literally be crowned the victors of the tournament, and as part of tradition, the male winner will give a congratulatory kiss to the winning female – a tradition the winners may not like too much, but a tradition nonetheless. In addition to the two tournament winners, a male and female competitor will be awarded the title “Best Sport” along with a $500 scholarship. “Best Sport” will be chosen by the referees, who will keep an eye out for humbleness and sportsmanship throughout the tournament.

“Marbles is a game that has been played for centuries, and this great tournament continues a tradition of competition, sportsmanship and good clean fun,” says National Marbles Tournament director, Rick Mawhinney.

In addition to the crowning of this year’s marble champions and the awarding of “Best Sport,” last year’s champions, John Laffakis and Amber Ricci of Pittsburgh, PA, will be inducted into the Marbles Hall of Fame during a special ceremony.

The marble game played in the tournament is called Ringer. It is played by placing 13 marbles in the form of an “X” in a 10-foot circle with players alternating shots. The winner is the player who is first to shoot seven marbles out of the ring. An extended list of rules and regulations for Ringer can be viewed by visiting www.nationalmarblestournament.org.

Sponsors for the 86th Annual National Marbles Tournament are: Marble King Inc., the city of Wildwood and the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority (GWTIDA). Other local businesses, including Morey’s Piers and Douglass Fudge, have been kind enough to support the tournament and its young competitors as well.

The 86th Annual National Marbles Tournament will be held Monday, June 22 to Thursday, June 25 at Ringer Stadium, Wildwood Avenue and the Beach in Wildwood from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. The event is FREE for spectators. For additional information on the 86th Annual National Marbles Tournament, visit www.nationalmarblestournament.org or call 304-337-2764.