You Can Go Mini-Golfing with Pro Wrestlers for Charity Tomorrow

Photo courtesy CHIKARA

If you’ve ever wanted to go miniature golfing with muscular guys in masks, your dream has come true.

CHIKARA — the lucha-inspired, fantasy-tinged, kid-friendly pro wrestling federation based in Philadelphia since 2002 — is holding the final event of its 15th season tomorrow night at the 2300 Arena at Swanson and Ritner streets in South Philly.

CHIKARA is a colorful, silly wrestling show. It’s wrestling for both superfans who know the tropes of the art form and people who don’t know anything about wrestling at all. CHIKARA, unique in modern wrestling promotions, keeps the identities of many of its wrestlers secret. (Most of them wear masks.) Wrestlers don’t really break character. Founder Mike Quackenbush doesn’t usually give interviews about storylines.

The promotion once shut down for almost a year as part of a storyline, only to return and resurrect the promotion when a time-traveling band leader returned in a DeLorean. (Okay, maybe it’s more for big wrestling dorks than anyone else.)

That fake shutdown pushed the boundaries of wrestling storytelling. An event before tomorrow’s card is not quite as epic in its scope, but I believe it also breaks new ground in wrestling: Tomorrow, you can go play mini-golf with the wrestlers of CHIKARA. And it’s all for a good cause.

From 12:30 to 2 p.m., CHIKARA is teaming up with Philabundance to hold a mini-golf fundraiser at Keystone Mini-Golf & Arcade (161 Cecil B. Moore Avenue) in Kensington. For $10 — or a donation of 10 cans of food to Philabundance — you get to play a round or golf and interact with about a dozen pro wrestlers.

“If each fan brings one can of food, we should be able to meet our goal,” Quackenbush — officially CHIKARA’s “Director of Fun” — says. “We’ll make sure that every fan in attendance has a great time, and Philabundance will make sure every donated can goes to the right place. It’s a match made in heaven!”

I checked in with Bryce Remsberg, CHIKARA’s lead referee/Internet hype man, and yes, the event is CHIKARA canon. All the wrestlers there promoting their matches that night will be in character. Knowing CHIKARA, storyline events could take place at the mini-golf fundraiser.

CHIKARA hopes to collect a thousand pounds of food for Philabundance at its two events. After mini-golf in the afternoon, the wrestling card is at 7 at the old ECW Arena (now called 2300). Tickets start at $25, and kids under 12 are free with a paying adult. They’re available online or at the door.