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Did you know that there are people who play competitive shuffle board at an international level? One of the places that they show off their talents for the sport is at the International World Shuffleboard Competition. The 2010 competition was held in Hohenroda, Germany. It was the 28th year that the competition had taken place. Many countries competed in the competition but it was the teams from North America that shined in 2010. The United States and Canada were both represented by teams at this competition. Other teams came from as far away as Brazil, Australia and Japan. There were also two different teams called world teams that each had members from various places around the world. One of those teams was a youth team and one of them was an adult team. In total, there were over one hundred different participants in the competition. The teams from Canada proved to be really outstanding in 2010. There was both a women's team and a men's team from that country. Each team was made up of twelve individual members. The competition was tough for players who wanted to get onto the tournament teams. The two dozen members who made it all had to be selected by the Canadian National Shuffleboard Association. The association must have chosen well because both the men's and women's teams from Canada were successful at the event. The women's shuffle board team was the number one team. That means that they took home a gold championship medal. As with any sport, that is a huge deal when competing at an international level. The competition was certainly tough. The reigning women's team had been the Japanese team. It came down to the final round in 2010 where the Canadian women beat the women from Japan. The men's team didn't do quite as well as the women did but they sure held their own. The Canadian men came in second among all of the teams. They were previously the championship title holders. It was the American team that beat them in the end. So, even though the Canadians didn't win, North America was definitely the clear winner when it came to the men's division of play. Of course, as with any major tournament like this, the players divvied up their time between competitive game play and more lighthearted fun. Many of the players went on sightseeing tours of Germany during the days when they were not playing. Certainly some had never had the opportunity to go there before. The players obviously play at this competitive level because they enjoy the game and take it very seriously. However, they also like the travel that comes along with such competitive play. Shuffleboard may not be a sport that gets a lot of headlines. It may not be the type of sport that you spend a lot of money to watch in competition. However, it can certainly be a lot of fun especially when the players are skilled enough to be competing at the international level. Clearly, it is the teams from North America that are worth paying some attention to right now if you're interested in learning more about how competitive shuffleboard is played. Notably, this is not a sport that you need to have such advanced skills to enjoy. Although these shuffle board players are spending some serious time and money on the sport, you can easily learn the basics without much effort. There are shuffleboard courts and tables in parks and bars. Get together a bunch of friends and play a game. Who knows, you may find that you really enjoy it and do want to compete! Sandy Winslow is a writer on many subjects including competitive sporting events. While possibly lacking a bit in popularity, shuffle board does have a good following.
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