Billed as the “Labour Day Quaddie” it’s a lawn bowling event with a rather unique format.
“A Quaddie consists of a team of four players. During the first game the team breaks into two teams of pairs to play other teams. For the second game the team will play as a triples team while the fourth member competes in a singles game. In the final game of the Quaddie all four members come together to play a fours game with each player bowling two bowls,” explained Eric Ballinger, the spokesperson for the Oak Bay Lawn Bowling Club.
“We had 62 participants in the tournament this year. It’s the last tournament event of the season for us, and everyone who came out to play or watch had a great time.”
Ballinger explained that he was first drawn to lawn bowling when he and his wife moved to Oak Bay from Spain many years ago.
“We first tried curling and then heard about lawn bowling and we were attracted to the fact that you could play it outdoors, the cost was very low and the level of commitment was far looser so it made for a more enjoyable experience.”
As for the term Quaddie, Ballinger is unsure of the origin as the term is commonly applied to a type of betting.
He was quick to point out that there was no bets being taken on the lawn bowling event.
“The real home of lawn bowling has always been Australia, so maybe the term originated there,” he chuckled.
“We actually had to have it explained to us. What’s important is that the format is just a lot of fun.”
And speaking of fun, Ballinger invites anyone interested in lawn bowling to come out to the more than 200 member club for any of the next three Friday evenings for a no-charge exposure to the game.
“Every Friday evening throughout the summer we invite folks to come out and try the game at no cost, then come inside and enjoy drinks and snacks,” he said.
“We have three weeks left.”
The final free night will be on Sept, 21, when participants will enjoy piping hot pizza after their game.
The club continues with an indoor format after the end of September.
The winners of the “Labour Day Quaddie were:
Winners – Linda Cowie, Alan & Joan Hall (shared position), Luci Ewen, Donna McIntyre
2nd Place – Kay Alexander, Ian McMorran, Peter Insley, Anne Payne
3rd Place – John Cossom, Mary Magill, Peter Woods, Liz Fraikin.
For more information on the Oak Bay Lawnbowling Club, visit bowlsoakbay.ca.
