Harbor Lights: Wii Olympians to compete in RB Marina

If you don’t have kids, grandkids, neighbor kids or you aren’t a kid yourself, “Wii” may sound like an unfinished word from some foreign language. Everyone else knows it’s the name of an extremely popular and somewhat revolutionary video gaming system. About 200 of the best players in the U. S. will gather in the Redondo Beach Marina parking lot on Labor Day Weekend.

They’re coming from around the country to compete in the Wii Games: Summer 2010 National Championships. It isn’t quite the Olympics but if you’re a Wii enthusiast, it’s the next best thing.

Allegedly, Nintendo chose the controversial name for its game console because it was easy to say in any language. The double (ii) is said to represent two people standing side by side playing video games together.

If you haven’t been paying attention to video gaming since, say… PacMan, you may want to wander down to the RB Marina event. You’ll be surprised, perhaps pleasantly.

Nintendo, the game’s manufacturer, says, “Wii is all about getting you and your family off the couch and into the game.” The console and the games it supports do exactly that by allowing users to interact with games displayed on their TV screens. Users usually stand when they play. Their hands control things like tennis rackets and golf clubs instead of the traditional game console with its buttons and levers.

Players access games through the Wii remote, a little handheld device that might remind you of a TV remote. It has a few buttons like its TV cousins but it also has the ability to sense motion. If your TV remote could do that you’d only have to wave it at the set to change channels or adjust the volume.

nnovative attachments such as guns and steering wheels give users access to specific games or groups of games. One thing you definitely won’t find on Grampa’s old Pong game is the Wii Balance Board. You stand on it and the board senses your movements, which it transfers to the game you’re playing. Imagine snowboarding in your living room. Every time you carve a turn an image of you snowboarding on your TV turns.

Between mid-July and mid-August, tournaments were held on five consecutive weekends at eight Six Flags theme parks in California, Texas, Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts and New Jersey. Sixteen other events were held at shopping malls around the country. Children and adults competed in 5 games, basketball, bowling,  the Hula Hoop, New Super Mario Bros., and the high-speed racing game, Mario Kart Wii.

Some players at the qualifying events just came to have fun. The more serious gamers competed for prizes and a chance to come to Redondo Beach to participate in the National Championship.

Nintendo estimates as many as 90 teams will compete in RB. Six players were also selected from sweepstakes entries.

Olympic gold medalist and Dancing with the Stars champion Shawn Johnson has served as the Wii Games Ambassador all summer. She has appeared at select Wii Games: Summer 2010 events and will preside over the championship in King Harbor.

Competitors fall into categories such as parent and child, teen and adult. To ensure no one’s left out,t here’s a group of players called Super Adult consisting of teams of two people older than 55. Prizes will be awarded to winners in each category.

Throughout the day Saturday and Sunday, the public can watch demos and play games. Non-competitors, spectators and those simply interested in meeting their first Super Adult should plan to attend the Redondo Beach event. If the modern game revolution has left you behind this could be your best opportunity to catch up.

Comment on this or any other King Harbor topic at www.kingharborboater.com click on the “blog” link. Harry Munns is a Redondo Beach Harbor Commissioner.

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