How about pickleball, cornhole, figure skating, waka ama or darts?
Final preparations for the New Zealand Masters Games are under way, as organisers move to their hub at the University of Otago ahead of the opening ceremony next Saturday.
"Right now we’re at that pointy end of it where there’s all the balls ... that are up in the air slowly coming into their right slots — it’s the fun part," games manager Vicki Kestila said.
"We pretty much run like a well oiled machine now."
The 35th games, running from next Saturday until February 11, have attracted more than 4000 entrants competing across more than 60 different sports.
Kestila was delighted at the numbers, especially considering the 2022 edition was cancelled weeks before it was meant to start due to Covid-19 red traffic light setting.
"It was just gut-wrenching. All that build-up to have it ripped out is pretty sad, but we’re just happy to get it going.
"Absolutely over the moon."
Athletes aged from 18 to 96 were travelling from across New Zealand, and further afield, to take part.
"They’re a prime example that age really is just a number."
The Masters Games — the largest and longest running national multisport event — always attracted large numbers in football, athletics, croquet, twilight 400 and team sports.
But two new additions this year had proved popular.
Jigsaw puzzle racing, an event where people race against the clock to complete a thousand-piece puzzle, was one of the first events to sell out.
"Seemingly it’s quite an event and ... people do travel the world doing jigsaw puzzle racing."
Other new event pickleball, similar to tennis or table tennis and popular in Wanaka and Gore, had attracted more than 100 competitors as well.
Athletes will not have to look far for encouragement either: former New Zealand cricketer Warren Lees, former Silver Fern shooter Jodi Brown and former Highlander Neil Brew have signed on as ambassadors for the games.
"It’s so nice for people to see well-known personalities," Kestila said.
"They just love getting out and about and talking to the entrants and just [add to] the colour of the event, really."
A team of 80 volunteers would help keep the games running throughout the nine days.
"Without these fun and enthusiastic folk, who donate a combined 10,000 hours of their time, the event just couldn’t happen."
