Hammer time: Shuffleboard world championship draws attention to RGV

The 2024 Women’s World Shuffleboard Champions, pictured from left, are Deb Baal, Megan Grabski, Sarah Horan, Dotty Koert, Chrystal Zorich, Melody Blumenkemper, Marion MacDonald, and Linda Armstrong. (Courtesy of Laurie Stoneham | International Shuffleboard Association)

The 2024-25 Winter Texan season got off to a global start as Encore Fun-N-Sun Resort of San Benito served as host venue for the 41st Annual International Shuffleboard Association World Shuffleboard Championship Tournament. Deb Baal of Dubuque, Iowa and Mark Malatt of Bloomington, Illinois won the world titles in their respective divisions, but arguably the biggest winner might have been the Rio Grande Valley, and its ability to host an international competition.

“We have 84 players from five countries,” said tournament co-chair Ann Engell. “We have the United States, Canada, Brazil, Germany, and Netherlands, but as much as they come here to compete, everyone really enjoys the parties and activities we have during the week, because we’re happy to see each other again.”

“These tournaments are a great promotion for the host city and the surrounding area,” said ISA President Myrna Bilton of Belwood, Ontario. “Shufflers are naturally inquisitive people. They want to shop around. They want to eat at different venues. They want to take souvenirs home. Ann and her husband, Evan, have worked really hard to keep our players entertained all week.”

It was the first time in Texas for the five German shufflers who competed in the tournament, including Dieter Hussmann of Dusseldorf, who said the group turned it into a whirlwind tour of Texas.

“We flew into Houston, and then drove to San Antonio for the Dia de Los Muertos parade on the Riverwalk,” Hussmann said. “Down here we’re going on a dinner cruise in South Padre Island, then later we’re going to Corpus Christi. We’re having a pool party and we’ll have some fun in the evening dancing, so there’s something for everyone.”

Marius Runge, 32, and 26-year-old Luisa Schwark of Germany represent the new generation of shufflers keeping the sport alive. They were also pleased with their first visit to South Texas.

“We could see ourselves retiring down here,” Luisa said.

“Are you married?” we asked.

“No,” she responded coyly, “but maybe sometime soon.”

The 2024 ISA Men’s World Shuffleboard Champions, pictured from left, are Mark Malatt, Evan Engell, Marco Auchtung, Joe Blumenkemper, Bernar Borges, Paul Assad, Garth Bakke and George Brown. (Courtesy of Laurie Stoneham | International Shuffleboard Association)

Paolo Pavao of Rio de Janeiro was among the seven-member Brazilian delegation, and for him this tournament was a family affair.

“I am playing, and my son and daughter also came with me to compete,” Pavao said. “There is good support in Brazil for shuffleboard, but many people don’t have the resources to travel and compete in other countries. It’s expensive to travel, so we are fortunate.”

Being chosen as host venue of the ISA World Championship Shuffleboard Tournament involves putting together a successful bid application that examines everything from court specifications, to hotel accommodations, to area attractions. For Engell and Fun-N-Sun Resort, the venue actually submitted their first winning bid a few years ago, but fate got in the way.

“We submitted our first application at the tournament in Austria in 2019,” Engell explained. “We won that bid to host the tournament in 2021, but it was cancelled due to COVID, so we had to reapply. We did and we were thrilled to be this year’s hosts.”

In our next Winter Texas Weekly report, we’ll look at the state of the sport in the face of challenges for attention from other sports like pickleball.

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