All are welcome to come out and try floor shuffling in Argyle.
The fun and social activity takes place Tuesday evenings from May to mid-September at the Argyle curling rink.
Laurie Briggs, treasurer of the Argyle Floor Shufflers, explained the basics of the game.
“It’s like shuffleboard but the disc is on the ground and you use a stick to push it down,” she said.
“We have 10 lanes and you have four people on each lane, so that’s 40 people. Sometimes, we’ve had 45 people coming out. We would organize people so that everybody gets a chance to play.”
Players come from near and far, including from the communities of Rosser, Stony Mountain, Stonewall, Teulon, Gunton and Selkirk. Many players are willing to drive people from their community to the games to ensure transportation isn’t a hindrance to enjoying the outing.
Membership costs $20, and there’s also a $2 weekly user fee. For anyone who doesn’t want to pay for a membership, they can pay a drop-in fee of $5 instead.
Each Tuesday, doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the games start at 7 p.m.
“We usually play three full games, and there are different ones. We have a dime night when you play against the person you’re standing beside,” said Briggs, a Stonewall resident.
“We also have some games where you have to do specific things, and there are prizes at the end for first-place men and women. We also just have regular shuffle.”
The non-profit group uses some of the funds to maintain the floors and lanes, as well as to buy coffee for the group. The rest of the funds go back to the community centre and to pay for an end-of-season celebration.
Adding to the appeal, a different shuffler is in charge of bringing treats for each week to enjoy along with coffee after the games – everything from cookies and cakes to cheese and fruit trays.
“We don’t turn anybody away. It’s for all abilities, and we try to be as accommodating as possible,” Briggs said. “The camaraderie and social aspect are awesome. It’s lots of fun.”
Sharon Penner, president of the group, agrees that it’s an entertaining activity.
“I love floor shuffle. You meet friends for life,” says Penner, a Teulon resident who also played in Texas with her husband Casey Maslow.
“Everybody is welcome. Most of us are over 65, so if kids or grandkids are visiting, we’d love to have them. We don’t turn anybody away.”
To learn more, contact Sharon Penner at 204-886-2034 or Laurie Briggs at 204-792-0474.
