by Bill Gladding, Tavistock Gazette - June 2, 2018
Never count out a champion. The 20th Annual World Crokinole Championship competitive final saw two former, multiple winners go head-to-head to decide the title.
Justin Slater came back from a 4-0 deficit to defeat two-time champion Jon Conrad (2012-2013) and win this year's championship and his fourth World Crokinole title (2010-2015-2016-2018). This matches Brian Cook who also has four titles (2007-2008-2009-2014).
"I had the confidence," Justin said after winning the championship round and taking home the $1,000 first prize. Throughout the top 16 round robin playoff, "others seemed nervous," he added. Then, down two games to none against Jon Conrad, Justin was able to muster up a win on a shot across the centre onto the back side of the board. "It was a tough shot," he said. "I took a minute to gather my thoughts, but afterwards, I felt really calm." The final round saw Jon start with the hammer, but missed his first 20. Justin replied with 8 consecutive 20's and won even though Jon managed 7 straight 20's of his own.
Saturday night's final was a repeat of the championship round six years ago when Jon Conrad won his first championship by defeating Justin in the last round.
Justin is currently working as a bio-statistician at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences in London.
The Beierling brothers placed third and fourth in this year's competitive final. Ray was third and Jason was fourth out of the 16 finalists who played a round robin playoff to come up with the top four.
This year was the 20th anniversary of the competition with the highest number of entrants in the history of the event. Registration showed 591 players in this year's competition as opposed to 278 the first year, 1999, when Derek Kidnie of Kitchener was named the first winner. This year also marked the most number of tables in play at one time, 120. The most boards previously was 100 and the committee had to work hard during the final week before the competition to access tables, boards and buttons.
Players coming the farthest away in Canada were first time entrants Wayne and Betty Hann from Corner Brook, Newfoundland. Another dozen entries came from Prince Edward Island, headed by David Younker, who also brought along two binders of memorabilia to share with the committee.
There were also 27 entrants from 9 different states in the U.S. Players represented Connecticut, Virginia, New York, Ohio, Massachusetts, Colorado, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Last year's winner, Robert Bonnett of Wingham, was the first to register for this year's competition, however, although he finished 14th overall in the qualifying round out of 82 players, he was unable to make it into the top four.
Stay tuned. More results to come.
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2018 Photo Gallery - Coming Soon!
CROKINOLE ON THE ROCK
by Bill Gladding, Tavistock Gazette - June 2, 2018
Wayne and Betty Hann of Corner Brook, Newfoundland came to play in their first World Crokinole tournament this past Saturday, June 2, 2018.
“Crokinole? What’s That,” was emblazoned on their matching red t-shirts, a testament to their dedication in promoting the game in their home province.
Wayne was born and raised in Corner Brook and spent his career in finance with the Canadian Air Force. While stationed in Winnipeg, he met and married Betty, now a retired school teacher. She grew up in Manitoba where she said, “Our family always played crokinole at Christmastime.”
They moved back to Wayne’s hometown of Corner Brook about 35 years ago and Betty brought her love for the board game with her. She was still teaching school when Newfoundlander Brad Gushue and his Canadian curling team won gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Betty remembers Brad piquing interest for curling and she thought crokinole had similar goals, but could be easily learned and played by the 250 students in the school. She contacted Mr. Crokinole, the late Wayne Kelly of Stratford, and ordered six boards to use in her classrooms. Many people had never heard of the game, but were instantly hooked.
Since retiring, Betty and Wayne say they “play every night after supper.” The thought then occurred to them that it would be great to see what it’s like to play against other enthusiasts. They searched the internet for crokinole tournaments and found the World Crokinole Championship in Tavistock.
“We just had to come,” Betty said.
The couple flew in to London Friday night, stayed in Stratford, and returned home Sunday.
While here they said they ate at Quehl’s Restaurant twice. “It’s great food,” Wayne said. It was a strange coincidence when Wayne talked to a former employee about coming to Tavistock. The former Ontarian said “there’s nothing there to see, but you have to eat at Quehl’s.”
Wayne and Betty are extremely glad they came. “Everybody’s so friendly,” Wayne said. The couple played in both the doubles and singles categories during the day. They finished 64th and 65th in the competitive singles category and 38th in competitive doubles.
“We had a lot of fun,” Betty stated, “but there’s stiff competition.”
Story to follow.
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BEV VAILLANCOURT WINS 6TH KARIN JESKE AWARD
by Bill Gladding, Tavistock Gazette - June 2, 2018
Bev Vaillancourt with her five previous trophies before her 6th win.
Hans Reinhold of Germany has sponsored the memorial award for the late Karin Jeske for the top female player in the World Crokinole Championship each year since 2012.
This year he asked Beverly Vaillancourt of Penetanguishene if he should just send the cheque directly to her. Bev won her sixth straight Karin Jeske memorial award in the competitive singles division this year edging out challengers Christina Campbell and Bev’s daughter-in-law Jennifer Carstairs. In total there were 11 ladies registered in the competitive singles category to be eligible for the award.
Beverly placed 18th out of 83 competitors, earning 51 points and recording 44 twenties, just missing a spot in the top 16 round robin semi-finals. Christina placed 36th with 44/71 and Jennifer was 38th with 44/47. Bev’s husband Roger was 20th and their son, Kyle, was 61st. Close friend Brian Simpson placed 6th overall.
2012 was the first year for the Karin Jeske award and Bev was unable to attend that year. She was serving as a provincial coach for the Special Olympics Bowling Team that won the title that year in Kingston. Her daughter, Kristin Vaillancourt, and Bev's husband Roger attended that year and Kristin won that first award.
The Vaillancourts found out about the tournament through a friend in Ottawa who had attended a cottage show where Mr. Crokinole (Wayne Kelly) had a booth.
Since then, they have attended annually and Bev has been the top female player each year. She has amassed all the first place trophies for her mantel. They even missed a family wedding one year just to be at the tournament.
Bev admits her husband, Roger, is a diehard crokinole fan, and the first year she came to Tavistock, “I just came for the ride,” she said. She believed there was no way she could compete with the calibre of players, but later managed to earn a second place finish in the recreational division. “I was surprised with that,” she added. She is also encouraged to see a lot more women involved in the tournament.
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SHELBURNE SHENANIGANS
by Bill Gladding, Tavistock Gazette - June 2, 2018
From the left: Kathi Fisher, Dave McCormick, Damir Kamenski and Darren Carr.
Crokinole is one thing, but a Croki-Spiel?
Four members of the Shelburne Curling Club attended this year’s World Crokinole Championship for the first time and went home with some great prizes.
Darren Carr and Damir Kamenski, along with Dave McCormick and Kathi Fisher, wore their matching, bright green “Shelburne Shenanigans” t-shirts to the tournament. The group entered into the Recreational Doubles and Singles divisions and were not disappointed.
The foursome got excited about crokinole two years ago when they started bringing their boards to the Shelburne Curling Club to play during their social time afterwards. “It was a great way to end the week,” Dave continued, “six ends of curling and then six hours of crokinole.”
Last year two of them entered into a local crokinole tournament and won, bringing bragging rights back to the curling club. With crokinole becoming a big hit, the group decided to host their inaugural Croki-Spiel on March 30th. Sixteen teams of two participated in the event. After a seven-game crokinole round robin and two games of two-on-two curling, points were tallied. The top four teams moved into the playoffs and Kathi and Damir were crowned champions.
That’s when they decided to bring their skills to the World Crokinole Championship in Tavistock. And they had a great finish. Darren Carr took home $300 cash and the Recreational Singles trophy while Damir Kamenski won the official WCC crokinole board in the prize draw.
“We were here for the fun and we had a blast,” Dave said.
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20's CHAMPIONS
by Bill Gladding, Tavistock Gazette - June 5, 2018
Achieving 20’s is an important part of the game of crokinole and to award those who earn the highest numbers in the round robin play they receive a trophy. The Junior and Intermediate trophies are generously sponsored by the LaVerne Reibling family as memorial awards. The Reiblings were part of the tournament’s founding group.
The Junior winner this year was Jahjireh Jongsma of Hamilton and the Intermediate winner, his brother Abijah Jongsma.
Ray Beierling of Dorchester scored 99 20’s in the competitive singles category to take home the trophy and also placed third in the finals. Brayden Kelner of Woodstock won the Recreational division 20’s trophy.
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