Murbles, spelled with ‘u,’ not an ‘a,’ is an outdoor game that was introduced at Pipestem Resort State Park last year and is making a return in 2016. Using what appears to be over-sized marbles and requiring no special skills, Murbles is a lawn game for any age and that anyone can play.
A well-attended Murbles tournament was held at Pipestem last year, featuring the game’s creator, Murray Kramer, who will be returning for a second tournament Sunday, May 29, at the state park campground. The event will feature prizes for first, second and third place and a Murbles set going to first place. The tournament is open to the public and is free to attend, play or observe.
“We had a lot of fun in 2015,” said Kim Hawkins, activities coordinator at Pipestem. “We offer Murbles as one of our many outdoor games at the park including oddities like disc golf, foot golf, wogging, paddle boarding, Irish Road Bowling and more. We’re pleased Murray Kramer is returning to conduct this tournament with a game he created and enjoys sharing.”
Visit www.pipestemresort.com to discover many outdoor activities to enjoy at Pipestem Resort State Park. To register to play in the Murbles tournament, call the campground 304-466-1800, extension 473 or email Kimberly.J.Hawkins@wv.gov.
About Murray’s Murbles
In 1979, Murray Kramer and his neighbor played horseshoes. Murray tried for two years but couldn’t win a game against this gentleman, so he decided to make his own game, a game that anyone could play and anyone could win, a game that did not require any setup or a dedicated playing area. His game is loosely based on the ancient European game called Bocce and uses oversized colorful plastic marbles, 3 inches in diameter and about one-half pound each, dubbed “Murbles.”
When playing Murbles, things like size, speed, agility and even skill are not required assets. The players determine the distance and pace of the game. Murbles are toteable at about 5 pounds total, buoyant, and play well in any setting. The game is made to be played by two to four players. There are some rules but to start, you dump your Murbles out of the Murble bag and you’re in the game.
