By April Amadon<br><a href="mailto:amadona@gnnewspaper.com">E-mail April</a>
Once found only in fraternity house basements and college parties, the drinking game known as beer pong has become a worldwide competitive pastime.
The World Beer Pong Tour will make a stop in Lockport next week, with an event scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday at Taboo on Main Street.
Beer pong, popular on college campuses nationwide, is played in teams of two. Players toss a ping pong ball from one end of a table, aiming at the opposing team’s 10 cups of beer, which are arranged in a pyramid formation — like bowling pins — at the other end of the table.
If the player successfully sinks the ball into one of the cups, a member of the other team has to drink from that cup — though for the purposes of the World Beer Pong tournament, drinking is optional.
“A lot of people feel that if they have a couple drinks in them, it gets them a little loosened up ... (but) I think a lot of people pace themselves,” World Beer Pong President Peter Altholz said. “We have people playing with water at some of the tournaments. Everyone has a different strategy. Some people like to drink a lot.”
The key is to focus, he said.
“The best thing is not worrying about anything else that’s going on in the room,” he said. “Just get in the zone, aim at that cup, perfect your stroke and you got it.”
Even though drinking is optional, participants must be at least 21 years old.
The winning team wins $1,000 cash, while the remaining four top-placing teams will receive Taboo gift certificates.
The World Beer Pong Tour uses specially-made, regulation beer pong tables, official beer pong balls and 16-ounce cups. The tournament is double-elimination, so each team will get to play at least two games.
Registration forms and information can be found at www.worldpongtour.com.
A pre-registration fee of $25 per person covers the cost for team T-shirts, cups and beer for the games.
The cost for registering at the door is $30 per person.
Altholz said he recommends people sign up online, because the event will be capped at 80 teams.
“If everyone shows up at the door, they might not be able to (get in),” he said.
The tour is sponsored by F.Y.E., BJ’s Beer Pong, AdamsBalls.com and BPong.com.
The World Beer Pong Tour has been organizing tournaments since 2006, and has hosted over 75 events nationwide.
Altholz said the organization has jumped on the recent trend to bring beer pong into the mainstream.
“The tournaments are really fun,” he said. “There’s a lot of testosterone in the room, so we hire some cute girls to walk around the room, help with the games. ... It’s a party atmosphere, instead of just a straight-up sporting event. We try to make it as fun as possible.”
They will be hosting tournaments this month statewide, including in Buffalo, Rochester, Albany, New York City and Poughkeepsie.
For more information, visit www.worldpongtour.com.
