From DCist contributor Rebecca Walters:

Attention fans of reviving childhood memories! There’s a new sport in town. And its national championship is this weekend, right here at our very own DC9. No, DCist is not talking about the city’s return to recreational dodgeball. We are talking Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Remember Rock, Paper, Scissors? Some of you may have called the game Roshambo.

On Saturday, DC9 hosts the 2004 Magic Hat DC National Rock Paper Scissors Championship. Kicking off with a 7 p.m. registration time ($6 registration fee), the tournament begins at 8. The field is open to 128 competitors and prizes are pretty hefty, with first place winning $1,000 and an XM Satellite radio.

DCist decided to do a little more investigating into this Rock, Paper, Scissors (RPS) for adults phenomenon and goodness are we excited that we did. There is a World Rock Paper Scissors society which offers RPS history, tips and techniques, a media archive, and a bulletin board. There is even an online trainer that DCist dominated for a short time, but then we got too cocky and began to lose. So we quit and stormed away in frustration.

Think you are ready to compete this weekend? Better watch out, rumor on the bulletin boards is that the hot team in town to beat is DC Gambit. DCist recommends you get your mental game in order by studying Rolling Stone’s January piece on a Toronto-area competition. It offers a glimpse into the zany intensity surrounding this sport. This Saturday’s tournament is a cut throat single elimination with the first player to win two throws winning the round. The first player to win two rounds wins the match and advances. And if you aren’t brave enough to throw with some of the nation’s best, DCist is sure that the spectating aspect of this sport is just as much fun as competing.