The 2nd Annual Gene Eager Memorial Singles Tournament has concluded. District 5 Past President Gary Adams can be thanked for recommending, during his presidency, that Gene be honored and remembered by District 5 by hosting a tournament in his name.
Gene, a long-time shuffler in District 5, passed away February 28, 2020, after battling pancreatic cancer. At the time of his death, Gene was President of the Indian Wells Shuffleboard Association, was in the last term as President of District 5 and had just been installed as President of the California Shuffleboard Association.
At the November, 2023, District 5 meeting, current District 5 President Gary Stephens recommended this tournament be a regional tournament so shufflers from District 7 could attend since many of those shufflers knew Gene from his years of participating in District 7’s tournaments. The District 5 presidents agreed, and the tournament entries grew from 68 in 2023 to 104 at this 2nd annual tournament. Due to the increase in entries, a day had to be added to accommodate that many shufflers.
Thank you to the Tramview Shuffleboard Club who allowed District 5 to use their facilities. This group also had lunch available every day for all the shufflers. Donations to the prize money by Dawn and Gene Carriere, Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada and the Eager Family were very much appreciated by the 8 shufflers (4 in Championship & 4 in Consolation) who were the prize money recipients.
Volunteers were abundant in getting the boards prepped every morning and the re-waxing between games as well as the referees and scorekeepers who worked the 78 boards that were used throughout the tournament. Early Sunday morning rain came through the Palm Springs area and the 9 outdoor courts were soaked. At 7 AM when the crew came to prep the courts, the squeegees, dry towels, blowers and many volunteers were put into action and unbelievably, the tournament started at 8 AM, the scheduled time.
This tournament is one of the 3 tournaments in District 5 that qualifies the District 5 shufflers that place, either in the Championship or Consolation Divisions, to play in the District 5 Tournament of Champions that is hosted by the Desert Crest Shuffleboard Club in Desert Hot Springs March 4 – 6.
Championship Division
Consolation Division
California Shuffleboard Association 
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