By Blair Henley June 27, 2013

(WIMBLEDON, England) -- “I just love tennis.”
 
That’s what London local Mark Gibbons said when asked why he would line up for Wimbledon tickets nearly 48 hours before the tournament began. Fans “queuing” at that point were planting themselves, uncomfortably, on the sidewalk just across from the All England Club. They wouldn’t be let into the official queuing park until 8 a.m. the following morning. Then, of course, they would wait another full day before actually getting their tickets.
 
As inherently “Wimbledon” as eight-millimeter lawns and strawberries and cream, the queue is a yearly tradition for many tennis fans. Their dedication is admirable, and for the outside observer, hard to comprehend.
 
Luke Dolphin thinks nothing of spending a couple nights in the chilly, damp, windy London elements – he’s been queuing with his father since he was a child.
 
“I’ve done it since ‘97, when I was four,” Dolphin said proudly. “I do it every year. I saw Henman win in the quarters a couple of times. I saw Nadal lose to Rosol last year. That was impressive.”
 
While the Dolphins enjoyed some father/son time, Gibbons, who has been queuing for nearly 15 years, described himself as a “lone wolf.” Based on his sidewalk location, he had clearly done this before. “We just pray that it doesn’t rain,” he said with a chuckle. “That’s why I’m under this tree here.”
 
Hiding under overhanging foliage may be a good strategy to avoid precipitation, but what do people do about potential boredom? According to American Maria Hadjialexiou, who experienced the queue last year, that’s easy to avoid: “The good news is that they let you bring alcohol in. We had bottles of champagne, so it was worth it.”
 
Mother-daughter duo Jan and Rosie Charman skip the champagne and simply enjoy each other’s company. They didn’t arrive until 24 hours before the Wimbledon gates were slated to open, and the eight-year queue veterans were surprised at what they saw.
 
“This is the earliest we’ve gotten here, but this is the worst we’ve seen,” Rosie said. “I expect [to get tickets for] Court One because we’re 700 in the queue already.”
 
With both Murray and Federer playing on day one, the interest level was higher than it’s ever been. The London Metro reported that the first 500 tickets, which guaranteed a spot on Centre Court, had been claimed by 10 a.m. the day before play.  At 11:30 a.m., there were more than 1,000 people camping out in the park.
 
If the rows upon rows of tents weren’t dipped in every color of the rainbow, passers by might wonder if they had stumbled across a refugee camp instead of a sporting event. Even in the early hours of the day, most people sit inside their tiny mobile homes, chatting with friends or talking to their temporary neighbors.
 
While those waiting to see their favorite tennis players must provide their own camping gear, the tournament provides a food stand as well as portable toilet facilities - unless they come before the park opens, in which case, they’re on their own if nature calls.
 
“You have to hide somewhere,” Gibbons explained. “Find a bush somewhere and pray that your fellow campers will save your spot.”
 
Those fellow campers are part of the overall experience, said Rosie Charman. “There’s really nice camaraderie. People are really friendly, and there’s a lovely atmosphere. If we didn’t like it, we wouldn’t come back.”
 
Even beyond the madness of the first two days at Wimbledon, this year’s queue has continued to be one of the largest in history. Patrons arriving by London’s “tube” hoping to get tickets on the day of a desired match are being “strongly advised” to turn around, with warnings of an eight-hour wait at times. The grounds at Disney World seem positively tame by comparison.