“It’s one of those uniquely British pastimes,” remarked James Packer, chair of the World Conkers Championship’s organizing committee, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
St. John Burkett, a member of the organizing committee and a spokesman for the competition, announced that the horse chestnuts traditionally used for the contest would be baked this year. This hardening process is typically considered cheating in the game of conkers.
Burkett explained that the chestnuts harvested for this year’s competition were found to be too soft and mushy due to severe weather causing them to fall from the trees prematurely.
The decision to bake the chestnuts, which are provided by the contest organizers, has sparked controversy among some players. It has also drawn criticism from organizers of other conkers contests who view hardening the chestnuts as sacrilege to the sport.
“We do not believe there is a conker crisis,” stated Yanny Mac, organizer of the Waveney Valley Conkers Tournament. “I just checked my stash … and conkers are absolutely not softer this year.”
The World Conkers Championships is scheduled to take place on Sunday in Northamptonshire.
