KINGSTON — As Kingston coach Tony Chisholm walked to the junior high school at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, he saw a lone, young hoopster waiting to get into the building’s entrance.

Chisholm asked why he’d arrived at the school so early.

“Because,” the boy said, “I want to play basketball.”

“I said, ‘Good for you,’” Chisholm replied.

From that moment on, the enthusiasm for all things hardwood continued to emanate from the KJH gym for nearly 12 hours as the 13th annual Kingston Hip Hop Hoop Shoot got underway.

Bouncing basketballs dribbled to no end as more than 60 teams from Chimacum to South Kitsap made their way to the Little City by the Sea for the Poulsbo Parks and Recreation event.

For the first time in recent memory, the number of teams in the event actually declined, organizers said. But that was likely the result of the Hoop Shoot’s initial cancellation Jan. 8 due to inclement weather. Last Saturday’s near-slushiness could have inhibited travellers to the event as well, bringing the number of teams down from its maximum capacity 80 to 62.

Either way, the event was hailed a success.

“It’s a community coming together,” said Poulsbo Parks and Recreation’s Coordinator Marla Harkelrod. “It’s not about the competition. All the kids cheer each other on and it pulls them together. You can see the camaraderie.”

Event director Joe Schiel, with help from volunteers, begins to set up the event around 7 a.m. and doesn’t finish each year until about 11 p.m. Registration for both the individual shooting competitions, held from about 10 a.m. to noon, and the three-on-three tournament, take place during the 9 a.m. hour, making it the busiest time for organizers.

“We had our normal craziness from 9:15 to about 9:45,” said Poulsbo Parks and Recreation Director Mary McCluskey.

The 62 teams, consisting of three to five players, competed on the Kingston hardwood until about 7 p.m. Saturday night.

McCluskey said she especially appreciates the event because of the wide range of skill levels it can accommodate.

“This can be for anyone,” she said. “You don’t have to be a professional ball player to play.”

The Hoop Shoot has come a long way in its 13 years in Kingston. Started as a summer event by active Kingston community leader Cy Wise, the Hoop Shoot was played outside on the concrete down by Mike Wallace Memorial Park.

“When we started, we’d be lucky to get 35 teams,” McCluskey said.

It was eventually moved inside to Kingston Junior High School to help kick off the winter basketball season — though there have been talks to start-up another outdoor basketball tournament in Kingston.

Rick West, who has volunteered at the event since his kids began playing in it, said the day may be long but that it’s worth it for the opportunity it brings kids in the community.

“Any kid who’s on a court doing this isn’t out doing something they shouldn’t be,” he said.