The campground area at Pipestem State Park will be jumping later this month when Murray Kramer, the inventor of the game known as Murbles, will host a tournament there. Kramer was so impressed by the Pipestem staff’s promotion of the game, he decided to visit the park.
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Look out, West Virginia; the Murble man is coming to visit.
Murray Kramer, who invented an outdoor game called Murbles, was so impressed by its growing popularity at Pipestem State Park he offered to host a tournament there.
The tournament will be held May 24. Kim Hawkins, Pipestem’s activities coordinator, said Kramer’s offer surprised and delighted the park’s staff.
“Murray called our superintendent, Dave Caplinger, who directed Murray to me,” Hawkins said. “He said he had been on the Internet and had seen news articles and videos about people playing Murbles in the park. He said he’d been invited to an event in Rainelle and said he’d like to visit the park while he was in the state.
“I asked him if he could come on a Sunday when lots of people were in the park. He said he’d love to. He said he’d like to show his appreciation by hosting a tournament, and he said he would have medals made up to give to the winners.”
Hawkins said the tournament is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., and will be held at the park’s campground.
The game, a cross between marbles and the age-old game of bocce, is played with baseball-sized plastic balls that weigh about half a pound…