Quidditch Comes To The Hamptons

Quidditch, the magical sport straight out of the world of Harry Potter, has finally made its way to Quogue—and community members are invited to participate in the sport of wizards this weekend.

East End residents passing by Quogue Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5350 on Montauk Highway on Saturday, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m., might be surprised to find college-aged kids whizzing across the field, or “the pitch,” as it is called, with broomsticks between their legs during the inaugural Champagne Cup. But the game—which has gained rapid popularity on college campuses throughout the country—is no joke. There are more than 680 teams in the United States alone, and many others around the world are registered with the International Quidditch Association.

Quogue resident Jeff Sherman, a 20-year-old junior at the Rochester Institute of Technology who organized the tournament, will be the first to explain that Quidditch is a game of strategy as much as it is a test of physical skill. It is also a full-contact sport.

“A lot of times people will joke about it, but then once they see it they realize that it can be intense,” Mr. Sherman said, adding that the game is gaining more legitimacy in the world of sports. “Every game has to start somewhere and Quidditch is in its infancy right now.”

Mr. Sherman is captain of RIT’s intercollegiate team called the Dark Marks, and as the semester came to a close in May, he said he got the idea to organize a summer tournament near his home to bring teams together to share their love of the sport.

All community members are invited to watch the games on Saturday for free while everyone 15 and over is invited to join in at a cost of $5 per player. Proceeds will go toward equipment repairs and travel expenses for the Dark Marks who hope to participate in next year’s North East Regional Tournament in Boston and the sixth annual World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida.

Mr. Sherman describes the game as a mix between tag, rugby, basketball and dodgeball. Players on the field try to throw the “qauffle,” a volleyball-sized ball, through one of three hoops on either end of the field while, at the same time, dodging “bludgers,” or balls that temporarily knock players out of the contest. While all that is taking place on the field, the “seekers” for either team are in search of the “snitch,” a neutral player with a tennis ball tucked in his or her shorts that is free to roam the area to avoid being caught. Once the seekers grab the tennis ball from the snitch, they are awarded extra points and the game is over.

While Mr. Sherman said there is a healthy competitive nature to most games he plays, he said it’s the camaraderie that draws him back to the game every year.

“I just love the people,” Mr. Sherman said. “It’s a community made up of nerds who want to play sports and also athletes who have a little bit of nerdiness to them.”