I hoofed it to Beijing Riviera on Saturday night to watch normally responsible people–the management-position-holding townhouse-living kids-at-home crowd–play beer pong and get drunk. And not necessarily in that order. The sixteen-team tourney known as the International Beer Pong Championship Beijing was organized by Mike Signorelli, whose background includes a stint with NBA China and who runs the club Sig Wine, and was taped by a Mongolian sports channel. Just because.
The event was in Riviera’s clubhouse and saw constant action on two tables overseen by whistle-blowing refs. Plus lots of beer. Plus Richard Robinson of Chopschticks as emcee.
As the tournament progressed, the most intriguing teams became the frenetic Blond Chicks, hailing from Germany, and the bandana-wearing Beerjing Ballers, whose customized jerseys carried the numbers 0 and 00. These two teams eventually met in a nail-biter of a playoff match, with the Ballers winning after hitting two late shots to send it to overtime.
But that would be the end of the road for them. When the last ball was thrown, the last cup of brew guzzled, the last whistle blown, it was To Beer or Not to Beer who emerged as the champions and claimed the fancy trophies for the first International Beer Pong Championship Beijing.
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