A League of Our Own
The Birth of the Pasquaney Alumni Quoits League, by Nate Carmody
In the last few months, there has been an explosion of interest in quoits among the Pasquaney alumni. Quoit pits will soon be a noticeable landmark in many alumni backyards. I received my set two years ago as an anniversary gift from my wife who tired of hearing of some weird game about which no one else had heard. We can all trace our first experiences back to a few awkward throws at camp, trying to learn how to make them land right-side-up without rolling down under Cardigan.
The earliest versions used heavy iron rings that traced their root to an ancient method of shoeing horses (as far back as the 2nd century). It has been said that followers of the Greek army were the first to pitch these rings at posts set in the ground, when they could not afford to have a proper discus. Quoits has a long history at Pasquaney, with the earliest pits being behind the old dining hall (where the Watson Theater is now). The first reference, found by Barksdale Maynard, is in the camp Nature Log for July 1909: "Green Grass Snake found by S. C. Kelley in bushes near lower quoit ground." Some time in the 1930's, the old suture-inducing iron quoits were replaced by friendlier rubber quoits, as well as the move to the current pits uphill from Birch and Adams. Outside of Pasquaney, quoits have largely been replaced by the less challenging game of horseshoes, but there are still some thriving quoit leagues. These have been the source of Camp's rubber quoits, as well as the foundation for the recent alumni interest.
Following a midnight pit construction at Cesar Collantes' house during a recent Pasquaney gathering, the plans for the Pasquaney Alumni Quoit League (PAQL) were formed. What began as a simple attempt to clarify the rules turned into a running history of personal experience with quoits and how it has affected the rest of Camp life. Highlights included the most notable quoit battle of recent years, which occurred in the mid-80s: Stuart Wood and Neil Russakoff engaged in a epic struggle for quoit dominance. Their goal was to to throw over 100 ringers during the normal course of camp. While it took late into the night of the final evening, both surpassed the century mark. Since then I don't believe anyone has come close to that total. Many former players attribute their early retirement to a desire to leave at the top of their game. Michael Hanrahan retired in 2000 after only his third toss, being a ringer. He maintains to this day that he is the percentage ringer champion. Bob Bulkley attributes his retirement in 1954 to a stander.
While I'd like to take credit for the alumni interest, those on the bandwagon know that Cesar Collantes is the driving force behind this movement. His negotiations with various suppliers to provide Pasquaney players with reduced pricing has resulted in over ten alumni owners so far (I've heard another group will join the ranks this June).
The first nationals for the PAQL will be held this summer, between August 17th and 20th, at the Alumni reunion. Shortly after registering for the reunion, find your partner (I've already found mine) and start practicing.
For more information on leagues, rules, and getting your own set, please go to paql.carmody.ws. I've been told there will soon be a place for this on the Pasquaney website as well.
This article originally appearred in the Summer 2006 issue of the 'Alumni White Birch'.
