43
Boardman man champions nonalcoholic beer-pong league
Photo
Chuck Zarbaugh shows off his beer-pong gear at Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Boardman. Zarbaugh created the Mahoning Valley Beer Pong League, which he said will begin in May. Zarbaugh’s version of the game substitutes water for beer to attract young people to the sport.
By Elise Franco
Youngstown
Beer pong, a game with a simplistic concept, has increased in popularity among college students all over the country — and Chuck Zarbaugh is cashing in.
Over the past two months, Zarbaugh has worked to create the Mahoning Valley Beer Pong League, and he said initial interest in the league has been more than he expected.
“It got started when a friend of mine was talking to me about the World Series of Beer Pong in Las Vegas,” he said. “We both laughed and thought it was a great idea. I was driving to Sandusky shortly after that, and during the trip the whole thing just kind of came to me.”
During a game, two people stand at each end of a ping pong-sized table with 10 cups arranged in an upside down triangle. The object is to take turns tossing a pingpong ball into the cups to knock the other team out of the game.
Zarbaugh said as of Thursday 20 teams of about 10 players each already had signed up, and he expects about 30 more by the start of the season in May.
The initial entry fee is $200 with a $2-per-person fee paid at each of the season’s 16 games. The money will go toward supplies, maintaining the league and a website.
Though many associate the game with alcohol, Zarbaugh said he’s changed the rules. Instead of beer, the cups will be filled with water so that anyone can participate, he said.
“Everybody associates it with having a good time,” he said. “The younger crowd has been playing it for years, and I think the new format allows for everyone to play.”
Doug Esenwein, regional manager for Buffalo Wild Wings, said Zarbaugh approached him and asked if he’d be interested in getting the local restaurant chain involved.
Zarbaugh said Buffalo Wild Wings is just one of more than 50 local establishments wanting to host games.
Esenwein said he’s wanted to have pong tournaments at the four locations — Austintown, Boardman, Niles and Youngstown — for a while but didn’t know how to do it responsibly.
“Our top priority is fun, but also making sure we have responsible alcohol service,” he said. “We like the way this league is put together, with water in the cups and not beer.”
Esenwein said he expects to have a couple teams at each of the four locations and thinks it will be something fun for folks to do during the summer when televised sporting events are light.
“This really fits into our passion, which is wings, beer, sports and fun,” he said. “We’re optimistic and always willing to try new things to see what people respond to.”
At the end of the season, Zarbaugh said teams with the best records will play through a six-week playoff tournament.
The team that wins locally will then go to Las Vegas for the World Series of Beer Pong and a chance to win $65,000, he said.
The league’s president said he knows the public will respond positively, so he’s already looking to expand next year.
“We’re using Youngstown to get the kinks out ... Next year plans are in the makings to expand to 15 other cities,” he said.
Zarbaugh said he’s expecting to expand to cities in Western Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Canton, Akron and Columbus as well as Florida, North Carolina and Detroit.
“I’ve done research and found zero leagues like this. Nobody has ever gotten people together and treated it like boccie or darts,” he said. “Pretty soon the draw isn’t going to be in Vegas, it’ll be in Youngstown.”
For more information visit www.mvbpl.com.