A magical Quidditch tournament is coming to Vernon

Vernon will be hosting its first ever Quidditch tournament this Remembrance Day weekend.

At 9 a.m. on Nov. 11, Vernon residents are encouraged to don their best wizarding attire and attend a magical game of quidditch (otherwise known as quadball) for free. 

The event has teams from Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver coming to battle it out for the Western Regional Championship title.

Anya McKercher is a co-lead for the UBC Thunderbirds Quadball team, which will be competing this weekend.

“Quidditch, or quad ball, whichever you prefer, is something of a combination between handball (and) rugby,” McKercher told iNFOnews.ca.

Much like the fantasy game in Harry Potter, seven players are on the pitch for each team, on their feet this time as opposed to flying broomsticks.

Mostly, the game stays true to its fictional origins. However there are some non-magical alterations. 

In the game, one keeper and three chasers use the quaffle to score points. Their job is to get the quaffle through one of the three hoops on their opposition’s side for 10 points.

Then, there are beaters. Beaters will use bludgers, which are similar to dodgeballs, to hit the other team's players and send them out of the game temporarily. 

The final and most esteemed position is the seeker, played by Harry Potter himself.

Instead of chasing a magical flying snitch, these seekers must chase a neutral third party player and try to grab a flag attached to their back for 35 points.

“It's a very chaotic, very all over the place sport,” McKercher said. “Very fast paced.”

Although the sport is a magnet for Harry Potter fans, it is also appealing to players who are attracted to the “whimsical” nature of the game, McKercher said.

“We get a lot of Harry Potter fans, for sure,” McKercher said. “But we also get a lot of people who... aren't going at the level of intensity or commitment that's required for university athletics and therefore prefer this as kind of a more casual, more fun option.”

Quadball games tend to be more laid back than traditional sport.

“In one of the games that I showed up to, I was Seeker and the snitch carrier was in a unicorn onesie,” McKercher said.

The game is also distinct for its gender inclusivity.

“We particularly have rules that a team cannot be composed all of one gender,” McKercher said. “And that includes men and women and non-binary people.”

Josh Welter, Executive Director of the Sport & Culture Society of the North Okanagan, said he hopes people attend the event with an open mind.

The event is being held in Polson Park not just for its sporting facilities, but also its Science and Art Centre, Welter said.

“We really do feel like this event is a merging of sports and culture,” he said. “It's an event that's been built from a book… It's a sport, but you have to understand the culture of the event before you can be good at (it).”

“Our hope is that everybody comes and learns and enjoys. We've got a couple food trucks coming out,” he said. “There will be music and different things to see and do down at Polson Park on Saturday afternoon.”

So far, the Sport and Culture Society has received positive feedback from the community about the upcoming event, Welter said.

“I think what people can expect is a highly entertaining event. They're going to learn a lot about a new sport,” Welter said. “Our hope is that people come out and wear a hat or wear a scarf or wear funny glasses and support the event.”

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