This Annual World Championship Only Takes Place Here In Louisville

The World Championship Dainty Contest is back this month in the Schnitzelburg community, with hundreds expected to show up for the games.

"I would say the World Championship Dainty Contest is one of the most loved neighborhood events in the city and the Schnitzelburg neighborhood is so proud to be its home and welcome Dainty fans here every year," stated Mary Inman, the board president of the Schnitzelburg Area Community Council in an email to LEO Weekly. "Folks who grew up watching the Dainty wait decades to be eligible to play and those new to the neighborhood are immediately enchanted by the novel and whimsy of it all. The draw really reaches beyond our community as locals have shared this tradition with family and friends over the years who live far and wide but now come back religiously to watch or participate."

Many Schnitzelburg residents and other spectators all over the Louisville community are set to gather along George Hauck Way to see Dainties flying around, as one person will be crowned the Dainty world champion.

The road was named after George Hauck, who founded the games back in 1971 with Charlie Vettiner. Hauck passed away in 2021, and the games have been played in his honor ever since.

"...In addition to putting on a great event for the community, continuing George Hauck's impactful legacy of giving back is an important and intentional part of preserving this tradition," stated Inman in an email. "Even before George's passing, the event was only growing year over year and since his death, many neighbors who knew and loved him, local business owners, and SACC board members have worked tirelessly and passionately to ensure his contribution to the community lives on."

Dainty — which originated from German immigrants as far back as the 1800s — requires a dainty, a 5-inch stick tapered on both ends and a bat, a 3-foot stick. Players put the dainty on the ground and tap the stick with a bat to launch it into the air. Then, players attempt to strike the dainty, sending it flying. The person who launches the dainty the farthest is the winner.

Players have to be 45 years old or older to participate, and must use only one arm as they are given three strikes at the dainty before they are out.

The winner of the competition will earn a commemorative trophy, while the competitor who hit the dainty the shortest distance is set to earn a basket full of lemons.

The last winner, Eric Allen, hit the dainty 149 feet, but that's not the record. That's held by David Bramblette, who casted the dainty 153 feet from his bat to the ground. That record was set in 2020. However, records only began to be counted in 2012. There is no information on dainty distance before then, only winners.

And if you're hungry, the game also comes with the classic Dainty Meal, which includes a piece of bologna between two slices of white bread, a bag of plain potato chips, and a dill pickle. Most competitors and spectators usually throw in a beer too.

"What started as a one-day championship event has blossomed into a multi-event 'Dainty Fest' spanning five days this year for its biggest year yet!" she stated in an email.

The 54th Annual World Championship Dainty Contest is set from Saturday, July 27 to Monday, July 29.