The annual Brooks Cup croquet tournament wrapped up over the weekend, as players and fans came out in full white-suit glory for a characterful day of sports and fun.

The dress code is strange and onlookers might find the scene peculiar, but one thing is for sure: the people who participate love it.

“It’s funny,” said tournament founder Craig Brooks, beaming after another successful event, “because a lot of the time it might look stupid. But it’s something people look forward to and it doesn’t happen anywhere else, and that’s what Fort St. John is about. We always try to do something special, and we’re pretty happy about it.”

Wyatt Soule won the tournament, knocking off the other players in cat-and-mouse chases after becoming “poison,” which happens after hitting the last stick. In the poison state, Soule needed to just make contact with another player’s ball to eliminate him from the game, and he eventually hunted everyone down.

“There were a couple better skilled players that everyone went after, and that let me kind of come in the back door,” said Soule. “Those better players were ahead, so I went back and tried to stop them from winning, and I sort of snuck in.”

Mike Walsh, one of Soule’s last targets, tried desperately to maintain position on him during the last few turns, said he didn’t lose hope toward the end.

“Even though Wyatt was poison, I still had hope. I just made a mistake there at the end and he was able to hit my ball, and that was the end of that. It’s all over again for another year, but I’ll be back next year though, trying again,” he laughed.

Soule said he really enjoys the event and the sport.

“Oh, it’s fantastic. It’s a neat event, very different. It’s nice to dress up. It’s very interesting. There’s way more strategy to it than I ever thought there was. I played it as a kid, but there’s way more strategy than you think, especially when you know all the rules.”

Walsh, who has played in the tournament for about 10 years now, echoed those sentiments.

“My friends come and bring all of our friends together, and we just have a good time for one day. And it’s competitive too. It’s not just a barbecue. It’s a lot of fun at the same time.”

Brooks said he hopes to spread croquet in Fort St. John.

“When you see the strategy, you see that it’s not just a backyard game. There’s ways to win it by being good at it, and my big push is that someday the real golf courses will invest the time to build a pitch so people can play this game on a regular basis.”

He compared the sport to a cross of pool and chess.

“There’s a lot to it, just getting around the wickets. You have to know who your opponent is, you have to know how well you’re hitting. Shot making is important, but knowing your opponents and getting inside their heads is important too.”

The event wrapped up with a barbecue and some music, but what permeated through the crowd the entire day was just a sense of fun. Fans heckled, players concentrated and everyone enjoyed being there, fully white getups and all. It was a unique situation, and one that certainly deserves a spot in Fort St. John’s history and culture.