In the Bars: Hoboken Shuffleboard League Gaining Steam

Any sport that you can play while drunk is bound to attract a certain type of competitor.

So is it any wonder that shuffleboard - a sport where competing teams slide round discs across a sawdust wood table - is picking up popularity in Hoboken’s bars?

Now in its third season, the ABL Shuffleboard League operates at two locations in Hoboken - The Ale House and Tally-Ho Bar - with the goal of expanding to Jersey City, according to a release.

With team names like The Mighty Pucks, Every Day I’m Shufflin’, the Sloshed Shufflers and the Parker House Shuffle, it’s clear that players take themselves and the sport with a grain of salt.

This year, the league has grown to 20 teams, each with a minimum of two players (new teams can register here). The top eight teams qualify for a single-elimination tournament and the chance to win the league trophy, the “Lord Shufflepuck Cup.”

“I first started playing this game down the Jersey Shore, late night, after many adult beverages,” stated Jason Ross, league commissioner. “My friends and I would try to run the table, challenging opponents for a round of drinks. It’s competitive, really addicting and a lot of fun.”

“I thought to myself, why not run a league here in Hoboken?” Ross recalled.

Photo caption: Hoboken shuffleboard players enjoy a round in a local bar.

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