Wile Cup
| Wile Cup | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for |
winning the Wile Cup Championship |
| First awarded | 2004 |
| Last awarded | 2015 |
| Currently held by | Daryl Wile |
The Wile Cup is a trophy awarded annually to a group of croquet enthusiasts. Formerly the Croquet Society Championship Trophy for the University of British Columbia's Croquet Society club (Croqsoc), the Wile Cup has since become an annual recreational award. It is named after Croqsoc founder and inaugural club president, Dr. Daryl J. Wile.
The Wile Cup was purchased by the club in 2004, to be presented to the player who earned the most points in tournament play during the 2003-04 Winter semester. The Cup didn't receive its moniker until the following school year, when President Corey M. Fischer christened the chalice in honour of the Croquet Society's founding father.
Tournament Format
Currently, the Wile Cup is contested for in a three round, points-based tournament. Players accumulate points determined by their outcome in two qualification round matches of varying difficulty. Round 1 is a traditional setup, often a backyard style course, on a level pitch of grass. Conversely, Round 2 is the 'Xtreme' style of croquet, involving rough terrain, and obstacle course-like design. The differing nature between the two qualification round matches is to ensure that the eventual Champion will need to exhibit a definable level of skill, as was needed during the four tournament UBC era.
Points are awarded for each Match's finishing position; 10 points for First, 7 for Second, 5 for Third, 4 for Fourth, 3 for Fifth, and 2 for Sixth. The top six point-getters from the qualification round advance to the winner-take-all Championship Match. A Wile Cup victor will have to play three differing styles of croquet in order to become the Champion.
CroqSoc History
2003-04: First Victory
The inaugural Wile Cup champion was determined by the outcome of the Masters of the University, the final tournament of the Croqsoc season. Adam Gelinas, runner-up in the Autumn Classic and November Reign team tournament, finally broke through and captured the Masters title, and with it, the coveted Green Jacket. Stephanie Janzen, making her Croqsoc debut, stunned the field by not only qualifying for the Final round, but by capturing second place. Her runner-up finish, coupled with tournament-favourite Chris Van Kleeck placing 3rd, assured Gelinas the inaugural Wile Cup Championship by just 1 point.
2004-05: Second Season
A new Wile Cup champion would be crowned in Croqsoc's second season, as Gelinas had graduated and would not be able to defend his title (documents show that Gelinas actually graduated in December 2003, and in effect, his student status should have ended. Although enrolled in student housing through the spring, some dispute his eligibility in winning the Wile Cup. Opposition to his status has dissipated over time). President Wile had also graduated, allowing Fischer to step up from Vice-President and lead the club. The new season may have brought in a crop of hopefuls to mix in with the sophomore players, but it opened identically as the previous campaign, with Van Kleeck again taking the Autumn Classic tournament. After he was victorious at November Reign II, it looked like the Wile Cup was a lock for Van Kleeck. However, by the time the Masters of the University came around, it was a three-horse race to the finish. Jacob E. Cruise led in the points standings with 23, followed by Erica Drake (22) and Van Kleeck (21). Incredibly, first-round collapses by Drake and Van Kleeck kept them out of vying for the Cup in the final, automatically awarding Cruise the victory even before the final round. By finishing in 4th, Cruise also became the first player to win the Wile Cup without having won a single tournament.
2005-06: Out With the Old
For the second consecutive year, the Wile Cup would be captured by a new player. Cruise graduated following the previous season, opening the door for a new points champion. Following the Xtreme Challenge, the Cup was going to be hoisted by either Dylan Gunn or Brandon Taylor, who were tied at 24 points. Taylor had been the runner-up position in all three tournaments leading into the Masters, besting Gunn at the Autumn Classic and Xtreme. It was Gunn's team victory at November Reign III that raised his point total. Neither man played exceptionally well in the final round, but in the end it was Taylor that was able to shed the bridesmaid label and claim the coveted Cup by one point. Taylor, who would be replacing President Fischer the following September, became the first Croqsoc president with his name on the Wile Cup.
2006-07: The New Class
The opening of the 2006-07 school year marked a new chapter in the Croquet Society. With the graduation of Fischer the previous Spring, the second generation of Croqsoc had begun. President Brandon Taylor had taken over the reins, and looked to carry on the tradition. Though the last of the founders were gone, the fierce competition for Wile's Cup remained. After three tournaments, five players were all within striking distance for the championship; Martin Bradshaw, Kendra Brown, Keegan Bursaw, Mike "Pool Party" Wilton, and Taylor. Taylor failed to repeat as champion, and it was Wilton who walked away victorious, and once again, a new name was etched on the Wile Cup.
2007-08
The second year of the new generation unfolded eerily similar to the previous season; after three tournaments, there was no clear-cut favorite to the Wile Cup, and five challengers had a shot at winning it. The most likely bet to win would have been Roger Pylypa; however, a first round knockout at the Masters eliminated his chances. Vice-President Bradshaw successfully repeated as champion, capturing his second Green Jacket, and surpassed Pylypa in the standings by a single point. However, it was Croqsoc rookie Chris Amy who would sour Bradshaw's victory. Amy secured the runner-up position, vaulting him past Pylypa and Bradshaw to the top of the standings, and became the newly crowned Wile Cup Champion.
2008-09: Winds of Change
The winds of change were again blowing at the UBC campus. President Taylor had passed the torch to Bradshaw, who became the fourth Croqsoc head. His first order of business, however, was to capture the Autumn Classic championship. He could not continue his stellar run atop the leader board, unfortunately, and by year's end, was all but out of Wile Cup contention. At the Masters, it was a two-man race between Bursaw and Wilton. In the final round, Bursaw finished second, ahead of Wilton, and won the Wile Cup, 34 points to 31 (ironically, 2 years earlier, Wilton beat Bursaw to the Wile Cup by the same score). Unbeknownst to them, and to the rest of the players, that would be the last croquet game played under the guise of the Croquet Society of the AMS.
Croqsoc Not Renewed
Dwindling support, coupled with sparse management, is detrimental to any sports league. The UBC Croquet Society was no different. As time passed, the passion and vigor to which Croqsoc was founded on and known for, disappeared. Running a club is no simple task. You need dedicated individuals who are ready to sacrifice time and effort. As students become more entrenched with scholastic issues as they near graduation, a fresh crop of enthusiastic underclassmen is needed to breathe new life into an aging Executive. Unfortunately for Croqsoc, this did not occur. The Executive had all but graduated, and there was little to no interest in finding replacements. As such, the club's application for renewal was not submitted, and with that, the Croquet Society of the AMS folded.
Modern Era
Revival
Upon hearing about the fate of the club, former president Corey Fischer couldn't let the tradition established seven years prior disappear forever. In order to keep the spirit alive, he needed the beacon of Croqsoc; the Wile Cup. Having remained in touch with some of the members of Croqsoc, Fischer contacted Bursaw, and explained his desire to keep the memory of the club going. Bursaw was more than happy to return the Cup. Now in possession of the trophy, Fischer ultimately wanted to continue the Cup's annual awarding. He decided that the most fitting way to do this would be to inaugurate a tournament for UBC Croqsoc alumnus and friends.
Monck Park 2010
The first tournament in the new era of Croqsoc was held August 7, 2010, at Monck Provincial Park campground. The tournament was the focal point of a UBC reunion of sorts, comprising most of the original Executive Board, as well as friends, spouses and partners. Whereas in previous Croqsoc seasons, the Wile Cup was awarded to the player with the most points accumulated after 4 tournaments, a new format had to fit a condensed weekend schedule. The revised championship would be a three round, points-based tournament. Contestants accumulate points determined by the results of two preliminary round matches. The top six players then advance to a winner-take-all championship match. The Wile Cup Champion would have to play through three differing styles of croquet in order to become the victor.
Players were randomly drawn into 1 of the 3 matches in each discipline. The first round was played on a "Butterfly" course, enabling players to cross each other's paths as they navigated the wickets. "Xtreme" croquet was the style for the second round. Points were awarded for placement in both rounds; 10 points for winning the match, 7 points for the runner-up, and 5-4-3-2 for the remaining 4 finishers. The top 6 advancing to the final round were Brian Martin (20 points), Adam Gelinas (17), Corey Fischer (15), Kevin Nickel (14), Colin Olson (14), and Jake Cruise (14). Playing order was determined by the highest rank picking which position he would like to start at. To break the 4th-place tie, a closest-to-the-stake playoff was held. The final round was set up in a "Traditional" format.
After a long day of croquet, the final was over relatively quickly. Playing in 6th position, Olson was able to utilize the other balls for roquet shots, and surged out front in the early going. The players jockeyed for first for a couple of turns, before Fischer grabbed the top spot. After hitting the half-way stake, he was able to take advantage of his opponents' places and pad his lead. Despite a late charge by Martin, as well as surviving ill-fated "poison balls" (defensive plays) from Cruise and Gelinas, Fischer victoriously staked and claimed the 2010 Wile Cup. Martin would eventually finish 2nd, but not before Gelinas ended his own tournament by purposely staking himself out, "earning" 6th. Cruise also had his tournament end via self-stakeout, albeit accidentally. As he attempted re-enter the course (having gone astray in his defensive play toward Fischer), Cruise smacked a hard shot that was sure to have reached the other end of the pitch, had the stake not interrupted the ball path. Comically, the force of his shot made the ball spin in place at the stake, leaving him in 5th place. Nickel captured 3rd, thereby automatically placing Olson in 4th.
| Round 1 (Butterfly) | Round 2 (Xtreme) | Championship (Traditional) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match A | Match B | Match C | Match D | Match E | Match F† | Match G | |
| Yvonne (2) | Daryl (5) | Alison (3) | Pakw | Alison (3) | Robin | Brian Martin (20) | 2nd |
| Michelle (4) | Colin (7) | Kevin (10) | Kevin (4) | Terrah (5) | Julie | Jake Cruisek (14) | 5th |
| Julie (3) | Pak (3) | Jake (4) | Colin (7) | Nathan (4) | Jake (10) | Kevin Nickel (14) | 3rd |
| Qiang (5) | Jess (4) | Nathan (7) | Adam (10) | Brian (10) | Michelle | Corey Fischer (15) | 1st |
| Adam (7) | Brian (10) | Robin (5) | Qiang (3) | Jessk (2) | Darylk | Adam Gelinask (17) | 6th |
| Corey (10) | Terrah (2) | - | Corey (5) | Yvonne (7) | - | Colin Olson (14) | 4th |
Table colour refers to which ball a player used
kStaked Out | wWithdrew | †Match results unnecessary after Jake clinched
Kamloops 2011
Wile Cup Champion Jake Cruise (2004–05) offered to host the tournament in his city of Kamloops, BC. Having moved to the interior in late 2009 and into his current home in 2010, it was an opportunity to provide hospitality to the Championship's contestants.
The 2011 tournament was held on July 2 and had three distinct differences than the previous years'; the opening round matches were played under the six-wicket "Oxford" format, the second round "Xtreme" style was played in a completely different locale (Jake's family cabin at Stump Lake), and a 3-person playoff was needed to determine the final 2 places for the Championship round.
After two rounds of play, three players (Laura Spencer, Kevin Nickel, and 2010 Champion Corey Fischer) were knotted at 14 points apiece. With only two spots remaining open for the final round, a playoff was contested between the three. It was decreed that a short, 2-wicket and stake format would resolve the tie. Fischer and Nickel would eventually win and advance into the Championship round, in the 5th and 6th positions.
Two newcomers were represented in the final round; Peter Hourihane and Candace Dickenson, seeded 2nd and 3rd, respectively. They sat behind Robin Norman, who had won both his preliminary matches, and ahead of Cruise. Spectators were treated to wonderful view of Championship match, as the game was played in Cruise's backyard, below a wide deck.
Much of the field moved quickly through the first half of the course, except the two playoff qualifiers. A series of misses and roquets by other players and each other left the players still fighting to pass through the first wicket, while the leaders were attempting to halfway stake.
Finally, both Fischer and Nickel were able to overcome their slow starts and progressed behind the rest of the players. The lead changed hands multiple times between the other four, though a series of misfortunes would drop Norman back. For a time, it appeared that the Wile Cup might be hoisted by a female for the first time, as Dickenson jumped into top spot with 4 wickets to play. Unfortunately for her, Cruise made several shots in a row and took over the lead, with just two wickets remaining.
Seeing that Cruise could potentially end the game on his next turn, Fischer enacted a "poison ball" style of play, in which a player abandons the progression of the course in order to interfere with another player's position. Fischer succeeded in knocking Cruise's ball slightly off course, so that he would have to hit a set up shot on his next turn, instead of passing through the wicket.
Hourihane remained near the front, and was able to take advantage. With the Championship in view, he passed Dickenson and Cruise, but missed clinching the title by an errant stake shot. Meanwhile, the poison ball on Cruise had given Fischer a favourable field position, and was able to quickly make up ground. After a second missed stake shot from Hourihane, Fischer passed through the final wickets and claimed the title for the second straight year, thereby becoming the first player in Wile Cup history to win back-to-back championships. Dickenson captured the Runner-up position.
| Round 1 (Oxford) | Round 2 (Xtreme) | Championship (Traditional) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match A | Match B | Match C | Match D | Match E | Match F | Match G | |
| Colin (5) | Laura (4) | Candace (5) | Terrah (5) | Michelle (4) | Katherine (4) | Peter (17) | |
| Robin (10) | Peter (10) | Jake (10) | Laura (10) | Peter (7) | Kevin (7) | Robin (20) | |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | Candace (15) 2nd | |
| Michelle (4) | Katherine (5) | Terrah (4) | Curtis (3) | Candace (10) | Jake (5) | Jake (15) | |
| Julie (3) | Curtis (7) | Kevin (7) | Julie (4) | Colin (5) | Robin (10) | pCorey (14) 1st | |
| Corey (7) | - | - | Corey (7) | - | - | pKevin (14) | |
pQualified via sudden death playoff between Kevin, Corey and Laura (all tied with 14 points after preliminary rounds).
Surrey 2012
A long-held dream of the Croqsoc Executive board was to play a match at the Peace Arch Memorial international border crossing; it became reality one unforgettable Labour Day Sunday. The participants gathered to play Round 1 at the Canada/US, Surrey/Blaine border. Sunny skies above provided beautiful weather and scenery for the match, which utilized the giant monument as a glorious center wicket in a Traditional-style croquet pitch. After many players used the massive arch for a ricochet shot, all were required to recite the structure’s internally scribed message: “May These Gates Never Be Closed.” The sheer spectacle of the group was undoubtedly captured by numerous cameras travelling by on either side, potentially securing a lasting legacy in the hard drives of strangers.
The Xtreme round was challenged in Bear Creek Park in Surrey, a multi-use municipal park. Obstacles underfoot and aroundbush were the hallmark for these matches. Though played in a relatively closed course by Xtreme standards, the difficulty was experienced by all competitors, and had the intended impact of equaling any advantage, keeping the drive for the Cup fair and balanced.
With the exception of two-time defending champion Corey Fischer, the Wile Cup Final was composed of completely different competitors than the previous year. Of those five, only Brian Martin had made it to the Final before, finishing in the runner-up spot in 2010. After a blistering preliminary round in which he won both his matches, Mike Bortolin was certainly the player with momentum. Thanks to some poison ball play by Robin Norman in the Xtreme round, both Alison Martin and Daryl Wile used the opportunity to make improbable runs and qualify for the Final, finishing first and third, respectively. If there were a dark horse player, it would have been Nathan Ozog, who quietly made the final round with 13 points. Brian Martin’s 12 points set a record for lowest score heading into a Final.
The Final location and accompanying after-party was graciously hosted by Ernie & Sharon Bortolin, Kevin’s in-laws, and parents of Mike and our late-friend Terrah; whose warmth, spirit and love of partying gave everyone a beautiful day.
Wile Cup 2012’s Final round was played with the six-wicket Oxford style, forcing the competition to orbit around a central stake. As expected, Bortolin quickly surged ahead of the rest of the field, rapidly advancing toward victory. The advantage of the Oxford format is that regardless of what position a player is in, his or her opponents are usually in range enough to attempt a play. The Finalists used this technique to keep the leaders in check, and the match close. Gradually, Bortolin lost his lead to Mr. Martin, Fischer, and Wile. The turning point in Fischer’s quest for a three-peat came when he mistakenly shot out of order, thereby forfeiting his next turn, as well as any chance of gaining the lead. Despite their strong showing in the afternoon rounds, both Ozog and the Mrs. Martin fell too far behind to make a late charge. In a sport like croquet, the geometry always interferes.
Whereas in the Xtreme round, when Martin hiccupped on the last wicket and dropped from first to fourth, he left little to be chanced when it counted. With timely calculation, he maneuvered and precisioned himself to the stake before anyone else. With one final chisel-like stroke, he engraved himself into history, becoming the second Wile Cup Champion of the Modern Era.
Wile, playing in his first Croqsoc tournament final, made a formidable comeback in the Xtreme round to qualify for the championship match. His efforts were celebrated with the Golden Bagel Award for Runner-up, a prize he graciously deserved. Three was destined for Fischer on this day, though not in the consecutive championship department. Croqueted into the creeq along with fourth place was Ozog. The wheels stopped chugging on the Bortolin Express, pulling into the station in fifth place. Though she placed sixth in the Final, Alison Martin’s tournament was certainly inspirational and deserves recognition; she was nearly seven-months pregnant with twins! Ultimately, the Wile Cup ended up in the Martin home anyway, meaning that the 2013 edition will be organized by the new champion.
| Round 1 (Traditional) | Round 2 (Xtreme) | Championship (Oxford) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match A | Match B | Match C | Match D | Match E | |
| Robin (4) | Brian (7) | Robin (4) | Kevin (6) | Daryl (13) | 2nd |
| Mike (10) | Nathan (6) | Brian (5) | Nathan (7) | Nathan (13) | 4th |
| Kevin (5) | Corey (10) | Alison (10) | Mike (10) | Corey (17) | 3rd |
| Alison (4) | Yuko (5) | Colin (4) | Yuko (5) | Alison (14) | 6th |
| Colin (6) | Dana (4) | Daryl (6) | Dana (4) | Brian (12) | 1st |
| Daryl (7) | - | Corey (7) | - | Mike (20) | 5th |
Redmond 2013
While the 2012 tournament dipped briefly into the USA during the opening round, the 2013 Wile Cup was the first to be played entirely south of the 49th parallel. Participation in Washington state is a home-coming of sorts, as the idea for the UBC Croquet Society was first pitched on US soil. Competition for the 10th edition of the Championship was held in the Seattle suburb of Redmond. Reigning champion Brian Martin and his wife Alison selected a nearby soccer field to hold round 1, played in the Traditional format. The ample space allotted for both matches to be played simultaneously, resulting in a fairly quick opening frame.
Play resumed for the Xtreme Croquet round at Microsoft headquarters, on the Redwest campus. The unusual terrain boasted a new obstacle to this year’s round; “Death Tree.” Should a player’s ball come into contact with Death Tree or its exposed roots, that player must return to the starting stake for their next turn; he or she does not lose any completed wickets. Overall, Death Tree was struck four times between the two Xtreme matches, garnering it for future Wile Cup inclusion.
The Championship Final was played at the Martin homestead, contested by a near clean sweep of former UBC Croquet Society Executive Board members, save for Mike Bortolin: Corey Fischer, Adam Gelinas, Brian Martin, Kevin Nickel, and trophy namesake Daryl Wile. The Executive not involved, Colin Olson, designed the Championship course and served as head official.
Olson’s course featured a central stake, tasking players to not only start and finish at the same point, but more importantly to avoid during the course of play. Unlike Death Tree, should a player’s ball strike the stake, his game is over. This strategy was not lost on the experienced group, with no less than five stake-outs attempted; the closest performed by Wile, wherein he sent Bortolin’s ball just centimeters from doom, only to roquet off Gelinas’ ball, which was already in immediate stake-proximity.
Shot of Game (and arguably of Day) went to the leader Martin, who had been sent off the pitch on Fischer’s previous turn; needing one long shot to capture first place, Martin passed the stake, but had just enough carry to nudge up to Bortolin, awarding him two short strokes to capture his second consecutive Wile Cup Championship. Repetition was also in store for Wile himself, who finished as Runner-up in back-to-back years.
| Round 1 (Traditional) | Round 2 (Xtreme) | Championship (Olson) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match A | Match B | Match C | Match D | Match E | |
| White Dana (4) | Dana Chang (2) | Colin (4) | Kevin (3) | Brian (12) | 1st |
| Kevin (10) | Colin (3) | Brian (7) | Dana Chang (2) | Daryl (14) | 2nd |
| Robin (5) | Adam (10) | Corey (10) | Daryl (10) | Adam (13) | DNF |
| Andrew (3) | Brian (5) | Adam (3) | Katherine (7) | Kevin (13) | DNF |
| Katherine (2) | Daryl (4) | White Dana (2) | Robin (4) | Mike (12) | DNF |
| Corey (7) | Mike (7) | Mike (5) | Mike (5) | Corey (17) | DNF |
Ladner 2014
Back where it all began, CroqSoc returned to its roots for the 2014 championship. On the same pitch of grass along Main Mall at the University of British Columbia, where the 2003 Autumn Classic was hosted - the inaugural tournament - the band of croquet hopefuls descended. Flanked by newly constructed buildings and classic views, the first round of the 2014 Wile Cup was contested in the same format as ’03 Classic; Traditional 9-wicket croquet. Three simultaneous matches, set up end-to-end, provided another CroqSoc spectacle to passersby, not unlike eleven years prior.
The second round would be competed in Rhododendron Wood, a forested area on the UBC campus, near Wile Cup namesake Daryl Wiles residence. The Wood was very suitable for extreme croquet, as it blended flat terrain with tree-base obstacles. Bank shots, log ramps, and ground mulch makes the extreme round unpredictably fun and frustrating, depending on who you ask! Despite the efforts of the course designers, the first match of the second round proved time-consuming. As a result, the layout was amended for the second and third matches. In addition, two competitors dropped out, thereby creating an unbalanced table and an uncertain procedure of final round qualification.
In nearby Ladner, the Championship match took place at the home of the parents of 2012 Finalist Alison Martin (nee Bones). As the participants arrived for the festivities, it was still unknown how to account for the logistical issues of qualification, and set a match of six for the final. Following some deliberation, it was decided that the top 4 finishers from the qualifying rounds - Wile, Steph Janzen, 2-time defending champion Brian Martin, and Kevin Nickel - gained entry. The next six players in the standings would compete for two wild cards into the final. Unfortunately, there was a tie for the sixth spot between Mike Bortolin and Corey Fischer, so a Closest-to-the-stake playoff was held, won by Bortolin. The wild card play-in field was set.
Buoyed by his near elimination, Bortolin made short work of the play-in match, advancing to the Final in convincing fashion. Joining the final round would be CroqSoc Executive alum Param Chauhan, playing in his first modern era tournament.
The Championship final was a spirited affair, peppered with multiple lead changes and wonderfully stroked shots. The grass was thick, making even short shots difficult. The walkout patio of the Bones’ backyard allowed for prime spectator viewing. Even after the half-way stake marker, the match was even, with no clear cut front-runner. It was a chess-like game of strategy this year. Wile picked up some momentum before a disputed roquet shot cost him a chance at the lead. Battling with Martin with 2 wickets to play, Chauhan had an opportunity to stake-out the defending champ, but instead drove Martin’s ball beyond the pitch. As fate would have it, this decision may have ultimately cost Chauhan the Cup. After the croquet shot, Chauhan set up at the 11th (and second-last) wicket.
After Bortolin, Nickel, Wile and Janzen shot, Martin re-entered the pitch, but short of the 11th. Chauhan then passed through the wicket, wide of the stake (and on the opposite side from Martin), and with one wicket to go, he caromed his ball off the outer edge of the 12th. He would not shoot again. Soon after, Janzen had an opportunity to stake-out Martin as well. With his hands clasped on the back of his head, Martin saw Janzen’s ball pass by, without making contact. With a sigh of relief, Martin aimed toward the 11th, roqueted off Wile, turned around and passed through the wicket. He then roqueted off Janzen, used two shots to pass through the final wicket, roqueted off Chauhan, and closed in on the stake. With one last shot, Martin secured his third consecutive Wile Cup!
| Round 1 (Traditional) | Round 2 (Xtreme) | Championship (Oxford) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match A | Match B | Match C | Match D | Match E | Match F | Match G | |
| Daryl (10) | Steph (10) | Kevin (10) | Daryl (10) | Brian (10) | Kevin (10) | Daryl (20) | |
| Param (7) | Dylanx (7) | Yuuko (7) | Steph (7) | Colin (7) | Katherine (7) | Kevin (20) | |
| Katherine (5) | Brian (5) | Corey (5) | Robin (5) | Yuuko (5) | Param (5) | Steph (17) | |
| Colin (4) | Dana (4) | Mike (4) | Mike (4) | Michelle (4) | Alison (4) | Brian (15) 1st | |
| Robin (3) | Alison (3) | Michelle (3) | Corey (3) | Dana (3) | - | Param (12) 2nd | |
| Leigh (2) | Erinx (2) | - | Leigh (2) | - | - | Mike (8) | |
xDid not play in the second round.
West Kelowna 2015
In the 5 years of Modern Era play, the Wile Cup has always enjoyed near-perfect weather conditions. The poorest championship forecast was arguably 2005; a soggy Jake Cruise accepted the trophy for accumulating the most tournament points in a UBC year. 10 years later, it looked like Mother Nature would dampen the day again.
2 hours prior to start time, the rain poured down and wind blustered. Players around the Metro Kelowna area looked disappointedly to the heavens, accepting that the call for afternoon showers arrived early. An 11th-hour relocation to City Park in Kelowna was made in part of the presence of more trees for shelter from the elements. That aspect for the move turned out to be moot, as the skies cleared of clouds and forest fire smoke, and the sun shone down on the lakefront grass. 6 years, and counting.
The first and second rounds were competed at City Park, partially with a brand new Xtreme croquet set, procured by Daryl Wile. Long, hammerhead mallets with a 45° wedge on one side, axe handles, and rugged metal wickets, the set ensures no course is too extreme. In the interest of time, the extreme round was tamed somewhat, compared to years past. Both rounds were met with excellent play, but little drama.
For the first time, 3 players advanced to the Championship round by winning their respective matches; Cruise, Wile, and Kevin Nickel. The lone surprise would be the skill of Dana Bortolin, who effectively played her way into the Championship game, accompanied by Robin Norman, and defending-champion Brian Martin, looking for his fourth consecutive victory.
The Championship match was 6-wicket Oxford style, modified to squeeze into the backyard pitch of host Colin and Katherine Olson’s West Kelowna home. Nickel jumped out to an early lead, but was surpassed midway through the course by Wile. The close quarters and out-of-bounds hazards kept players modest, and no lead seemed insurmountable. Though the competitors had an “Anybody-But-Brian” mentality going into the match, Martin was trailing behind when the unexpected occurred.
After coming into contact with Nickel’s ball, Martin faced a dilemma. He could attempt a stake-out shot, by sending Nickel’s ball into the centre stake and eliminating him from competition; or Martin could use the 2 bonus shots he received for contacting Nickel, and advance through a distant wicket with a higher probability. The stake was approximately 2.5 meters from their position; a very makable shot for the defending-champ.
Regardless of the result, a stake-out attempt would leave Martin with only 1 additional shot, with distance and the stake separating him from the next wicket. He elected to leave Nickel alone, and use his 2 shots to better his position in the game. Martin swiftly connected with his ball, hurtling the brown sphere toward the far side of the pitch, bouncing once or twice before coming to an abrupt stop - at the base of the stake. Unimaginably, the 3-time champion was out of the match!
Following a short respectable applause for Martin’s superb play over the past 3 championships, the remaining five competitors realized a new name would don the Cup in 2015, and it was still anybody’s chance. Though Wile still held the lead, the rest of the field were criss-crossing the pitch and playing with greater risk-reward shots. As Wile neared the final 2 wickets which bookend the stake, last-place Cruise elected a ‘poison ball’ strategy; Cruise would hover around the stake in hopes of coming into contact with the leader, and eliminate him/her by way of stake-out. As planned, Cruise was able to set up a croquet shot on Wile, but Wile’s ball was placed so close to a wicket that it was impossible to be sent into the stake. Instead, Wile was cleared away.
Meanwhile, Robin Norman had quietly advanced through the course, and threatened to overtake the lead. He reached the same second-last wicket that Wile was going for, successfully passed through, avoided Cruise’s poison ball, and just narrowly missed the final wicket, ricocheting to the right. A couple centimetres to the left, and Norman would have been only 1 more shot to clinch.
On his next turn, Wile passed through the second-last gate, aiming wide of the stake, with approximately 3 meters to the final wicket, Norman-adjacent, and Cruise hovering nearby. Anything but a ‘through ball’ would certainly result in another poison ball attempt from Cruise, and a potential victory to Norman. 2 past runner-up placements, and an unfortunate history of coming up short, it was a pivotal shot for Wile. With the same confidence he showed throughout the day, however, his ball rolled across the grass, bounced off Norman’s, and landed directly in front of the wicket; a gimme ‘through ball.’
Wile then angled his through shot with enough room to have a direct path to the stake. Even a stray shot had the chance of ricocheting off Cruise, allowing 2 more shots for the title. But this was Wile’s first shot-for-victory in the history of the championship that holds his name, and he made sure he only needed one. One second after the crack off the mallet sounded in the ears of the spectators, Wile’s red striped ball caromed off the thick, multicoloured stake, and landed softly in the grass. After 12 years, the Wile name would finally be engraved on the Wile Cup!
If the celebration of a dozen friends can be called a ‘roar,’ the crowd erupted into a roar of applause. Undoubtedly, the sting from the missed opportunities of the past disappeared in an instant as Wile walked off the pitch. All that remained was who would take home the runner-up ‘Hands On Award,’ an extendable aerial metal hand. Soon afterward, Norman passed through the final wicket, and staked out, earning his highest Wile Cup finish to date. As has become tradition, the match concludes, for the remaining competitors have no reason to continue. And they may be hungry.
One matter of Croqsoc business was voted on during this year's Wile Cup; it was decided that the championship would be played in perpetuity on the weekend prior to Labour Day, thereby making it easier to schedule for years to come.
| Round 1 (Traditional) | Round 2 (Xtreme) | Championship (Oxford) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Match A | Match B | Match C | Match D | Match E | Match F | Match G | |
| 1 | Kevin | Jake | Daryl | Kevin | Jake | Daryl | Daryl 1st | |
| 2 | Dana | Corey | Brian | Robin | Brian | Adam | Robin 2nd | |
| 3 | Alison | Colin | Robin | Kat | Alison | Dana | Kevin | |
| 4 | Kat | Michelle | Adam | Julie H | Michelle | Colin | Jake | |
| 5 | Julie C x | Julie H | Erin x | Corey | - | - | Dana | |
| 6 | Brian k | |||||||
xDid not play in the second round. kStaked out.
Wile Cup Champions
| Season | Champion | Points | Runner-up | Points | Tournament Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003-04 | Adam Gelinas | 30 | Chris Van Kleeck | 29 | Masters of the University |
| 2004-05 | Jake Cruise | 29 | Erica Drake | 23 | none |
| 2005-06 | Brandon Taylor | 30 | Dylan Gunn | 29 | none |
| 2006-07 | Mike Wilton | 34 | Keegan Bursaw | 31 | November Reign IV, Xtreme Challenge |
| 2007-08 | Chris Amy | 26 | Martin Bradshaw | 24 | November Reign V |
| 2008-09 | Keegan Bursaw | 34 | Mike Wilton | 31 | November Reign VI |
In 2010, the championship changed to a two-round format, with the top 6 advancing to a winner-take-all final match.
| Year | Champion | Runner-up | Location | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Corey Fischer | Brian Martin | Monck Provincial Park, BC | August 7 |
| 2011 | Corey Fischer (2) | Candace Dickenson | Kamloops, BC | July 2 |
| 2012 | Brian Martin | Daryl Wile | Surrey, BC | September 2 |
| 2013 | Brian Martin (2) | Daryl Wile | Redmond, WA, USA | August 24 |
| 2014 | Brian Martin (3) | Param Chauhan | UBC / Ladner, BC | August 16 |
| 2015 | Daryl Wile | Robin Norman | West Kelowna, BC | August 29 |
| 2016 | Kelowna, BC | August 27 |
Cup Attributes
The proper Wile Cup stands at 24.4 cm tall, atop a two-tiered, wooden platform. Collectively, the trophy measures 51.3 cm tall.
Prior to 2010, the Cup perched atop a single-level, marble base. The original base was replaced in 2010, as it had been filled by the previous champions' engraved names. The current platform will sustain subsequent champions' names through 2028.
During the UBC era, engravings were dated with the school year (i.e. 2008-09). Since the Wile Cup Championship no longer involves accumulating points over two calendar years, the year in which the trophy is won now accompanies its victor's name.
In 2011, "Wile Cup" was inscribed onto the cup itself, as the trophy's name did not appear anywhere on the actual award (the nameplate on the front of the Cup reads "UBC Croquet Society / Points Champion").