Isaac Bowen and Ryan Harvey know that their sport's glory
days are, for the moment, behind it. The best player in the world,
Belgium's Frédéric Collignon, is a car salesman by day. And while
foosball has deep roots in Portland—the uncle of the game's British
inventor lived here when he gave the game its first U.S. patent in
1927—only a handful of local bars have tables. Oregon's foosing
community remains a small, tight-knit group. But Bowen and Harvey, who
occasionally make trips to Vegas for competitions, think foosing is
overdue for a comeback. "I think video games are eventually going to
fall," Bowen says. "And we're gonna be ready."
To stoke the flames
of a foosurgence, Bowen has organized a major tournament at Blitz Ladd
this weekend. It will feature 10 tables and openings for amateur and pro
players. The biggest cash prize of the tourney is projected at $1,440.
"We want the old players, the people who are hiding in the corners,"
Bowen says. "We want them to see what competition is like."
Bowen and Harvey
taught us a few beginners' tricks on our rather shabby in-office
table—here's video of the pair demonstrating the techniques below.
WWeek 2015
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