WILDWOOD – Here this past week, 48 of the nation’s top marble players (mibsters) competed to become the “king and queen of ringer,” a title coveted for 91 years, with Marilyn Fisher, 13, of Middletown Valley, and Dominic Rudakevych, 13, also of Middletown Valley, taking the honor.
Although it may not seem it to traditional sports fans, the games were fierce. Each flick of the marble is as nerve wracking as a football play, and for these young mibsters, just as important. Perhaps fierce isn’t the proper word. One young marble player, Joshua Johnston from Ambler, Pa. said that “marbles are calm; you can have fun competing against one opponent. There is no cheering or tackling,” so the game is laid-back compared to traditional sports.
In the same way, Amro from Lansdowne, Pa. said that he enjoys the friendly competition. Maybe to say they play ‘marbles’ is inaccurate. Technically there is no such game; there are lots of games that are played with marbles but there is not a single game called ‘marbles;’ marbles is a collective name for the hobby.
“Ringer” is the most popular mode of play, with players using their large “shooter” to knock the opponent’s marbles out of the ring. Technicalities aside, marbles are dying, and have been in decline for decades. The game was once a national pastime, with children and adults alike enjoying the game just as youngsters today enjoy video games.
Several Wildwood locals recall playing, trading, and shooting for marbles as young children. My grandfather said that the game was so popular at his school that the principal had to set up regulations as to how the game could be played. No playing for keeps. No using steel marbles.
This explosion of popularity began with the advent of mass production in 1915. Yet with the rationing of resources in World War II and the panic that surrounded it, marbles, at least competitive play, quickly fled from the public eye, never to return.
Nobody quite knows where marbles originated. Shakespeare makes mention of them, they were found in the ruins of Pompeii, and can generally be found in any given period of history. Their simplistic nature made them a staple for years. Yet today, many youngsters find no use for them.
Today, “mibsters” remain. These marble aficionados are those that still participate in ‘ringer’ and other marble games. Yet the sport’s miniscule presence is more than made up for by the mibsters’ passion.
The most devoted among them meet several times a week to practice this, their favorite sport. While most of America obsesses over touchdowns and homeruns, mibsters find joy in their niche game.
Several cities in the nation (Pittsburgh chief among them) are home to small, thriving marble communities, where “mibsters” make their small community seem large as they compete with other devoted members of the marble clique.
While Wildwood isn’t known for its marbles, it is exciting that somewhere local was chosen to host the International Marble Tournament.
The young mibsters seemed thrilled to be in Wildwood; Phillip Morgan said the best part of being here was “just being here.”
Amro says the best part is the “fresh air, beach, and competition.”
This may seem like an obvious statement, but for locals, it can be easy to take for granted the great island that many traverse thousands of miles to visit. It is amazing to see so many visitors go marbles for both Wildwood and, well, marbles.
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