Started in 2007, Naked Ping Pong, the brainchild of Jonathan Bricklin, Bill Mack, and Franck Raharinosy, was a weekly ping pong party in a 4,000 square foot Tribeca loft where a wide variety of ping pong freaks and geeks got together to battle it out. Among the professional players who attended the weekly events where Kazuyuki "Kaz" Yokoyama, aka the Kazmanian Devil, and Wally Green. A diverse group of players and spectators enjoyed tasty refreshments while celebrating their love of ping pong in New York's underground ping pong scene.
Tonight, 826NYC present So You Think You Can Pong? at Spin New York. Star studded players are playing to raise money for the organization. Players include Will Shortz, Jake Gyllenhaal, Catherine Keener, among others.
826NY is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students with thier creativee and expository writing skills. For more information go to 826NY Web site.
While at the Sony Ericsson WTA 2009 Tennis Championships in Doha, Serena Williams plays Britain's former number 1 table tennis player, Matthew Syed. Check out the video here.
So, Susan Sarandon may be dating Spin's, Jonathan Bricklin, now that she and Tim Robbins have split up. As far as I know, the story is just a rumor, but according to "a source," Gawker says the story is true. I'll make sure to keep you updated on this utterly fascinating story--yawn.
According to the Mirror, Amy Winehouse, the British singer and songwriter, is addicted to table tennis. "The diva has bought a table for her Barnet home and is throwing ping pong parties. She barely leaves the house."
Hopefully table tennis is the rehab Amy Winehouse needs. We can only hope.
Susan Sarandon, the American actress, is in Sweden this week to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Stockholm Film Festival. She has requested a meeting with the table tennis legend, Jan-Ove Waldner. Jan-Ove Waldner is considered to be one of the all time greatest players in the history of table tennis and is a national hero of Sweden. Sarandon, a good player in her own right, is co-owner of Spin New York. Waldner will sit next to Sarandon at the dinner where she is to be honored. The 20th Stockholm International Film Festival is held from November 18 to 29. Sarandon will receive her award on November 21 at the Skandia Theater.
The first annual Hardbat Classic took place from June 26 to 28, 2009 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, California. The hardbat competition drew over 700 contestants of wildly varying skill levels, with over 40,000 players participating in the preliminary events across the United States. In the final, a 23-year-old unranked player, Jack Baker, took on California veteran player, 73-year-old Wayne Obertone. In a best of three challenge, Jack Baker came out the winner and took home the prize of $100,000, as reported by Melissa Arseniuk in the Las Vegas Weekly and in the Las Vegas Sun.
Table Tennis is an excellent way to stay healthy and to quit smoking. According to Asian News International, Table Tennis is keeping Keith Richard away from booze and fags. The Rolling Stones guitarist joked, that after all these years, table tennis is the only thing he puts down his drink for. "Now, there's a bat in my hand instead of a brandy."
