Previewing the 7th annual Hood River Open

Seven is going to be the lucky number for one of the 20 players descending upon Panorama Lodge this weekend. We're just a few days away from the 7th annual Hood River Open, and it's anybody's guess as to who will take home the coveted wood plaque for first place. Only once have we had a repeat winner: Dave Wiegand, who won the first and last Hood River tournaments. Every year in between - in a testament to the consistent strength of the field - we have had a different champion.

This year, the competition is as intense as ever. It includes four national champions and a ton of other strong contenders who have notched top finishes at many major tournaments. We are also proud to have a full contingent of players rated under 1600. This year, exactly half the field is rated below 1600, and we're thrilled to welcome all of them to the lodge.

Over the years, 48 people have experienced the magic of Hood River. Five of them (Conrad Bassett-Bouchard, Randi Goldberg, Chris Lipe, Puneet Sharma, and Dave Wiegand) have played every single year. Two players (Peter Armstrong and Mark Francillon) have played every year but one. I'd also like to give a special shout-out to Joe Roberdeau, who will be playing his very first Hood River tournament this year.

Hood River is such a unique Scrabble experience that I believe it takes some spirit of adventure to sign up for the first time. Players spend the entire weekend together sharing games and meals and lodging. And when I say lodging, I mean lodging, in an actual log cabin lodge. Panorama Lodge was lovingly built by hand, by and for the family that still owns and operates the lodge. We are one of many groups that instantly fell in love with the lodge and return year after year after year. Some groups have been coming to the lodge for 30 consecutive years. We hope to one day meet that record, too.

In the meantime, we'll keep doing what makes Hood River so special. We'll offer home-cooked meals and s'mores over the fire pit and an enormous snack table and custom omelets named after the players who order them. We'll direct 20 games of friendly (and competitive) Scrabble. After hours, we'll have games of Anagrams and Clover and Werewolf and Just One and maybe some Splendor and Wingspan and Cascadia, too. We'll have group excursions to Hood River's terrific local brewpubs like Pfriem and Double Mountain.

In other words, there will be something for everyone. With a group this size, you get the coziness and camaraderie of a smallish cohort of people who share a common love for Scrabble. You also get the chance to break off and do whatever strikes your fancy, whether that be muse philosophically about the mysteries of the universe while staying warm around a cozy outdoor fire, taking a group run through the woods, or playing fun games until the wee hours of the morning.

We are grateful for every person every year who dares to make the trip and take in the beautiful, scenic drive along the Columbia River from Portland to Hood River. We share your love for Panorama Lodge (and even created T-shirts depicting the beloved lodge!). We are excited to welcome so many players back to their Scrabble home away from home. If you're playing, pack your board and get ready for a fun-filled weekend. If you're staying home, you can follow all the action by visiting our live coverage page starting Saturday morning.