BusinessTN

Though it may fall short of Coffee County's multi-day music fest Bonnaroo in scope and hype, the National Rolley Hole Marbles Championship in Overton County provides a home to one of the few remaining marble tournaments in the country. (The only other is the National Marbles Tournament of Wildwood, N.J., for children ages 7-15.)

The world's best marble shooters, as well as collectors, craftsmen and spectators, flock to the area for what many refer to as the Super Bowl of marbles. Held each September at Standing Stone State Park—the region located between Livingston, Celina and Gainesboro—the event features five marble tournaments and other festivities. Games include the centerpiece of the festival, Rolley Hole, in addition to Tennessee Square, British, Georgia Rolley Hole and Ringer.

"It's such a unique event that it has really brought a lot of attention to our park," says the event's organizer, Shawn Hughes, an interpretive specialist at Standing Stone. "It has also given us an identity throughout the United States and the world."

Marbles has been a popular pastime along the Tennessee-Kentucky border "since before all the toys, gadgets and computers," says Rita Reagan, a member of the Livingston-Overton County Chamber of Commerce.

To renew interest, Bob Fulcher, park manager of Cumberland Trail State Park, founded the championship in 1983 with the help of the Tennessee Bureau of State Parks and the Friends of Standing Stone.

Witnessing his first marble game in Clay County "was like walking into a different world," Fulcher says. "I realized there were still people playing marbles, just not many places to play." Since its founding, the one-of-a-kind tournament has been featured by Sports Illustrated, National Geographic and ESPN, among others.

The main attraction, Rolley Hole, may seem complex to outsiders. Three marble-sized holes, spread nine feet apart, set the stage on a 40-by-25-foot dirt marble yard. In teams of two, each player must make four consecutive holes during three rounds for a total of 12 times. Players also aim to strategically knock opponents' marbles out of bounds.

Reigning champions like Tompkinsville, Ky., natives Bradley Wilson, 35, and Chris King, 25, compete for "pride more than anything," Wilson says. (Winners also walk away with a $500 prize and their names permanently added to the famed list of champions in the rafters.)

Now in its 27th year, the championship attracts an estimated 1,000 marble enthusiasts. That number represents a pleasant spike in tourism dollars each year. "With the economy so bad, it really helps draw tourism and revenue to the county, as well as new residents," Reagan says.

Not surprisingly, the majority of attendees come from Tennessee and Kentucky, though past years have seen international competitors from England, France, Italy and Mexico.

As the winners make a name for themselves in marble history, the championship maintains its modest niche for the state in the realm of national sporting competitions. Coffee County may have Bonnaroo, but only in Overton County do crowds gather each year to compete for all the marbles.