Another summer delight that started here in Jersey
Growing up here most of us went to the Jersey shore, at least for a day trip. Some of us were lucky enough to get a week's stay at one of those kitschy 50's style motels with a tiny pool. But the thing that we looked forward to at the end of every day was heading to the boardwalk at night!
We were lucky enough to go to Wildwood, which had five amusement piers jutting out to the ocean filled with rides and games. The piers usually had games of chance, and when my parents didn’t feel like spending the money on the piers, the boardwalk arcade would do just fine.
My favorite game of all time in the arcade was Skee-Ball. You’ve no doubt heard about the latest Skee-Ball incident involving a woman throwing a ball at someone in Cape May.
Apparently, she got into some disagreement with some other people at the arcade and "allegedly” tossed a Skee-Ball that hit a kid. I watched the video, and I can’t tell if it was intentional or accidental. She’s claiming it was an accident.
OK a lot of us have thrown the ball into the 10-point lane. Not a lot of us got the ball in that wonderful center 50-point circle, but very few of us have thrown them to hit other people. But I digress!
I still love Skee-Ball and can play it for hours. We all have Joseph Fourestier Simpson of Vineland, New Jersey to thank. He invented the game way back in 1908.
Little did he know that frustrated moms would be hurling them at other people at an arcade in America’s oldest seaside resort.
It was meant to bring joy to the masses and oh yes it has — until last weekend of course.
Another amazing first of summertime enjoyment that started right here in Jersey!
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Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.
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