legacy

EPCC’s legacy began in a backyard tool shed in Voorheesville, NY. After stumbling upon the game of crokinole on YouTube, Jay got himself a board and introduced the game to a collection of competitive, beer drinking, good timing, sh*t talking, goofballs who would become the Extra Pint Crokinole Club. Jay began recording the weekly get-togethers in his shed and posting them to YouTube for the club’s own entertainment. Up to this point, virtually all the crokinole videos on YouTube featured top level play with a polite, sober, almost churchlike atmosphere. EPCC turned that world on its head; Featuring blue-collar amateurs and live, colorful commentary, Jay’s videos showcased a jovial, bar-like atmosphere with near-constant comedic interactions with and amongst the players that elevated their entertainment value far above the game itself.

As the game grew in local popularity, EPCC outgrew Jay’s tool shed and was taken in by the town’s American Legion Post which boasts much more room and just as importantly, a full bar.  Several vets soon joined in the fun and shenanigans and the league grew even larger. As confidence grew amongst its members, they began to search for an American equivalent of the Canadian National Championships. Not finding any such tournament (or any competitions on the US side for that matter), in early 2019 Jay announced that EPCC would be hosting its own first public tournament; It would be called the US OPEN. 

This would be a watershed moment for EPCC. Hosting a serious, world-class tournament would be no small feat to undertake. To add pressure, we learned we would have the honor of hosting reigning world doubles champions Jason & Ray Beierling, reigning world singles champion Andrew Hutchinson and board maker Jeremy Tracey. Other contingents would be coming as well; from Boston, New Hampshire, and even Texas. Yet it was important for this tournament to retain its Extra Pint fun first personality. Tournament festivities would begin the evening prior at Indian Ladder Farms Cidery & Brewery where participants could meet & greet and break the ice while socializing and relaxing over food, beer, and some free play crokinole (It also gave us the opportunity to try to get the Canadians drunk and hung over :).  The following day the tournament got underway with the preliminary rounds being held at the American Legion. The Canadians easily dispensed with the rookie American teams although the duo of “Magic” Mike and “Upset” Chet took the world champ Beierlings to the brink in the semi-finals to raucous chants of U-S-A! U-S-A! The all-Canadian Final would take place down the road at Indian Ladder Farm Cidery & Brewery where the final match would be projected onto the big screen for the whole bar to see. There were cheers, jeers, and no shortage of friendly heckling coming from the EPCC crowd as the venue took on a party like atmosphere. An atmosphere so wild and unorthodox that rattled the nerves of World Champion Andrew Hutchinson as he remarked afterward with a smile, that never in his life had he been so nervous playing crokinole on the account that he had never heard anyone boo before. The party continued into the night.

The tournament had been a remarkable success. Far exceeding our goal of merely not embarrassing ourselves, we managed to impress our Canadian friends to such a degree that when Jay and a few other EPCC members showed to the World Championships in Tavistock, Ontario only a few weeks later, they were greeted with applause, handshakes, and great fanfare from their Canadian hosts. The Voorheesville American Legion Post announced that it had took in more revenue from bar sales that day than in any other day in the post’s long illustrious history, and by a wide margin. Today the club has chapters in Texas and New Hampshire helping to spread the game and promote the fun-loving culture that surrounds it. EPCC continues to stand out as an example of what a crokinole club should be.