We’re happy to report that in addition to the main table at tonight’s event, this handsome custom-made mini ping pong table will be on hand. Exercise a completely different skill set with a game or two on it!
Well, this has been a dream of mine for a couple years now. The first time I played ping pong in Berlin, my mind was blown and I chanted for weeks and months, “WHY DO WE NOT HAVE THIS IN SAN FRANCISCO???”
Now we do. It’s a party called American Tripps and it debuts the first two Fridays in August. Here’s how it works:
It starts mellow, everybody strolling around the table, drinks in hand, possibly movin’ to the music, getting to know the people next to you in the circle. And as people mess up and the ranks dwindle, the action gets serious:
But not too serious. It’s all in good fun. It’s fun to watch, it’s fun to hang out. It’s fun. It’s the best! RSVP and invite your friends HERE.
Why “American Tripps”? Last summer I played a bunch at this place called Sportklause on Glogauer Straße, but they had some leftover signage from when the space was a travel agency catering to immigrants from the Balkan Peninsula.
So we called it “Balkan Tripps” because that was more fun to say.
We first heard talk of this project over two years ago, and today Uptown Almanac reports that it is actually finally going to happen:
[A]ccording to the SF Skateboarding Association, the $3 million dollar project is expected to break ground this fall, potentially as soon as September.
Read on for conceptual illustrations, project history and commentary.
Katie over at Refinery 29 says a “source close to the project” revealed that the bike polo courts (AKA “tennis courts”) might be removed as part of the Dolores Park renovation. And just what do they propose to put in its place? A dog park, where your respective pit bulls and yorkshire terriers can frolic and socialize in perfect harmony.
Not sure of the validity of the claim, but true to San Francisco form, there is already a petition about it, so go sign that if you hate dogs and love bike polo (or tennis).
In other news, Mission Mission is now considering starting a petition to install outdoor ping pong tables in the “fruit shelf” area of the park. Stay tuned.
Pop’s July 4th Tricycle Race was a blast! Where else can you see Captain America, Batman, a state trooper, a Native American, a topless Mexican wrestler, some random old dude, and Elvis barrel down the sidewalk full-speed and drunkenly collide with stuff? Ok, maybe the Lombard Big Wheel Race… and Bay to Breakers.
Elvis and Raquel (the Native American babe) faced off in the final round, which is good because they had sweet costumes. I wont spoil it for you, but both of them were hella fast. Raquel’s handlebar-leg clearance helped a lot. Genetics are a bitch. Still, somehow Elvis was able to get by with pure technique. Could it be that he actually trained for the event? Is that considered cheating?