By ARABELLA SERRATA
editor@sbnewspaper.com
The 41st Shuffleboard World Championship is slated to take place from Oct. 27-Nov.10 in San Benito at the Encore Fun-N-Sun Resort. According to the official International Shuffleboard Association [ISO] website, Ann and Evan Engell are the event’s chairperson’s.
According to officials, the ISO was founded in March, 1979 by Japan, Canada and the United States. Today, the ISO is 45 years old and has nine member countries where competition can occur. Tournaments have been held in Vienna, Brazil, St. Petersburg, Seattle and more.
According to Jessica Henshaw, Fun-N-Sun Activities Director, the resort’s many amenities make it possible to host the international event, but most important is its indoor court. She predicts over 100 competitors will attend the competition.
Henshaw reported that years before, Fun-N-Sun was slated to host the international championship, but COVID-19 forced the event to be canceled. Now, San Benito finally has its turn at hosting the World Championships.
Event attendees will be able to enjoy the resort’s amenities. Henshaw said personalized cups for the event will be available, and that the resort is taking steps to accommodate the competition, their lunches and the various ceremonies.
Henshaw said the event feels like “getting back to normal!” “We’re super excited. We’ve been looking forward to doing this since it was canceled, so we’ve had plenty of time to plan and think about this one,” said Henshaw. Ann Engell said the area was initially approved around 2021, but reapplied in Austria and was approved again for 2024. Engell believes San Benito was approved for their “terrific courts” and “great weather.”
Engell said the event will provide San Benito with “good business” as visitors eat out, use local hotels and generally enjoy what the Resaca City has to offer.
“It’s a big economic boost for the area,” said Engell, who also encourages anyone interested in shuffleboard to visit the courts at Fun-N-Sun and invites the public to the event’s opening ceremony on Oct. 27 at 5:30 p.m.
Encore Fun-N-Sun is an age-qualified RV resort in South Texas. It offers a variety of activities, including bingo, church service, arts and crafts, ice cream socials, and more. For more information, visit its listing on rvonthego.com, thousandtrails.com or its official Facebook page.
The ISO is an organization dedicated to the worldwide enjoyment of shuffleboard. For more information on the event, the organization, and shuffleboard as a sport, visit their website at world-shuffleboard.org.
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