Dundonald Masterclass

27th Jan 2013

Location: Dundonald Recreation Ground, SW19
Dangers and Annoyances: Freezing Rain. Dog Poo.
Extreme Rating: 4

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Match 1 - Results:

D. Woolridge 11
B. Martin 6

Match 2 - Results:

D. Woolridge 6
B. Martin 4

Two of the game's hottest players pushed aside their Sunday Roasts and battled it out the freezing sheet-rain in a small recreation ground in South London. The game was skilfully played by the run-down public lavatories, giving the game an unneeded seedy edge.

Gameplay was of a high standard, although lack of proper attire soon meant that the boule were slipping from the player's numbed fingers.

Location:Dundonald Recreation Ground, Wimbledon

Southside Seagull Showdown

D. Woolridge 7
B. Martin 6

This friendly grudge match took an unexpected turn when a seagull ATE the jack. An extreme boule first? The snowy weather has made the birds so hungry they'll eat boules.

Woolridge played stronger than has been seen recently. Martin obviously shocked and shaken by both this and the bird attack.

Location:Wimbledon Common Southside

Eliminator Snowmageddon

D. Woolridge 1st
T. Wort 2nd
M. Wort
B. Martin
E. Martin
M. Hopkins
S. Murphy

A tense eliminator round saw 2011's Champ, D. Woolridge take the crown. Men, so shamed by the eliminator dance were seen running off into the woods.

Dangers : Boule hungry dogs

Meanwhile M. Hopkins, only days after winning the title was seen stumbling around the sledging hill with a bottle of ale in hand.

Sledging Hill Smackdown

E Martin 3
B Martin 1
M Hopkins 2
T wort 1
M wort 1
S Murphy 2
D Woolridge 1

An epic match in snowy conditions at the base of a packed sledging hill pitted two previous world champions against some of the hottest players today.

In a pivotal moment in not only the game but perhaps history in general, Hopkins fluffed his winning shot to pass the game to the new comer E. Martin.

2012 World Championship award ceremony

Hopkins receives the coveted Extreme boules world champion cup and treats crowds and housewives to a little playful boasting...

Hail Mari!

A News Years day show down on the Nab in the Peak District saw some classic Extreme action to kick start the 2013 season. Last years runner up P. Cox and Extreme Boule stalwarts T. Wort, R. Waterman and C. Davies were obliterated in the extreme terrain by suprise package M. Wort. Slopes, mud, strong wind and hail put a nice extreme edge on three rounds of boule played on this lovely hill. M. Wort took all three events, including a complete whitewash (in which none of her opponents scored) and sent her straight to the top of the leaderboard! But for how long....

Game stats can be found in the Game Results section of this blog...

Exclusive Interview with 2012 World Champion

"I'm good at aiming, throwing and I'm cool under pressure"

Mike Hopkins, Extreme Boule World Champion 2012. We sent an intrepid reporter to track down the new world champion to find out the secrets behind his success, the problems of fame and the truth about those rumoured port binges...

Mike, can you sum up the feeling of being the World Champion of 2012 in four words?
Pride, disbelief, euphoria, relief.

Most Extreme Boule World Champions end up addicted to port, missing or dead. What are your plans?
After a heavy Port binge in December I've gone cold turkey so am determined to keep that up. Plans for the immediate future are just to deal with all the press and media circus and then I'll try to get away for a bit so I can just enjoy it. Hopefully I will come back alive and then, well it's all to play for in 2013....

"Next year when I'm holding the trophy for a 2nd time I think we will all know the answer"

You won 60% of your games, beating 38 opponents along the way. What was the secret to your success?
I'm good at aiming, throwing and I'm cool under pressure. These 3 elements are the winning combination.

How will you handle the obvious stardom and adulation that will inevitably head your way?
Keep it real, stay positive, stay off Port, put something back into the community, never forget my roots.

In your opinion, where do you rank alongside the other world champions? The best? Second best? Third? Fourth? Worst?
Well obviously not the worst. I guess that's for you to figure out. It's all there in the stats as you know. Next year when I'm holding the trophy for a 2nd time I think we will all know the answer.

No one has ever won the World Championship twice? Can you?
Yes

2012 World Rankings

The 2012 season closed at Midnight on December 31st with games being played up until the final moments. Below are the final rankings for the season.

1. M. Hopkins
2. P. Cox
3. J. Murray
4. T. Webster
5. D. Woolridge
6. R. Waterman
7. S. Jones
8. T. Calvert
9. T. Wort
10. B. Martin
11. M. Wort
12. S. Moss
13. A. Betts
14. G. Thomas
15. S. Murphy
16. D. Murphy
17. G. Face
18. C. Davies
19. J. Cooke
20. L. Cranshaw
21. S. Charles
22. P. O'Brien
23. J. Ossett
24. M. O'Brien
25. I. Thomas
26. E. Roberts
27. C. Walton
28. B. Murphy
29. M. Howells
30. M. Murphy
31. G. Burrows
32. J. Burrows
33. J. Goddard
34. B. Spruce
35. N. S-Moss
36. L. Thomas
37. K. Harrison
38. C. Williams

Awards for 2012 season:




World Champion: Mike Hopkins



Shot of the Season 1: Balance Boy B. Martin landing a 15m kisser against Woolridge in what many people considered one of THE games of the season, The Garrat Park Messacre.  http://extremeboules.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/garrat-park-massacre.html
Shot of the Season 2: Jim Murray forcing S. Moss and T. Wort to 'Call Old Westminster' after a supernatural shot to clinch a classic long player http://extremeboules.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/murrays-masterclass.html


Game of the Season: So many to choose from, but the Llyn y Fan Fach Cup Challenge pips it. http://extremeboules.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/halfway-bouleathon.html

Innovation Award: Darren Woolridge for the Moon Pie technique

True Spirit of Extreme Boule Award (traditionally awarded to the player who finishes 23rd for reasons lost in the mist of time): J. Ossett

2012 WORLD CHAMPION

The 2012 World Champion is...

MIKE HOPKINS

 

 

 

Hopkins held onto the top spot despite a last minute attempt by Pippa Cox to claim the title. A very impressive season saw Hopkins win 60 % of his games including the now legendary Llyn y Fan Fach Cup Challenge (http://extremeboules.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/halfway-bouleathon.html). Beating 38 opponents over the course of the season flung Hopkins to the number one spot, and the nerve he showed to claim the Battle of Slop Bog (http://extremeboules.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/the-hottest-game-of-season.html) squashed any doubts he may not deserve the title. Hopkins now becomes an Extreme Boule Legend sitting alongside previous World Champions Darren Woolridge, James Perrot, John Gillard and of course Jon Baptiste Gressier.

Hopkins was unavailable to comment at present (presumably up to his eyes in celebratory port and cigars) but you can enjoy this archive interview in the meantime... http://extremeboules.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/mike-hopkins-current-world-number-one.html.

 

Hopkins claiming another round on his way to the title

 

Graveldome

T. SIENCYN 4
D. Redy 1
D. Woolridge 0
T. Wort 0

D. Woolridge 3
D. Redy 0
T. SIENCYN 0
T. Wort 0

D. Woolridge 5
D. Redy 4
T. Wort 4

Location:Warwick Street,Cardiff,United Kingdom