Overview
The inaugural season of the Crokinole UK Tour has come to a successful conclusion! Wow… what a journey! The 23/24 season marked a significant milestone in the development of Crokinole within the UK. This season featured six major events, each showcasing top-tier competition and community engagement. With over 150 unique players participating across the Tour, the sport has demonstrated its growing popularity and competitive spirit in the UK.
The Tour culminated with Tom Curry emerging as the overall winner, highlighting his consistent excellence throughout the season.
Event Highlights
1. Scottish Grand Prix
The Tour kicked off with the Scottish Grand Prix, setting a high standard for the subsequent events. Held at the ever-popular TableTop Scotland, the event drew in a strong field of competitors with many new and old faces battling against each other for the claret jug! Players competed it out in intense matches, with several close finishes.
The atmosphere was electric, and the event served as a perfect opener for the Tour. Arpad Lonstak emerged as the winner, taking the Scottish title abroad to his native Hungary. He would return at later events and continue his good form.
2. Valleys Tournament
Next, the Valleys Tournament brought the action to the scenic landscapes of Wales. This was the first official Crokinole Tournament in Wales and saw a great variety of players attending. It was also the first Crokinole UK self-hosted event, so tehe pressure was on! Steve Burrows delivered a quality event for all who attended!
The competition was fierce, and the camaraderie among players was evident. The Valleys Tournament helped to cement the Tour’s reputation for high-quality and inclusive events.
Tom Curry took this event with a fine display in the final, setting the tone for the rest of his season.
3. The St Albans Open
The third event, The St Albans Open, was a standout with its unique format and Doubles Tournament. Both events saw a fine mix of experienced and new player, further cementing Crokinole’s growth across the UK. The matches were competitive and showcased a variety of playing styles, making it a memorable event for both participants and spectators.
The Doubles saw a fiercely competitive final between Brian Cook / Mark Thurling and Mike Ray / Tom Curry, with the Canadian/Welsh duo of Brian and Mark emerging as victors.
In the singles the dominance of Brian and Mark at St Albans saw them face off in the final, with Brian emerging as the victor.
4. The Airecon Classic
The Airecon Classic, held during the popular Airecon gaming convention, was a highlight on the Tour calendar. The event benefitted from the larger audience of the convention, attracting many new players and spectators. At the time it was the largest Crokinole event ever held in the UK, with 64 competitors.
This event was very kindly sponsored by Meeplewood, who donated one of their early model Crokinole baords as a raffle prize. Chris Griffin was the lucky winner!
Tom Curry and Steve Burrows faced off in the final here (not for the last time this season) and Tom emerged with the Crokinole Classic crown.
5. The Crokinole UK Masters
As the penultimate event, The Crokinole UK Masters was a critical stop on the Tour. This event featured some of the most skilled players and intense matches of the season. The stakes were high, and the competition was at its peak, setting the stage for an exciting finale at the UK Games Expo.
The Dice Cup venue provided a great atmosphere for what turned out to be one of my personal favourite days of competitive Crokinole ever! The level of competition here was brilliant. Exciting matches and close battles lead to a great series of A, B and C Pool finals.
Tom Curry and Mark Thurling fought a close match in the A Pool Final, with Tom once again sealing the top spot and the Tour with one event to go!
6. UK Crokinole Championships at UK Games Expo
The Tour concluded with the UK Crokinole Championships at the UK Games Expo, the largest Crokinole event EVER in the UK. 66 competitors fought it out to become the UK champion! The atmosphere was charged with excitement as players vied for the prestigious title.
Tom Curry’s consistent performance throughout the season paid off as he secured his position as the UK Champion and overall Crokinole UK Tour winner.
My Final Thoughts
The first Crokinole UK Tour has been a resounding success, laying a strong foundation for future seasons. The diverse range of events across different regions has helped to grow the sport’s popularity and community.
We want to keep things rolling! And with the enthusiasm and momentum generated this year, the future of Crokinole in the UK looks very promising. We look forward to building on this success and seeing even more players join the fun in the next season. Plans are well underway and the Tour will be announced shortly.
Congratulations again to Tom Curry for his outstanding performance and to all participants who contributed to making this season so memorable.
Myself, Terry, Ian, Mike and Steve all want to thank you for supporting this crazy idea! We put a lot of energy and passion into these events and to see people enjoying them, joining in on our crazy adventure really does make the effort worthwhile! We hope you can continue to support what we do, help Crokinole grow here in the UK and enjoy attending events in the 24/25 season!
