One hundred and fifty of the world’s greatest shuffleboard players will take to the courts of the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club this week.
The last time St. Petersburg hosted the International Shuffleboard Association Championship was in 1983, when the United States, Canada and Japan were the only competing countries. This year, representatives from 15 countries will play.
Established in 1924, the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, at 59 Mirror Lake Drive N., is the oldest, longest-running and largest shuffleboard court in the world, with 46 courts
In honor of the tournament, the city of St. Petersburg has declared Oct. 21 to 25 International Shuffleboard Week.
The tournament is free for spectators throughout the week and will be followed by a free after party on Friday, Oct. 25 at 7 p.m, featuring live music from two local bands and art by a slew of a local talent.
To prepare for the event, the club repainted its courts and the city chipped in to do some maintenance. Christine Page, the club’s president, said the courts are in better shape than they have been in years. She hopes hosting the championship will bring more local and district tournaments to the club.
According to Page, all the modern rules of the game were established at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club in the 1920s. The club met its heyday in the 1940s and ‘50s, when peak membership reached about 8,000 members. Numbers aren’t nearly as high today, but participation is substantial.
Every Friday night, weather permitting, the club invites the public to shuffle, socialize and enjoy live music at St. Pete Shuffle, a free, all ages event.
“It’s really the most well-rounded thing, in terms of age and community involvement, to do on a Friday,” she said.
“We have been working very hard to make it a game for all ages,” Page said, explaining how the club attracts everyone from seniors and families with children to young professionals and college students.
Use of the courts and entry to events, with the exception of Friday nights and this week’s tournament, require a membership, which can be purchased at stpeteshuffle.com for $20 a year. The rate will go up to $30 after the first of the year.
Anyone purchasing a one-year membership will receive a free sticker, and anyone purchasing a two-year membership will get a T-shirt.
A schedule of tournament events can be found on stpeteshuffle.com.
