DIANA MORRISON SCORES # 600

Diana Morrison headed to Clearwater to play the Mixed Doubles with high hopes; she was playing with Earl Ball and expected to have a good chance to reach the lofty mark of 600 points, no small feat!  She had to drag Earl along but she wasn’t to be denied!  They played three great teams and prevailed in each to reach the semifinals assuring her of the point necessary to make #600.

CONGRATULATIONS!! Earl

Lofty Earns Entrance into the CD HOF.

It’s an honor to present my friend “Earl” that’s right, Earl Loft Haskim for induction into the Florida Shuffleboard Association, Central District Hall of Fame.  Lofty has spent his life as a competitive athlete.  Lofty comes from north of Toronto, for those of you from Canada, Parry Sound.  Being from that part of the World presented Lofty with the opportunity to play Hockey, which he did, for over20 years.  10 of those years he played with Bobby Orr’s father.  Lofty was a star and his #11 made him #1 in the hearts of the fans.  He also Curled, a pre-curser to shuffleboard.  When there wasn’t ice, Lofty was out playing in the grass!  He was one of the area’s top golfers, winning 5 championships in the Parry Sound/Barrie area so being competitive was part of his nature.

When Lofty retired in the mid 90’s he moved to Florida and like so many of us he bumped into Shuffleboard in his park.  It didn’t take long and he was out playing tournaments.  I remember when I started in 97 Lofty was the top amateur in the Central District and I thought if I could only be as good as he was I’d really be something;  he probably thought if only I could be his age, I’d send him back to the golf course.  In just a couple years of playing he was at the top of the Central District Amateurs and finished runner-up in the “Masters”.  He made Pro the next season and as a 1^st year Pro played in the “Masters”.  Lofty was a Top 8 player several more times.  Lofty’s top shuffleboard award of course will be his induction into the Hall of Fame but his top achievement on the courts is still the State Championship he won with Diana in the Mixed Tournament with 87 teams taking part.  You don’t see tournaments like that anymore.

I so admire Lofty, as I’m sure so many of you do, for sticking it out and earning this award.

It’s my pleasure and honor to present to you, my friend, Lofty Haskim for induction into the Florida Shuffleboard Association, Central District Hall of Fame.

Earl Ball; 2014 03 14