TALES FROM THE TOURNIES IN THE SUNSHINE STATE
D LUNDIE - SCOTTISH AMBASSADOR
I love your accent. Are you from Ireland (usually), Australia or, once, Switzerland?
I have played quite a few tournaments here now and they are great fun, as always. The language of TT, like love, is universal. It is very good for meeting people. I have enjoyed more than a dozen events and these are some of my observations.
The rating system is big here. Almost always the first thing you are asked is “What is your rating?" Tournaments are very inclusive with groups for all abilities. Local tournaments can have 100 entered, especially at the beginning of the year, before reality defeats keenness (usually 3 straight, hee hee).
The U S Open has about 800 players with events for everyone. You can be the TT equivalent of a 36 handicap golfer and off you pop for a 5 hour flight to Vegas, telling your neighbour you’re playing the US Open. Someday I might be that guy.
A significant difference is that you umpire your own games. I am not a fan of this but you go with the flow. Surprisingly it works out fine 99% of the time. There are not really any more issues than we would have, even with an umpire. The standard of serving is actually good. I can get away with serving over the table and hiding it behind my free arm with very few problems because people don’t want an international incident with a major ally. You are allowed to ask for an umpire but this happens rarely. I have only seen it a couple of times. It usually sets tongues wagging because there are also no scoreboards so you don’t really know what’s going on. And I’m not one to gossip....
Something else they generally have here is that your entry includes free pizza and soft drink. Play stops at 1 pm and it is a chance to sit and socialise. After a few tournaments though, you find that 3 large slices of mushroom pepperoni and a soda are not that conducive to a fast start in the afternoon. Sandra comes along too and people think she is my coach. They think she is giving complex tactical analysis when she asks if I want water and tells me “You better win.“
I have played in interesting qualifiers for the State Senior Games. One was at place called The Villages, somewhere worth an article on its own. There are about 120,000 people living there, over 55s. Younger people might snigger at it but there are a huge amount of things to do, including TT. Mrs L and moi made the one hour journey north one midweek day. The entry said 8 am start. No way said Mr Knows Everything About TT Derek. This must be a mistake. We tried to phone and check, couldn’t get an answer. We turned up at 9 after eventually finding the place. The hall was a blast. The lighting came from chandeliers and it was described later as the Downton Abbey Open. There were about 40 male competitors. In another hall were 25 ladies. I went to check in... “You’re scratched, started at 8 o’clock.“ Mr Usually Very Calm was not happy. The rattle was about to be flung out of the pram. Thankfully they have a thing called double elimination so I could still play but that was a first.
My latest event was the Polk County Senior Games. Opened the door at 9 o’clock and there were about 70 pensioners playing tt, nearly half ladies. I don’t know if more older people play because of the idea it is good for your brain. I played a guy who told me he had won the fishing and horseshoe tossing events, perhaps an idea for the Olympics.
I miss the Scottish TT scene but the sunshine is compensation. Must dash, I’m in a gator wrestling competition this afternoon.
Have you ever wondered if anyone gets their picture taken with that cardboard cutout at Glasgow Airport?