After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Funtastic Slo Pitch Music Festival & Tournament in Vernon is making a comeback.
From June 30 to July 3 there will be 112 teams from across Canada and the US competing in one of the largest slow pitch tournaments in North America. Each team requires five men and five women on the field, and there are more than 4,500 registered players.
According to the president of the Funtastic Sports Society, it took a valiant effort from everyone involved to ensure the tournament continued.
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“There was a ton of work from our board, and you know I can’t say enough about the hard work they put into this event, but this event would be nothing without our volunteers,” said Jamie Austin, President of Funtastic Sports Society. . .
“I mean you look around and all you see is yellow shirts everywhere and that’s 100 percent volunteer hours. We couldn’t have this event, we couldn’t make this event work without the volunteers.”
The tournament attracts a variety of different skill levels, from the more serious to those who just want to dress up and have fun. A Calgary man playing in the competition for the first time says he couldn’t be happier to spend a weekend with friends on the course.
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“Our teams have been around for a while. I’m new to the team, but they’ve been waiting to get back to this tournament for a long time,” said Tristan Wright.
“They’ve been really excited to get out there and play ball, so it’s a great time to vacation, build team bonds and whatnot, and just have fun trying to win some baseball games.”
Then there are others like Diana Kelly and her family who play for much more than wins. This is her 10th year playing in the tournament, and she and her team dedicate this weekend to her late father.
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“He passed away this year from cancer, so I just wanted to pay him a little tribute this year, so we made these shirts for him, and he loved coming over to see the family try their hand at ball, so it’s always been quite nice to all of us,” Kelly described.
The tournament concludes on Sunday with two teams from each division competing for a championship.
For a calendar of events, check out the Funtastic website.