Fireball USA has teamed up with tournament founder Joe Koonce and the O'Hearn family to become the official table of the Bart O'Hearn Celebration this October in Austin, Texas. This annual tournament, held for the past 10 years at Buffalo Billiards on 6th Street in the State Capitol's Historic District, has become one of the most prestigious events on the Foosball tour, thanks in most part to Koonce, who created it in 2000 to honor his recently-deceased best friend, Bart.
"We originally started the event to remember Bart and his love for the game, but since then we have paid homage to more than 100 "fallen foosers", says Joe. "It has become not only a fun and competitve tournament, but also a celebration of the lives of all the foosball players who have left us too soon".
This year's event will be dedicated to the life of 15-year-old Austin Smith, who passed away unexpectedly while at baseball practice this past March in El Paso, Texas. Austin was a likable and talented up-and-comer on the tour who had tragically lost his foosball-playing father, Paul, just a year and a half earlier. It was just two years ago that Austin celebrated his birthday at the O'Hearn Celebration, and both his birthday and life will again be celebrated this October 2nd in a ceremony at the event.
New "Bart O" Tournament Directors Brad Laurine and Jim Stevens are committed to maintaining the integrity and vision of Koonce and the O'Hearn family. "Jim and I are determined to continue what Joe has built here in Austin", states Laurine. "It's a really fun environment, the competition is great, it's a super venue and it honors the memory of some of the sport's finest people. What could be better? It's a great combination that we hope will continue for many years to come."
This year's Bart O'Hearn Celebration will take place October 1-3 and will feature 30 brand-new Fireball tables. Thanks in part to Fireball's participation, prize money will increase by $2000, to $14,000, for the 2010 event, with entry fees remaining very affordable for players of all skill levels. It will be one of two culminating major events on the 2010 Fireball USA Tour, which kicks-off in Florida in two weeks. The Fireball US Open will take place in Maryland October 15-17, two weeks after the Bart O' tournament.
Co-Tournament Director Stevens and his Inside Foos team will also cover the 2010 event on video, with Mark Winker and NetFoos.tv providing a free webcast of the Inside Foos Productions feed. The "fooscast" will also be viewable on TV screens throughout Buffalo Billiards, adding to the compettive, yet festive, atmosphere of this once a year celebration.
"We are very excited about the involvement of Jim, Brad, Dennis Jiang and Fireball USA", says Koonce, who will remain with the Bart O'Hearn Celebration in the role of consultant, "and we are honored to once again be able to remember those that we have lost."
A flyer for this event will be released in a few weeks.
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