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Snowball Tournament changes venues

The tournament has been moved to 100 Mile House from Interlakes.
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File photo.

The Ryan Larson Memorial Snowball Tournament, which will be on Feb. 10 to 11, will see some changes this year.

“We are now doing it in 100 Mile House [at the South Cariboo Recreational Centre ball fields],” said Barry Larson. “It’s just easier for people in town and just better accommodations. People from out of town can use the hotel rooms.”

Baseball in the snow is also quite a sight, getting a lot of laughs from players and spectators alike.

“It’s quite comical, you’re chasing a ball down because the ball just doesn’t roll to you because the ball will just fall down in the snow and you have to get there as fast as you can. A lot of people wear snowshoes and people have fishing nets to give a little extension on their arm to catch the ball,” said Larson. “There’s definitely laughs.”

Players also get awards, such as best catches. The six-team (as of Feb. 5) tournament will also play some games underneath the lights in 100 Mile House ball fields, which is something Larson is looking forward to.

“It’s something new, it’s something we’ve never done,” said Larson. “We thought we’d try a couple games under the light and see what it’s all about this year. It’s going to be exciting.”

Larson is also happy about how much snow 100 Mile House will be getting this week, something imperative to the tournament. They can’t play on the fields if there isn’t enough snow because it might wreck the field and play if it gets all mucky and slushy.

The Tournament starts on Feb. 10 at 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and again the next day.

The tournament was started in 1985 in support of Rick Hansen’s Man in Motion tour. In 1996 after Barry’s brother, Ryan passed away after a battle with spinal meningitis, an infection of the fluid and membranes around the brain and spinal cord, the community asked to rename it after Ryan in his memory.