Start your engines, get your banana peels ready, and watch for the blue shell.
The City of Yelm is hosting its inaugural “Mayor’s Cup,” a Mario Kart 8 Tournament on Oct. 14 at the Yelm Community Center that will be friendly for all ages.
“The idea for a Mayor’s Cup in Yelm was based in one of my campaign promises to increase recreational opportunities for both the youth and adults in Yelm,” Yelm Mayor Joe DePinto said. “The goal was to create a sporting event where people could have fun, help support a local charity, and compete against their peers and the mayor — there’s a bounty on me — to be the best in Yelm.”
DePinto said the city tried to organize a quick 3-on-3 basketball tournament late last year, but that was canceled because of lack of participation due to a short planning period.
The Mario Kart Tournament is different, however.
“This year, we had plenty of time to plan, and after staff input we decided to go with an E-Sports Tournament and landed on Mario Kart as the best option,” DePinto said. “Call of Duty and Madden were also games we considered, but Mario Kart seemed to check a lot of boxes for us.”
DePinto said Mario Kart was inclusive for most age groups and physical abilities, while the tournament logistics were the easiest.
“A lot of people would know how to play,” DePinto said. “I remember playing it on the Super Nintendo, and I have been practicing a little on the Switch, which is the platform we will be using.”
The tournament will have up to eight places in each race. Contestants will compete in the Grand Prix mode in the tournament, and four races will be held. The top two will advance to the final race. There will be a prize for first, second and third, along with a bounty on the mayor.
The tournament costs $20, with half of all proceeds going to the Yelm Branch Boys and Girls Club. Player check-in for the tournament will be 11:30 a.m., and the first race will be at noon.
People can register by going to https://lf.yelmwa.gov/Forms/MayorsCup?fbclid=IwAR00UMnm7uKmrQOGCV0uHI2OlvIqG9UTmdYHdyZKlX8kUCFmbu4pJKb8efk or https://www.facebook.com/events/119954481191859/?ref=newsfeed.
