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Highlands Today

Orange Blossom Classic Draws Nearly 100 Shufflers

Brian Gjurgevich/Highlands Today

Bernie Baumgartner of Sebring competes Wednesday during the opening day of the Orange Blossom shuffleboard tournament at the Sebring Recreation Club.

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By Brian Gjurgevich | Highlands Today

Published: January 4, 2008

SEBRING — The conditions weren't exactly ideal for shuffling on Wednesday morning during the opening round of the Orange Blossom Classic shuffleboard tournament.

In fact, some six hours after the opening ceremonies gave way to a symphony of metallic clangs, bundled-up shufflers were still feeling the biting wind many of the snowbirds thought they'd escaped by flying south.

"It makes your comfort zone a little smaller," said Tara Goldman of Lake Worth, who finished second in the main event last year but was eliminated in the second round this time around. "The wind can pull your cue a little bit, so you have to adjust."

John Bushee, shuffleboard chairman of the Sebring Recreation Club, said numbers were down this year because of both low temperatures and high gas prices.

"A lot of our folks get here by RV," Bushee said. "With gas prices where they're at, it brings out numbers down a bit."

Some 36 mens teams and a handful of ladies teams did show up, and though the numbers were "slightly less" than he expected, those who made the trip were treated to superb court conditions.

"I've been working on them for a few weeks now," said Bushee, who also competed in the tournament and was one match away from the semifinals after Wednesday's opening round. "We use very small glass beads and glycerine, which keeps the courts smooth and prevents wear during big tournaments.

"I've had a lot of compliments."

Lorraine Pollack, the treasurer for the Central Florida district of the Florida Shuffleboard Association and the district's tournament director, spent much of her time in the club's outdoor booth, taking results and trying to stay warm.

Of course, there was one place she'd rather be.

"I'd love to be out there playing," said Pollack, who shuffles out of Avon Park's Senior Activities Center. "This is the biggest tournament we have in the district, and one of the biggest in the state. A lot of the northerners don't make it down here until after Christmas, and this is the first event of the year for them."

The tournament continued on Thursday. For final results, see Saturday's Highlands Today.

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