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Published: Friday, September 21, 2007 mgowanbo.cc
Grimacing for gambling....
The ancient and quirky art of gurning - grimacing to best (or worst) effect - is alive and well and being sponsored by Golden Palace Casino in a welcome and fun change from its usual guerilla marketing tactics of disrupting sports events and buying weird things off e-Bay.
Celebrating the 'sport,' which dates back to the 13th century in England, traditionally takes place at the World Gurning Championships at the Egremont Crab Apple Fair in the UK. Competitors for the title of Great Gurner put their heads through a horse's collar, the better to frame their facial contortions; the audience applauds, and whoever receives the biggest hand wins.
This year over 42 contestants took part in the Golden Palace world gurning competition. The crowd watched in awe as Tommy Mattinson, a gurning legend and champion for an impressive tenth consecutive year, put his face through its paces and contorted himself into another trophy. Coming in second place was Gordon Blacklock, and third was Alan (Happy) Hornell.
Golden Palace boasts that over the years it has used its unusual inventory of curious items to raise awareness and over a million dollars for various charities worldwide. |
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