The idea behind
this “Wall of Fame” is to promote bridge in Edmonton. This idea was borrowed from the Saskatoon and
Regina bridge clubs where pictures of their local masters, together with their
bios, are displayed. We will follow suit
here in Edmonton; however, due to lack of wall space at the Edmonton Bridge
Centre, we will do it in cyber space. In sports like hockey, or entertainment
and the movie industry, the stars of the game are promoted. In bridge, recognition of the better players
should be an incentive for generally promoting the game in Edmonton. Earning 5000 MP in the ACBL is not a trivial
accomplishment. A lot of skill, and a lot of devotion, contributed to this
milestone. Everybody likes to do well in
his or her hobby, so we think recognition of lifelong achievements should be a
part of the bridge scene. Bridge players are competitive, so
acknowledging those who have done well in the game should be included in the
big picture of promoting bridge in our area.
All bridge
players coming to play in Alberta tournaments know these Edmonton players. What
they may not know is details of the players’ backgrounds and their thoughts on
the game. Clicking on their names will reveal some history of these
players from information provided by the players themselves. There are 12
Diamond Life Masters (5000 to 7499 masterpoints) and
one Emerald Life Master (7500 to 9999 masterpoints)
in Edmonton. Two Diamond Life Masters are no longer with us but remain on the
Wall of Fame. As of 2011, there are 22
players who are Gold Life Masters (2500 to 4999 masterpoints).
These master players are the Picassos and Rembrandts of our game in this neck
of the woods. To take a tour of the
gallery, click on the link Wall of Fame
and then click on the player’s name to read his or her bridge biography.