Club continues LW’s long history of shuffleboard
By David LaCascia
LW contributor
Shuffleboard—more precisely, deck or floor shuffleboard— is a game in which players use cues to push weighted discs, sending them gliding down a narrow court, with the purpose of having them come to rest within a marked scoring area.
There are no complicated rules, and it’s fairly easy to command the game with some practice. It requires more strategy and tactics than physical effort, so having lesser natural ability does not create a hindrance. There’s also a reduced amount of equipment; one can play it as singles or doubles. The person or team who, after the completion of 8 or 10 rounds, scores more points wins.
The courts at Clubhouse 1 are made of highly polished concrete. They are waxed periodically by our maintenance department. Before play, each court is sprinkled with silicone wax beads that act like ball bearings. The combination makes it so it doesn’t require any great effort to get the pucks down the lanes—and they can travel lightning-quick.
The 1950s proved to be the heyday of shuffleboard. More than 100 companies were manufacturing shuffleboard equipment, and many of those companies sponsored tournaments for either tabletop or court shuffleboard. One such tournament attracted 576 teams from all parts of the country. In July 1983, one was called “Ain’t Never Won a Trophy Tournament.”
But the game began to decline in popularity during the 1960s, partly the result of disputes between shuffleboard leagues as well as the age of the players. Shuffleboard had never developed a strong youth program, and other forms of entertainment came onto the scene, particularly television and, later, video and computer games.
Here at Leisure World, though, the tradition continues. One league’s team names changed annually to fit a theme: 1983 & 1999: trees—Oaks, Aspens, Pine, Elm, Palm, Bravos, Redwoods 1985: ball clubs—Raiders, Dodgers, Chargers, Rams, Padres 1986: colors—Blues, Greens, Whites, Reds, Golds, Grays 1987-’88: constitutional— Liberty, United, Starts, Stripes, States, Justice 1998: birds—Hawks, Buzzards, Falcons, Condors, Pelicans, Gulls 2000: gems—Diamonds, Topaz, Garnets, Opals, Rubies, Pearls 2002: cars—Nash, Reos, Cords, Olds, Chevy, Auburns An outdoor shuffleboard area behind Clubhouse 1 was replaced by an enclosed court in 1995. The first games there were played on March 9 of that year. Fun fact: Apparently, the club had enough clout in February 1998 to get the LW mowing schedules adjusted to cut back on disturbances during games.
Current president Carrie Kistner has led the Shuffleboard Club with the help of capable board members Mary Milhone, Jerry McNulty, Sally Fowler, Ellie West and Dave LaCascia. Each one hopes for a speedy end to this pandemic so everyone can get back to playing shuffleboard and reunite with old friends. Once shuffleboard is resumed, elections will be held to select new board members, as COVID19 delayed the annual event.
The outdoor shuffleboard area (l) behind Clubhouse 1 in the mid-'60s. Note the fashion! This area eventually became the enclosed court that stands today.
