All those nights of playing beer pong in crowded dark basements could pay off. The World Beer Pong Tour, traveling through the tri-state area, is making a stop Sunday in New Brunswick.
Sam Pines founded the WBPT in 2006. While in college in New York, he had a weekly beer pong league with some friends, he said.
“I honestly thought I could make a living out of this,” he said after graduating in 2005.
And he did. The first tournament was held in Rochester, N.Y. After two years, the WBPT has expanded its locale from New York and now tours New Jersey and Connecticut as well.
On Sunday night, the tour will stop at The Old Bay restaurant in New Brunswick.
“We go to cities where we know there’s a big college town,” Pines said.
He selected Hub City for the University crowd, he said. About four months ago, Pines contacted The Old Bay about hosting the tournament, said restaurant Manager Pat Pipi.
“They approached us. They were looking for a few places in town and The Old Bay was the right place,” Pipi said.
Pines said The Old Bay was the best size venue in the city, and since they have beer pong games in their bar on Mondays, it was a good match, he said.
The tournament starts at 7:05 p.m., but sign-in and practice begins an hour earlier, according to the World Pong Tour Web site. Players can register on the site, and the $25 registration fee includes a tournament t-shirt, cups and beer to play with.
All WBPT events are double elimination, with a maximum of 80 teams, according to a press release. Participants must be 21 years old or older, but drinking is completely optional, according to the release.
“It was something I was interested in,” Pipi said. Though he did not have immediate enthusiasm, after researching the WBPT, he thought it was a good opportunity, he said.
Though this is the first time the tour is stopping in New Brunswick, Pines has hopes to return. “We’re hoping for the best and hope to make it a regular thing,” he said. When the tour goes to a new city, they initially set one date to see how it works out. If it is a success, they set more dates, Pines said. He said if the tour is successful in New Brunswick, he hopes to return once a month.
The bar at The Old Bay will be open to the public 21 years old and older on Sunday, Pipi said, so people can come to the bar as spectators as well as players.
The first place team will win a five-day, four-night Spring Break vacation courtesy of StudentCity, according to the website. The second place team will win a $100 gift certificate to The Old Bay. The third and fourth place teams will win $25 gift certificates to The Old Bay. All placing teams will receive two coupons good for $25 off a BJ’s Beer Pong table and several complimentary cans of Cocaine Energy Drink, according to the Web site.
Other sponsors of the WBPT include CelPog, Pong University and electronics retailer For Your Entertainment (f.y.e.), according to the website.
World Beer Pong Tour comes to city
Published: Thursday, October 30, 2008
Updated: Thursday, October 30, 2008
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