You don't have to wait for the Olympics in Beijing next month to see world-class competitors.
Some of the best horseshoe pitchers in the world will compete in York County in the next two weeks — and you can watch them free of charge.
The National Horseshoe Pitchers Association's 2008 World Tournament begins Monday and runs daily through July 19 at the York Expo Center in York County.
The first world tournament held in Pennsylvania since 1976 will feature over 1,300 horseshoe pitchers from 46 states, Canada, Japan and Norway.
Pennsylvania boasts 215 registered pitchers. One of the best is Lancaster County's Mike Creek.
The 31-year-old Columbia man won the state title last year and will be competing in his first world tournament.
How good is he? More than two out of every three of his horseshoe pitches are ringers.
"I'm very excited," Creek said today. "I'm hoping to finish in the top five. That's my goal."
That would be a huge accomplishment in Creek's class featuring the top 16 pitchers.
Defending and 13-time world champion Alan Francis of Ohio has an 88-percent ringer average, and Brian Simmons of Rhode Island enters the tournament at 84 percent.
Florida's Walter Ray Williams Jr., who won the championship six times pitching right-handed, will be trying to win it left-handed this time.
The defending and two-time women's world champion, Joan Elmore of Tennessee, will also be among those competing for $170,000 in prize money.
She nails ringers 88 percent of the time from the women's pitching distance of 30 feet (Men pitch 40 feet from the stake).
Creek learned the sport as a youngster playing with his grandfather, Curvin Tome of Marietta.
He's only been seriously pitching in NHPA-sanctioned tournaments for six years.
While some pitchers prefer to flip their shoes one or more times in the air, Creek pitches his shoes so they spin around 1¼ times before hitting the stake.
Two years ago, Creek won $3,000 after finishing third behind only Francis and Simmons in a major tournament in Crossville, Tenn.
The Columbia pitcher hopes the world tournament will entice more "backyard pitchers" in the area to join NHPA.
Many members are getting up in age and not enough younger pitchers are following in their footsteps, he said.
At the world tournament, the championship finals will be July 17, 18 and 19. Titles will be determined July 19.
The York Expo Center is at the York Fairgrounds, Carlisle Avenue/Route 74.
For more information, visit
www.2008wt.com.
Staff writer Ryan Robinson can be reached at rrobinson@LNPnews.com or 481-6032. 
