The competition started on the 16^th

^{and Mike and Nick took a good lead right away. On the second and last day, Mike, Nick and Stefano went ahead of all the other players by over 40 points. The final results were the following:}

1st place $7,000 Mike Massey points 104

2nd place $5,000 Nick Nikolaidis points 99

3rd place $2,500 Stefano Pelinga points 91

4th place $2,000 Sebastian Giumelli points 52

5th place $1,500 Charles Darling points 50

6th place $1,000 Paul Gerni points 41

7th place $1,000 Bogdan Wolkowski points 27

The enthusiasm of the TV crew and of the sponsors was so evident that very likely, from now on, the event will happen every year, hopefully with the purse and the numbers of invitees growing.

This time the only down side was that Yoshikazu Kimura could not join his friends as he no longer feels like travelling too far from Japan and that when Ralph Eckert (Germany) found out an IPT stop was cancelled, for him was too late to be included among the participants.

The nicest remark the hospitable people of Kiev made, was that all the players not only looked like close friends, but almost like a family, that’s how good pool can be and how it should be promoted.

 Stefano Pelinga

“Dr. Cue” WINS 2006 WPA World Artistic Pool Championship!

The scene is set on a clear but cool weekend in December, in Fridley, Minnesota at an amazing pool room called Two Stooges. Twenty five of the world’s greatest artistic pool players came from all over, some as far as Taiwan, Ecuador, and Argentina, to take part in the battle. But only one could dethrone Mike Massey and become the current acclaimed WPA WORLD ARTISTIC POOL CHAMPION!

In the preliminaries, all players shoot 40 specific shots in 8 different disciplines to achieve a cumulative score. The top 12 finishers in the prelims make it to the bracketed finals where head to head matches ensue in single elimination. The top 4 of the 12 get a bye in the first round of the finals so finishing high certainly pays off. It is no surprise that Nick Nikolaidis scored the high score of 238, as “Quick Nick” was the winner of the 2006 Masters. Eric Yow and Matt MacPhail tied at 222, Yow placing second by having more first attempt makes. A close fourth in the prelims was Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman with 218. Crowd favorites Mike Massey, Charles Darling, Andy Segal, and Sebastian Giumelli followed.

The quarterfinals entailed some very exciting matches including Yow defeating Segal, Rossman edging out “Stellar” Geller, and Massey overcoming high scorer “No Fail” MacPhail. Arguably the most electrifying match was “Quick Nick” the Canadian versus Sebastian Guimelli from Argentina, both ESPN Trick Shot Magic veterans. The other quarterfinals matches having been completed, every eye was on table two where the players’ combined score nearing the end of the match reached over 250 points! It came down to the last tie-breaking shot, a 5/4/3 kick shot, where the players shot three balls in 4 seconds hoping to make a 5 rail kick, 4 rail kick, and a 3 rail kick, each facet comprising 5 points, 4 points, and 3 points, respectively, with a total possible of 12. Giumelli won by a single point and showed the room how high he could jump in excitement after winning such an incredible match.

In the semi-finals the audience was in for a treat as three of the four players were ESPN Trick Shot Magic veterans and accomplished, international players. The fourth was Eric “The Preacher” Yow, your author, a relative unknown in the game, making only his second appearance at a professional tournament. Giumelli tried to capitalize on his momentum from the quarterfinals but was defeated by last year’s champ Mike Massey. The balls were falling for him but Massey just seemed unbeatable, overtaking Giumelli 111 to 76. Yow maintained the lead over Rossman throughout their match until being overtaken by him after 15 shots. Yow fought hard for an underdog, but Rossman proved too formidable a foe, winning 126 to 112.

The packed house was on the edge of their seats for the finals match, a heated, turbulent battle between the renowned “Dr. Cue” and Hall of Famer Mike Massey. The score stayed within 5 points until the end when Rossman stretched out his lead. It came down to the last shot! Massey was down by 9 points so he had to pick a shot worth at least that, make it, and hope that Tom missed. You could’ve heard a pin drop onto a pillow as Massey set up the most difficult follow shot in the program – circular follow. The crowd gasped at Massey’s failed attempts, then cried out with cheer as he raised the hand of the new, 2006 WPA World Artistic Pool Champion, Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman!

The name Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman is one synonymous with Artistic Pool. If there is something to be accomplished in the game, he’s probably done it. If there is a frontier to be pursued, he intends to pioneer it. The level of acclamation this genre of billiards has achieved is much to his credit. But, Dr. Cue had yet to win a World Championship, often coming close, but falling short. This victory for him was a monumental one, a well deserved victory, both in his game and in his life. The tears of joy he shed while exclaiming to the audience his gratitude, they spoke volumes. Tom’s win wasn’t just a win for Tom; it was a victory for Artistic Pool as we know it. And it surprised no one that Tom gave credit where credit was due, to the glory of God the Father and His majestic Son Jesus Christ.

At the awards ceremony, medals were given to the players that scored the highest in each of the 8 disciplines during the preliminaries. “Quick Nick” took home the medals for Trick/Fancy and Bank/Kick; Dusty Geller dominated Prop/Novelty; Rossman and Mike took Draw and Follow, respectively; the Stroke champion was Matt MacPhail; Dr. Popper jump cue inventor Mark Dimick took the Jump discipline; and Yow excelled in Masse, making all 5 shots with four first attempts in a row, using his Dieckman Masse Cue.

                        Sportmanship Award 

The Sportsmanship Award is an honor that went to Okinawa Slim, as he was voted by the players as having exhibited the most professional image, demeanor, and skill. Slim was the necessary catalyst to make the tournament possible, as the President of the WPA Artistic Pool Division. Honorably, when presented with his medal and a McDermott sponsored cue, Slim called to the front a member of the audience he knew to be recently diagnosed with cancer. Melting everyone’s heart, Slim showed why he deserved the award when he presented the cue to the fan and friend.

Winning third place overall was Masse World Champion Eric “The Preacher” Yow, to whom was presented the Bronze Medal and plaque.

The second place trophy and Silver Medal went to the great Mike Massey.

And the audience was on their feet for the presentation of a Gold Medal and trophy to Tom “Dr. Cue” Rossman, this year’s WPA World Artistic Pool Champion! A special thanks goes out to all of the sponsors, to Ty and Greg of Two Stooges for hosting the event, and congratulations to all of the players who came out. With more events planned for 2007, the competition should only become more intense!

By Eric Yow!

                   Impressive "Young Guns" 

Eric "The Preacher" Yow    Matt "No Fail" Macphail