PHOTOS: Shoes $ Brews Horseshoes end fall season at VFW POST 10054
Originating as a small backyard series, the Shoes $ Brews Horseshoe Pitching Series grounded its roots from an unconventional start.
Created in 2021 during Covid by founder and current NSHPA president Rebel Dilger to allow to pitchers to continue to play during the pandemic, the series remains strong four years later.
“It originally started in our backyards and we used to have a tournament out at my brother’s house on Mount Charleston and a couple locally in town,” Dilger said. “My-son-in law worked for a landscaping company and they were building some pits over at the Coyote’s Den bar and I already knew they had some over at the Elks Lodge. We have a pretty good schedule, extending to Sandy Valley, Shoshone and Beatty.”
Last month, much to the joy of pitchers tossing in Pahrump, VFW Post 10054 funded to upgrade their pitching courts to include artificial turf for future tournaments.
“You don’t ruin your shoes. You’re not stepping in dirt, making holes. Everything stays stable,” Dilger said. “You can’t even really tell the difference that you’re on fake grass or cement. It’s really so much the difference.”
Averaging about 18-20 pitchers per tournament, the series continues to bring the community together.
It is run now by Heath and Christy Russell, who have done a wonderful job in taking over the series, according to former SBHPS president Rebel Dilger.
“They’ve made shirts and are doing a nice job of bringing their canopy and hanging them up,” Dilger said “They’re just doing a really good job.”
The series plans on moving to parks in Las Vegas to pitch on Sundays starting in the fall as soon as the heat subsides.
Dilger said it hasn’t been the easiest finding parks to fit his league’s needs.
The Elder Women’s class (65 and up) and the Cadets class (12 and younger), pitch from the 20-foot line, which creates a problem when finding the right parks.
“Last Saturday, I went to eight different parks, all in North Las Vegas, and their horseshoe pits are not playable for us,” Dilger said. “Some of them are just 40 feet (men’s regulation length). They don’t even have the 30-foot courts for the ladies, elders or the kids.”
Results
Last Sunday, the Shoes $ Brews Horseshoes Pitching Series wrapped its regular season play in the VFW tournament located at VFW Post 10054.
Over the hot weekend, the pits saw 18 pitchers duke it out in a 9-team triple elimination format play. The winners are as follows.
1st Place: Mark Kaczmarek, Pahrump and Lawrence Workman, Henderson
2nd Place: Randy Salzwimmer, Pahrump and Sheri Dilger, Mount Charleston
3rd Place: Vance Dilger, Mount Charleston, and Stephen Lamar, Pahrump
Six-Pack Champion: Lawrence Workman, Henderson
