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The youngsters gathered on the sun-kissed beach in Wildwood on a warm June day. The cooling waters of the Atlantic Ocean seemed to beckon them to come in. Instead, their attention was focused not on the surf, but on a game whose history went back thousands of years.
Like the swallows returning to Capistrano in California, the National Marbles Tournament had settled down on the New Jersey shore. In an age of Xbox, Nintendo and Wii, the game of marbles has an enduring appeal. This year’s tournament will be staged at Ringer Stadium from June 18-21, continuing a tradition that began nine decades ago.
The first marbles tournament was staged in Philadelphia in 1922 when Macy’s Department State sponsored a promotional event to highlight the game. The next year, the tournament shifted to Atlantic City, joining the Miss America pageant which began in 1921. The marbles tourney stayed in the city for half a dozen years moving to Ocean City from 1929 to 1936. Wildwood took over hosting duties from 1939 to 1948.
No tournament was held in 1944 and 1945 because of World War II.
In 1949, the tournament moved north to Asbury Park and would stay there for a decade. Wildwood reclaimed its role at tournament host in 1960 and has done so ever since except for the bicentennial year of 1976 when Great Adventure in Jackson served as the host site.
The game of marbles has a long and rich history that dates to ancient times when children played a form of marbles using pebbles, fruit pits and nuts. In North America, marbles made of stone and clay have been recovered from sites where prehistoric residents of the continent once resided.
Wildwood has proved to be a good fit for the tournament, in terms of its facilities and what it offers to the young participants.
“They roll out the red carpet for us,” says Rick Mawhinney, the tournament’s current director.
John Siciliano, executive director of the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority, says the tournament has been a welcome addition to the region’s attractions. “This wholesome family event is a true slice of Americana and a throwback to the simpler times of our youth,” he says.
A competition area dubbed Ringer Stadium has been established on the beach at Wildwood Avenue. The venue is made up of cement rings set on pilings permanently implanted in the sand. The rings measure about 15 feet and 15 feet. A blue ring is painted on a yellow surface and serves as the competition area. Ringer is played by placing 13 marbles in the shape of a cross in the circle with players alternating shots. The player who is first to shoot seven marbles out of the ring is the winner.
“We are very excited about all the new things to do and see in the Wildwoods in 2012,” says John Siciliano, executive director for the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement and Development Authority.
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