 |
| |||||||
Text Size 
• Email • Printer Friendly
Sunday, June 28, 2009 5:58 PM Yu-Gi-Oh! tourney comes to Wilson By Antonio Velarde | Times Staff Writer When the duel of monsters, magic spells and traps was done, it was the younger of the two players who emerged victorious. "That was a really close match," said Timothy Barnes, 13, as he shook hands with 27-year-old Dale Caudle after beating him in a Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game at the Wilson Mall Saturday. Caudle, who drove from Virginia to compete with Barnes and others, said he had no hard feeling about losing to the child. "I love it," Caudle said. Caudle and Barnes were among 150 participants from across the tri-state region who came out to the mall to compete in a regional qualifier tournament to earn a place at the Yu-Gi-Oh! 2009 national tournament in Pennsylvania this July. The competition, organized by The Hobby Shop, also gave participants a chance to win door prizes and compete for collectibles. Organizers with The Hobby Shop said this is the first major tournament to be held in Wilson and brought people from as far as Florida and West Virgina. The store hopes to host at least two regional tournaments next year. Players from as young as eight were lining up early Saturday morning to register for regular or Dragon Duel games, the latter being for children 13 and under, with the day-long tournament expected to last until midnight. Zachary Hayes and Ivan Magana, both 16, said they had driven over four hours from Charlotte with two buddies to make the trip to the Wilson tournament. The two have been fans of the trading card game since its creation. "It tests the mind," Hayes said. Hayes said he has already qualified for the national championship but wanted a chance to come out and play. Magana said he had missed early registration, but still enjoyed the chance to trade cards and play with other collectors outside the competition. Likewise, Corey Smith and Nekiel Lyons, both 24, of Rocky Mount, said they were longtime players since junior high. When the game first came out, they said, its rules were relatively simple. But as time has gone on, the original pool of cards used in the game has grown, and advanced levels can require some math skills. Smith said of Yu-Gi-Oh! that, "this is kind of like my poker." Cody Barnhill, 15, of Nashville, said it may have started out as a kid's game, but it has changed. "It gets really complicated when you're playing at full competitive level," Barnhill said. While the game kept children, teen and adult fans occupied, mall tenants said they were seeing a windfall from the game. The mall was to hold a sidewalk sale the day of the event to coincide. A.J. Mong, manager of Andy's at the mall, said his store normally closes at 9 p.m. But for the tournament, they were staying open until midnight. Additional workers were even being called in. "We were running a couple of specials just for the tournament," he said at noon Saturday. "And between all the sales we've been doing, we've been slammed for about an hour and a half." avelarde@wilsontimes.com | 265-7868 |
| Add Comment: | |  | | (All comments must be approved) |
| View Comments: | | | | (2 comments) |
Just Wondering Said: said...
you think????
Monday, June 29, 2009 at 3:28 PM
magicman said...you think????
Monday, June 29, 2009 at 3:28 PM
Finally something good at the Wilson Small
Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 6:51 PM
