TRURO John Bent tosses the washer into the air and waits for the clink.
As it silently falls to the grass, the Upper North River man nonchalantly shrugs the miss off and arcs another washer towards the target.
It is part of the charm of the popular social activity known as washer-toss. Its a good game because everybody can play, he said.
The game, similar to horseshoes, uses washers and wooden boxes and has grown phenomenally in popularity.
You go to a park, you go anywhere and theres boxes, said Bent, who has been playing for about seven years. Theres no upkeep, just chuck them in the trunk and go.
He hosts a memorial tournament, in honour of his brother Sherman who passed away three years ago from cancer, annually to raise funds for charities like the cancer society.
Bent and his partner Annette have won the event three of the past five years.
So do they have a winning strategy?
No not really. We just drink and have fun thats what its all about, he said.
Running into old friends and making new
ones are other benefits of the social activity.
A local non-profit organization saw the potential in the venue and decided to take advantage. We started building (games) in 2004 as a way of recycling ends of wood we had left over from other projects, said Don Hoadley, Colchester Community Workshops. The sales are increasing every year, he said, and more than 100 were purchased in 2006.
The games, including two fully painted boxes made out of 3/4 inch plywood, six washers and instructions, sell for $25 plus tax.
jmalloy@trurodaily.com
Washer toss - a game for everyone
Washer toss - a game for everyone
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Published on
May 26, 2007
- Published on December 31, 2009
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Jason Malloy
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