It seems every Monday after a beer pong trip, I’m thinking, “What a weekend!” The 2nd Annual Best of the West tournament in Phoenix, AZ was no exception. Over 200 players from throughout the western states descended on the woefully understaffed La Quinta Inn for a weekend of drinking, trash talking, and, of course, competitive pong.
NM sent out 3 men’s teams and a women’s team, representing 15% of the total field! The only city to outnumber us was AZ itself, who fielded an additional women’s team. Just like last year, if a NM team was playing, you heard it.
Friday: $2k Doubles
The weekend began on Friday night with the $2k doubles tournament ran by Chris Gracia at Tilted Kilt. Unfortunately I had to work that morning, so couldn’t make it out in time to compete in the tournament. NM had five teams compete, They Google Me going the furthest before being knocked out by AZ’s Luckey and Allen.
By the time I showed up the tournament was nearing its end. SoCal’s Peter Rusch and Mark Pimentel laid waste to the competition before facing Patrick Crosby and RJ Tell. It was a close finals, and even included one of those rare moments we all wish we could be a part of: the drunk girl asking for a celebrity shot. Peter, being the gentleman that he is, gladly offered her the shot. If you didn’t see what happened next, I don’t want to spoil it but it was priceless. Go to YouTube and lookup the video. In the end Peter and Mark took it down.
After the tournament was over most players made their way back to the hotel for some drunken revelry. When we had first checked in, we were surprised to find a gift waiting for us inside the room. And by gift, I mean that most delicious of college pranks, the coveted ice. It seems BMarx was trying to outdo his peers by icing every single out-of-town player who was staying at the hotel. I’m not sure about the legalities of allowing someone access to that many people’s rooms, but apparently AZ hotel staff look away when it comes to forcing liquid sugar down a travelers throat. That would come back to bite them.
Wandering from room to room in a hotel amidst the noises of beer pong being played is an experience that happens far too infrequently, and must be enjoyed when the opportunity arises. Penis-shaped beer bongs, Jaeger coolers, and more ices than I could count. It was a good night. Eventually the hotel security lost their patience and called the cops. When that happens it’s my cue to turn in. I called it a night, excited that the trip had only just begun.
Saturday: Best of the West
Another morning in Arizona, another shot of Jaeger. Like all season pongers, I knew that to start the day off right I’d need a full breakfast, several beers, and as many cash games as I could get in before heading to the venue. Luckily La Quinta offered a great breakfast. This is one thing you don’t get at the majors. In Vegas and AC there’s just too many options for food the next day, so you don’t often run into many players. In the smaller tournaments, everyone eats at the same place. I just love seeing the morning-after faces on all those pongers, all whining and yawning in the same place.
After a waffle and eggs, I hit up one of the NM rooms to get some games in. Most of the Duke City Dust players were there, and we played some pretty awful games against one another. A couple Kick Rocks players stopped by for some cash games, and at one point Ted Wallace trolled. There’s a great way to start a squad tournament!
10:30 finally approached and it was time to board the bus from hell. Any of you who have made it to BoW, or a similar event held at their Whisky River, will know what I’m talking about. The retired, gutted school bus with wooden interior and 8 foot bull horns is a sight to see. In the Arizona heat, it’s the one thing you don’t want to ride in, but like the River Styx it’s unavoidable. The first ride out is packed of hungover, drunk, or otherwise classified pongers screaming and getting pumped for the long day ahead. Be careful of what you’re offered on this bus, what looks like Gatorade could be almost anything.
15 minutes later and we arrived at Whisky River. Since we were on the first bus out, the place was nearly empty. It feels good to arrive before the drinks start getting poured. It’s like being the early bird. The tables were set up and warmup games had begun. I could feel the anticipation and couldn’t wait to get started.
It’s difficult to do a writeup of a tournament with this structure. So much is going on at all times it’s hard to tell where everyone’s at. In Division 1, Duke City Dust found themselves in a pretty rough spot. AZ’s Beast MODE, Sactown’s Finest, and Sin City were all making valid claims to the one spot, and we struggled to keep up. Since only the top 4 from each division would make the bracket, it was imperative we get every win possible.
Our first round was against the other team in our division who was fighting for the 4-spot, LA’s Orange County (led by Peter Rusch and featuring both Gossip Girl players). We pulled off a narrow win to start the day with a lead. Round 2 we faced IE Mutha Fuckas and pulled off a 4-1 win. After sweeping NM’s Schwasted in round 3, we were feeling very confident. Then we got our first losing round of the tournament against Sin City.
The very next round we played Sactown’s Finest. I had been looking forward to this matchup most for two reasons. One, NorCal had knocked us out of the tournament last year. Two, Beth last played Sonoma and beat him in a best of three, and as luck would have it she was paired against him again this year. She and Glaser had a 4-1 lead before stopping short. Though they took it to OT, Sonoma wasn’t about to lose to Beth again, and shut it down in glorious fashion (seriously, who takes their shirt off in prelims?). I am happy to say that I beat Bo again (as last year), and am personally undefeated against NorCal.
The back to back round losses left us in a tough spot when we went into round 6 against AZ Misfits. We had gotten a little arrogant before this particular matchup, and were talking about how many cups we needed to take it down by. Hubris proved fatal, as we were swept by the AZ 3rd string. I tell you, getting swept is a painful thing in this kind of tournament.
Our last matchup was against AZ Beast MODE, featuring Nate Cunningham. We knew this was gonna be one of our toughest matchups, and went in knowing we had to pull all the stops if we wanted to make the bracket. In the end we took it down with three wins. Every win was important, had we lost a single game we wouldn’t have made it to the playoffs.
The other NM squads didn’t fare as well as we did (understatement). Most of these players weren’t used to the big out-of-state tournaments, and were in it more for the fun than the prize. Team Drunk, headed by Huff, stayed true to their name, and came up with 10 wins when all was said and done. Team Schwasted headed by Elyse and Ryan, ended up doing something pretty monumental, pulling off a -133 cup differential. I’m pretty proud of them. Regardless of how they perform, NM always shows up in force and backs each other up.
The NM girls squad had a rough go of it as well. One by one the girls succumbed to Whisky River’s amazingly well priced shots. Elyse lost her footing first, followed by Bree. Both recovered in time to pull off a win in the last round against the Vegas girls, but it was too late. They settled for 5th place, and gave Chris a bit of a breather (running two tournaments concurrently with players in both is a headache I want no part of).
The final rundown of the men’s tournament was as follows:
Division A
1. Sin City 27-8 +78
2. Beast MODE 23-12 +54
3. Sactown’s Finest 21-14 +34
4. Duke City Dust 19-16 +28
5. AZ Misfits 19-16 -7
6. LA Orange County 18-17 +14
7. IE Mutha Fuckas 11-24 -66
8. Schwasted 2-33 -133
Division b
1. In Clint We Trust 27-8 +44
2. NorCal Northern Lights 25-10 +22
3. Inland Empire 21-14 +16
4. Leggo My Diego 20-15 -16
5. Reno 19-16 +9
6. Seattle 19-16 -12
7. Team Drunk 10-25 -63
So the top 4 teams from each division, seeded into the bracket were:
1. Sin City
2. In Clint We Trust
3. NorCal Northern Lights
4. Beast MODE
5. Sactown’s Finest
6. Inland Empire
7. Leggo My Diego
8. Duke City Dust
And so we barely squeezed by, just like last year. We played the 1 seed, Sin City, in the first round of bracket play. In some rough, heart-wrenching games, we lost the round by a single game (just like last year!). ABQ Pong is not Clutch Pong apparently.
I was pretty disappointed after getting knocked out and so unfortunately did not stick around to watch the finals (what kind of pong writer does that?). In the end it was a complete repeat of last year. AZ’s In Clint We Trust faced NorCal’s Sactown’s Finest in the finals, and NorCal sealed the repeat win. Congrats to Sonoma and the boys for pulling it off.
Big thanks to Chris Gracia and Matt Mooney for all the hard work. I know it’s a pain but it’s appreciated! I look forward to seeing all of you at this summer’s tourney lineup, first the SW Championships followed by Mesquite in July. It’s gonna be a good year for pong!
-Clawless
NM sent out 3 men’s teams and a women’s team, representing 15% of the total field! The only city to outnumber us was AZ itself, who fielded an additional women’s team. Just like last year, if a NM team was playing, you heard it.
Friday: $2k Doubles
The weekend began on Friday night with the $2k doubles tournament ran by Chris Gracia at Tilted Kilt. Unfortunately I had to work that morning, so couldn’t make it out in time to compete in the tournament. NM had five teams compete, They Google Me going the furthest before being knocked out by AZ’s Luckey and Allen.
By the time I showed up the tournament was nearing its end. SoCal’s Peter Rusch and Mark Pimentel laid waste to the competition before facing Patrick Crosby and RJ Tell. It was a close finals, and even included one of those rare moments we all wish we could be a part of: the drunk girl asking for a celebrity shot. Peter, being the gentleman that he is, gladly offered her the shot. If you didn’t see what happened next, I don’t want to spoil it but it was priceless. Go to YouTube and lookup the video. In the end Peter and Mark took it down.
After the tournament was over most players made their way back to the hotel for some drunken revelry. When we had first checked in, we were surprised to find a gift waiting for us inside the room. And by gift, I mean that most delicious of college pranks, the coveted ice. It seems BMarx was trying to outdo his peers by icing every single out-of-town player who was staying at the hotel. I’m not sure about the legalities of allowing someone access to that many people’s rooms, but apparently AZ hotel staff look away when it comes to forcing liquid sugar down a travelers throat. That would come back to bite them.
Wandering from room to room in a hotel amidst the noises of beer pong being played is an experience that happens far too infrequently, and must be enjoyed when the opportunity arises. Penis-shaped beer bongs, Jaeger coolers, and more ices than I could count. It was a good night. Eventually the hotel security lost their patience and called the cops. When that happens it’s my cue to turn in. I called it a night, excited that the trip had only just begun.
Saturday: Best of the West
Another morning in Arizona, another shot of Jaeger. Like all season pongers, I knew that to start the day off right I’d need a full breakfast, several beers, and as many cash games as I could get in before heading to the venue. Luckily La Quinta offered a great breakfast. This is one thing you don’t get at the majors. In Vegas and AC there’s just too many options for food the next day, so you don’t often run into many players. In the smaller tournaments, everyone eats at the same place. I just love seeing the morning-after faces on all those pongers, all whining and yawning in the same place.
After a waffle and eggs, I hit up one of the NM rooms to get some games in. Most of the Duke City Dust players were there, and we played some pretty awful games against one another. A couple Kick Rocks players stopped by for some cash games, and at one point Ted Wallace trolled. There’s a great way to start a squad tournament!
10:30 finally approached and it was time to board the bus from hell. Any of you who have made it to BoW, or a similar event held at their Whisky River, will know what I’m talking about. The retired, gutted school bus with wooden interior and 8 foot bull horns is a sight to see. In the Arizona heat, it’s the one thing you don’t want to ride in, but like the River Styx it’s unavoidable. The first ride out is packed of hungover, drunk, or otherwise classified pongers screaming and getting pumped for the long day ahead. Be careful of what you’re offered on this bus, what looks like Gatorade could be almost anything.
15 minutes later and we arrived at Whisky River. Since we were on the first bus out, the place was nearly empty. It feels good to arrive before the drinks start getting poured. It’s like being the early bird. The tables were set up and warmup games had begun. I could feel the anticipation and couldn’t wait to get started.
It’s difficult to do a writeup of a tournament with this structure. So much is going on at all times it’s hard to tell where everyone’s at. In Division 1, Duke City Dust found themselves in a pretty rough spot. AZ’s Beast MODE, Sactown’s Finest, and Sin City were all making valid claims to the one spot, and we struggled to keep up. Since only the top 4 from each division would make the bracket, it was imperative we get every win possible.
Our first round was against the other team in our division who was fighting for the 4-spot, LA’s Orange County (led by Peter Rusch and featuring both Gossip Girl players). We pulled off a narrow win to start the day with a lead. Round 2 we faced IE Mutha Fuckas and pulled off a 4-1 win. After sweeping NM’s Schwasted in round 3, we were feeling very confident. Then we got our first losing round of the tournament against Sin City.
The very next round we played Sactown’s Finest. I had been looking forward to this matchup most for two reasons. One, NorCal had knocked us out of the tournament last year. Two, Beth last played Sonoma and beat him in a best of three, and as luck would have it she was paired against him again this year. She and Glaser had a 4-1 lead before stopping short. Though they took it to OT, Sonoma wasn’t about to lose to Beth again, and shut it down in glorious fashion (seriously, who takes their shirt off in prelims?). I am happy to say that I beat Bo again (as last year), and am personally undefeated against NorCal.
The back to back round losses left us in a tough spot when we went into round 6 against AZ Misfits. We had gotten a little arrogant before this particular matchup, and were talking about how many cups we needed to take it down by. Hubris proved fatal, as we were swept by the AZ 3rd string. I tell you, getting swept is a painful thing in this kind of tournament.
Our last matchup was against AZ Beast MODE, featuring Nate Cunningham. We knew this was gonna be one of our toughest matchups, and went in knowing we had to pull all the stops if we wanted to make the bracket. In the end we took it down with three wins. Every win was important, had we lost a single game we wouldn’t have made it to the playoffs.
The other NM squads didn’t fare as well as we did (understatement). Most of these players weren’t used to the big out-of-state tournaments, and were in it more for the fun than the prize. Team Drunk, headed by Huff, stayed true to their name, and came up with 10 wins when all was said and done. Team Schwasted headed by Elyse and Ryan, ended up doing something pretty monumental, pulling off a -133 cup differential. I’m pretty proud of them. Regardless of how they perform, NM always shows up in force and backs each other up.
The NM girls squad had a rough go of it as well. One by one the girls succumbed to Whisky River’s amazingly well priced shots. Elyse lost her footing first, followed by Bree. Both recovered in time to pull off a win in the last round against the Vegas girls, but it was too late. They settled for 5th place, and gave Chris a bit of a breather (running two tournaments concurrently with players in both is a headache I want no part of).
The final rundown of the men’s tournament was as follows:
Division A
1. Sin City 27-8 +78
2. Beast MODE 23-12 +54
3. Sactown’s Finest 21-14 +34
4. Duke City Dust 19-16 +28
5. AZ Misfits 19-16 -7
6. LA Orange County 18-17 +14
7. IE Mutha Fuckas 11-24 -66
8. Schwasted 2-33 -133
Division b
1. In Clint We Trust 27-8 +44
2. NorCal Northern Lights 25-10 +22
3. Inland Empire 21-14 +16
4. Leggo My Diego 20-15 -16
5. Reno 19-16 +9
6. Seattle 19-16 -12
7. Team Drunk 10-25 -63
So the top 4 teams from each division, seeded into the bracket were:
1. Sin City
2. In Clint We Trust
3. NorCal Northern Lights
4. Beast MODE
5. Sactown’s Finest
6. Inland Empire
7. Leggo My Diego
8. Duke City Dust
And so we barely squeezed by, just like last year. We played the 1 seed, Sin City, in the first round of bracket play. In some rough, heart-wrenching games, we lost the round by a single game (just like last year!). ABQ Pong is not Clutch Pong apparently.
I was pretty disappointed after getting knocked out and so unfortunately did not stick around to watch the finals (what kind of pong writer does that?). In the end it was a complete repeat of last year. AZ’s In Clint We Trust faced NorCal’s Sactown’s Finest in the finals, and NorCal sealed the repeat win. Congrats to Sonoma and the boys for pulling it off.
Big thanks to Chris Gracia and Matt Mooney for all the hard work. I know it’s a pain but it’s appreciated! I look forward to seeing all of you at this summer’s tourney lineup, first the SW Championships followed by Mesquite in July. It’s gonna be a good year for pong!
-Clawless
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Upcoming Events
WSOBP 8 Satellite (Coed/40+)
May 5th, 2012
Southwest Beer Pong
Spectators Sports Bar
Guy/Guy Teams: $50
Guy/Girl Teams: $40
Girl/Girl Teams: $30
Preregistration Discount Here
Albuquerque, NM
May 5th, 2012
Southwest Beer Pong
Spectators Sports Bar
Guy/Guy Teams: $50
Guy/Girl Teams: $40
Girl/Girl Teams: $30
Preregistration Discount Here
Albuquerque, NM
2012 Southwest Beer Pong Championships
August 3rd-5th, 2012
Southwest Beer Pong
Spectators Sports Bar
Friday: WSOBP 8 Satellite
Saturday: $5k Doubles Main Event
Sunday: Singles Championships
Albuquerque, NM
August 3rd-5th, 2012
Southwest Beer Pong
Spectators Sports Bar
Friday: WSOBP 8 Satellite
Saturday: $5k Doubles Main Event
Sunday: Singles Championships
Albuquerque, NM