The first time I noticed Quidditch on the park strip, I didn’t know what it was (maybe because there were no flying brooms?). But I knew it was SOMETHING.
A friend clued me in later that day, and I was speechless. Harry Potter’s favorite game brought to life? Then I couldn’t help but giggle. And then my mind was filled with questions.
Capes, brooms, a golden snitch? How did they make the hoop things they were using for goals? And there were so many players! Did they all know each other before, or is there some sort of I-Love-Harry-Potter-and-Long-to-be-a-Wizard-and-Play-Quidditch fan group that brought them all together? Is there some sort of formalized league play happening?
Turns out that Quidditch is HAPPENING. It’s all over the place (especially in England, which makes sense) and is a mainstay of Harry Potter conferences (what?!?! There are conferences?!). Per Wikipedia, “In the United States, teams from more than 200 colleges are affiliated with the International Quidditch Association and play tournaments.”
In Anchorage, it looks like Alaska Quidditch was born at Kaladi Bros in March. They have a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. Here are some highlights:
- Cool photos of the players here.
- There is an International Quidditch Association (Melinda Williams is the AK Rep)
- The Quidditch birthday is August 4
- Team names include Death Eaters and Aurors
- You can shop online at Alivans for Harry Potter paraphernalia, including brooms
After I got over my initial giggle, which was mostly due to being astonished, I loved the fact that we have Quidditch in Anchorage. The Harry Potter series is so imaginative and such a rich world to immerse yourself in. It’s fun to think about bringing a part of it to life, and is so cool that there are people out there who decided that they wanted to play Quidditch in real life. And then they did.
Besides haven’t you wanted to wear a cape at some point in time? Or wanted to be a wizard or a witch? Or wished to be transported out of the world of ordinary muggle world into something fantastic and magical? I know I have.
And I definitely wouldn’t complain if I woke up and could fly!
Are there any fictional games you wish you could play?
