BRIAN COOK REPEATS AS WORLD CROKINOLE CHAMP

  Brian Cook has done it again. The Toronto Public Health researcher won the 2008 World Crokinole Championship (WCC) in Tavistock, Ontario on Saturday, June 7th by topping a field of 136 crokinole enthusiasts.

Brian Cook , 2008 WCC Winner		Back row: Ray Beierling (4th), Robert Mader Jr. (3rd) Front row: Brian Cook (1st), Ab Leitch (2nd)

  On a day that celebrated the 10th anniversary of the tournament, Brian defeated 2005 Recreational division champion Ab Leitch of Goderich in the final to take home the trophy and $1,000 cash. Robert Mader Jr. of Kitchener defeated Ray Beierling of Varna for 3rd place.

  Brian said he was having trouble sinking 20s at the end of the tournament, but his strategy and personal focus on each game gave him the advantage. Brian is now poised to tie the three-time win record of nemesis Joe Fulop (2001, 2002, 2004).

  Unwilling to blame his health problems, Joe said he just didn't have it Saturday. "These are the last days of glory," he relented. Joe finished 31st in this year's tournament. However, the bright spot in the day for Joe was when he was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the WCC Committee. This not only recognizes Joe's three championship titles, but his overall contribution to the game. He has organized his own tournament in Exeter and just published a book on the intricacies and strategies of the game. The book entitled "It's only crokinole, but I like it," is available by contacting Joe at 519-235-1022 or e-mail: jfulop@cabletv.on.ca

Joe Fulop and Barry Raymer

  Many new players made their way into the top sixteen finalists this year. In the preliminary round, former champions Bruce Hartung (2005) placed 2nd, Jason Beierling (2006) placed 15th, and Ray Kappes (2003) was 47th. Former junior and intermediate champion Cecchi MacNaughton placed 64th in the adult group. Locally, Scott Houle, a former Tavistock Public School champ placed 45th and perennial competitor Bruce Halliday was 77th.

  The fist time in 10 years, there was a tie for the 20s champion. Ray Beierling of Staffa and Merv Wice of Innisfil both sunk ninety-seven 20s during the preliminary round robin competition.

  Tournament chairman Barry Raymer was overwhelmed with the positive response from this year's tournament. "We've reached the maximum number of tables," he said. "We have to cap it somewhere."  "It was great," he said "It took 10 years to get it full, but everything ran smoothly."

  The Tavistock and District Recreation Centre was near capacity with a registration of 548 people playing throughout the day. Seventy tables were set up in the morning session for doubles players in both the cues and fingers categories. The arena was alive with the "clacking" sound of wooden buttons bouncing off the board rims as players greeted each other in friendly competition.

  "The help we had was excellent," Mr. Raymer continued. "But how do we get some more good volunteers?" he asked.
  "There has to be more interest from the community!"

  The day was highlighted with the display of the earliest known crokinole board, the Eckhardt Wettlaufer board, made in Sebastopol in 1876 as a fifth birthday present for his son, Adam. The board was generously loaned for the day by the Joseph Schneider Haus in Kitchener where it resides.

  The original committee that started the World Championship in 1999 was also introduced. Mr. Crokinole, Wayne Kelly of Stratford and Dr. Bruce Halliday of Tavistock proposed the idea and East Zorra-Tavistock council, volunteers and service club representatives met to form the committee. Honoured with recognition and a 10th anniversary key chain were councillors and first tournament chair Doris Gladding, Betty Yeoman and Bob Rudy, secretary-treasurer Mary Nicklas, Wayne Kelly, Ken Wettlaufer, TPS principal Barry Tate, Mary Alice Roth, Myron Gascho, Carl Nicklas, Bruce Halliday (Rotary Club), Dayle Reibling (Optimist Club), Linda Ruby (Opti-Mrs Club), Bill Gladding, and the late Laverne Reibling. Mrs. Dorothy Reibling attended on her husband¹s behalf.

Original WCC Committee

  Commenting on the longevity of the championship in Tavistock, Wayne Kelly said "nothing else has had the enduring quality" of the Tavistock event. However, other provinces and states in the U.S. are showing great interest in the game. Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island are all holding championships of their own while in Ontario, along with the many clubs from Exeter to St. Jacobs and Elmira, Gravenhurst also holds a competition in conjunction with their heritage days.

  "In California there is a huge interest," Mr. Kelly said. In San Diego and Bakersfield there are many expatriot Canadians who have introduced the game to their American friends. Pennsylvania lays claim to the first crokinole board manufacturing company, M.B. Ross, in 1883.

  A German company has been manufacturing boards since 2001 when the principles came to the tournament here. Finland also has a great following. "Worldwide, I haven't seen it better," Mr. Kelly stated. "This game has enormous potential," he added.

  Arena Manager Ken Wettlaufer shared emcee duties with Mayor Don McKay at this year's event. Mayor McKay introduced players who had come a distance to play including one from Scotland and one from Australia. Seven states were represented including Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, California, Colorado, New York, and Ohio. As well, six provinces represented were British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Quebec and Ontario. More than a dozen players lay claim to having played in all ten tournaments while about 100 were competing for the first time.

  Of course, the game is suitable for all ages with the youngest participants being Tyson Kuepfer, 6, of Brunner and Ainsley Hogg, 7, Toronto. The oldest players were Harvey Benneweiss, 87, and Margaret Coward, 81, both of Kitchener. Four generations of players noted during the afternoon was the Grasby family including Eileen Graham of Stratford, son Bob Grasby of Stratford, grandson Jeff Grasby of Holland Landing, and great grandson Trevor Grasby.

  Stopping by from Edmonton, Alberta were John and Eleanor Gascho. John was originally from the the Milverton area, and was visiting family here. He heard about the competition on an Alberta radio station while trucking.

  Also visiting the championship for the first time was world traveller and writer David Kravetz. From Lexington, Kentucky, he has been working in Woodstock  since February 2008 as a Japanese interpreter at the Toyota plant that is being built there. He is making the World Crokinole Championship one of his journals and photographic essays for Southern Ontario and the surrounding region. You can view his website at www.sumoflam.biz

  The morning began with doubles play as 70 tables were buzzing with activity. There were 113 teams entered in the fingers doubles while 26 teams competed in the cue doubles. Brothers Ray and Jason Beierling captured the title once again with second place to Bill Freeman and Dan Shantz, Petersburg. Third place was the team of Ray Kappes and Kevin Bechtel, Waterloo and fourth place to Ray Haymes and Ron Haymes, Wainfleet. The cue doubles competition was also won by brothers, Shawn Neal of Guelph and Mike Neal of Arthur. Second place went to Wayne Schultz of Tavistock and Floyd Kipfer of Milverton. The duo of Merv and Marjorie Roth, New Hamburg was third while in fourth place were Carl Litt and Paul Sorley, both of Kitchener.

  In tournament play during the afternoon, two pools of adult singles competed along with junior, intermediate, cue and recreational divisions. Nathan Walsh of St. Pauls earned the recreational title over second place Richard Lindekamp of Simcoe. Paul Brubacher was third and Simon Jongsma, Sudbury was fourth. For intermediates, Joel Hartung of Palmerston won the title followed by Travis Kuepfer of Brunner. Joel is the son of 2005 champion Bruce Hartung. Kristine Lindekamp of Simcoe was third and Bobby Pettigrew of Vienna, fourth. The Junior division was won for the second year in a row by 7-year-old Kohl Hedley of Beachburg. Second place went to Tyson Kuepfer of Brunner, third place to Trevor Grasby of Holland Landing, and fourth place to Maxwell Hosken of Toronto. The cue singles competition was won by Tavistock player Wayne Schultz with a win over Carl Litt of Kitchener. Third place went to Dave Brubacher, Listowel and fourth to Lorraine Proud, Kitchener.

  The supper hour was enjoyed by many in the adjoining curling rink as about 250 people were fed a barbecued chicken dinner courtesy of the Tavistock Firefighters.

  Soaring temperatures during the day brought a large number of visitors to the village for the coordinating Saturday garage sales.

"This game has enormous potential!" - Wayne Kelly, Mr. Crokinole


Story by Bill Gladding, Tavistock Gazette