I was genuinely surprised and rather perplexed by the disappointing turnout for the May 11 mêlée in San Rafael. Despite expectations of a sunny, warm day, only 16 players showed up, to form just 8 teams. It left me wondering, where did everybody go to?
Such a dismal number was especially disheartening considering the promising weather forecast. We all had high hopes for a bustling event, but despite the odds, everything turned out pretty well.
Although I hadn’t planned to play due to my sprained left ankle—still painful after three weeks—I arrived early to cheer on the participants, engage in some gossip, and have a cup of coffee.
With our esteemed president gallivanting in France, Shama Kota-Gutheti and Sara Danielson took charge and organized the event like pros. Despite the low turnout, they managed to form 8 well-balanced teams. The festivities kicked off around 10:30 am, and despite the low attendance, it looked like everyone was having a good time.
Although the sun was shining, it wasn’t as warm as expected and after a light lunch, I decided to head home, satisfied with the 200 photos I had taken.
However, the main reason I left before the tournament ended, was concern for my cat. She went out early in the morning and hadn’t returned when I came home. Finally, around 7:30 PM, I located the beast (in my neighbor’s garden) through her Apple Tag and coaxed her back into the house. Young and foolish teenager!
Alain
Now, according to one of my spies, here are the tournament winners:
1st place: Noël Marcovecchio and Joe Danielson
2nd place : Jean-Michel Poulnot and Monique Bricca
3rd place: Stephanie Wilkinson & Bernard Passemar
Congratulations to the finalists and thank you to all the participants.