by Madison V. Fisler
July 19, 2013. For anyone who has ever read the popular series Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, the magical sport of Quidditch is an image that is all too familiar. Wizards and witches soaring through the air on enchanted broomsticks, searching for the Golden Snitch and attempting goals with the quaffle is a dream that many the world over wish to achieve.
While the broomsticks may not be flying and the Golden Snitch might not be made of gold, many enthusiasts young and old have found a way to create a terrestrial version of the sport, and it has become one of the fastest growing sports in the United States.
Competitive Quidditch is popping up all around the nation, and indeed the world, and ten teams from all around the US will be converging upon Boone this weekend for the Regional Quidditch Championship Tournament.
The ten teams have members which hail from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey.
“This event is in fantasy format in which players from all over are drafted onto one-day teams who play for the championship,” said Nathan Love, who is currently captain of the Blue team, former captain of Appalachian Quidditch at Appalachian State University and captain/founder of the World Cup Team QC Carolinas.
The championships will be held in a bracket-style tournament, where the winning team will receive the honor of the trophy.
“There will be a round robin of four games per team in two groups. Then those will be used for seeding in an afternoon single elimination bracket,” Love said.
The games will begin at 10 a.m. with finals beginning at 7 p.m. in Brookshire Park in Boone, located on Brookshire Road. For directions, please call 828-264-9511.
In addition to the tournament, many teams will have tables set up to sell team patches, T-shirts and other memoribilia, as well as wand shops and items from the International Quidditch Association. This weekends event is also a winner-take-all charity event promoting ten charities both local and regional.
Admission to watch the event is free and open to the public, however, donations are greatly appreciated.
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