Myrtle Beach Will Host Quidditch Tournament

Residents of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Harry Potter fans should check out the International Quidditch Association’s World Cup VII, which will be taking place on April 5 and 6, according to Myrtle Beach Sun News.

The event will be held at the brand new North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex, which is located at 150 Citizens Circle in Little River. Weekend passes are $27.23 for ages 13 and older and $15.68 for ages 2-12. One-day passes are $18.83 and $11.48, respectively. For more information, be sure to check out the International Quidditch Association website.

North Myrtle Beach residents can receive a discount, if they bring a valid ID to the gates on the days of the event. WMBF News reports that if they can prove their residency, they will receive a reduced rate of $10 for adults per day and $5 for children under 12 per day. Those who don’t reside in Myrtle Beach will have to pay the aforementioned prices.

80 teams will be heading to Myrtle Beach for the tournament, said public relations manager Nick Candido. The line-up includes teams from Northern Arizona University, Ohio State, San Jose State, as well as the universities of North Carolina and South Carolina.

Quidditch is a full contact, co-ed sport that was inspired by the Harry Potter franchise. Teams of seven players carry a broom between their legs at all times. Three chasers must score 10 points each with a ball called the quaffle by either shooting or dunking it through any of the three hoops.

The team on defense has two beaters who use dodgeballs, called bludgers, to take opposing players out of play.

Each team also has a seeker trying to catch the snitch, a ball attached to the waist of the runner, who must avoid being captured.

Candido said the sport began at Middlebury College in Vermont “about eight years ago,” and has since grown.

“Now it’s played in more than 300 universities and communities around the world,” he said.

The North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex opened earlier this month, and that was one of the reasons why Candido thought to hold it there this year.

While it was very enticing to have the tournament in Kissimmee, Florida, where we had it last year, the prospect of going to a new athletic complex that’s premiering with this World Cup is something we couldn’t pass up,” he said.

One of the teams heading to Myrtle Beach is the Long Beach Funky Quaffles. The Long Beach Press-Telegram reports that the team tried to raise $5,000 on Indiegogo to cover their expenses. They only raised $2,827, but each member will still be going to Myrtle Beach for the tournament.

And it turns out that Quidditch is not just a physical sport. Last year, The Inquisitr reported an internet craze called “quidditching” had begun. This is where people put a broom between their legs and jump up in the air to make it look like they’re flying.