FLANDREAU, SD (KELO) — Some of the top foosball players in the world are in South Dakota this weekend taking part in a tournament at Flandreau’s Royal River Casino.
Around 200 players are competing for more than $12-thousand in prize money during the South Dakota State Foosball Championship.
KELOLAND’s Perry Groten wanted to find out how he stacks up against the pro’s. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t pretty.
A game that’s been played in bars and basements for decades is kicking it up a notch in Flandreau.
“This is one of the best-known tournaments on tour. Just because of the friendly atmosphere and the hotel,” Merlin Arment of Aberdeen said.
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Among the players competing in this foosball tournament is the reigning world champion, Ryan Moore of Tulsa, Oklahoma. He says he’s be playing since he was tall enough to reach the table.
“It’s like playing high-speed chess. You gotta be able to pit the mental side with the physical side and take everything up here and put it in your hand and ultimately put the ball in the hole,” Moore said.
Moore is a master of foosball maneuvers like the pull shot.
“The ball will be set beside the man and you’re going to pull it over and you’re going to hit it,” Moore said.
Then there’s the so-called snake shot.
“It’s like the fastest way to hit the ball,” Moore said.
I haven’t played foosball since I was in college. But I mean, how good can Moore be, anyway? So I’m going to challenge him to a match.
“Good luck, buddy!”
PERRY: You don’t scare me. You don’t scare me!
I quickly found out that Moore is scary good. His snake shot had me completely rattled.
MOORE: “I’m going to shoot it right here, okay?”PERRY: Alright. I’m ready. Alright, let’s see you shoot it. Oh, you already did.”
Moore’s lightning fast shots added up to ten quick goals to my nil. But like many table games, foosball has had to put up with the rapid rise of online gaming. But Moore doesn’t mind the competition.
“I see an anti-video game movement happening and foosball in the last three or four years has actually grown on a tournament level,” Moore said.
A resurgence for a sport that places a premium on hand-eye, and foos coordination.
The state tournament runs through Sunday at the Royal River Casino. It’s free to watch the matches. You can also play foosball for free, if you’re not registered to compete in the tournament.
The state tournament runs through Sunday at the Royal River Casino.
It’s free to watch the matches. You can also play foosball for free, if you’re not registered to compete in the tournament
