Pub Olympian!

I have long been a champion of the Pub Olympics. A whole games for the common man playing parlor games such as pool, darts and dominos for glory and the inevitable sponsorship deals that will follow. Furthermore, it might be the only Olympics were Britain could actually dominate the medal table.

Now that London has the 2012 games, and has not used this opportunity to include Darts or Snooker to bolster our medal tally, I believe the time is right to diversify and set up our own "Pub" Olympics.

Or at least I thought so until Saturday night.........................

There is a young lady hailing from the USA in our midst. She not just good, she's a natural. Now the rebel colonies could be forgiven for producing an outsider for the pool or even the darts event. This young talent has already beaten me in both disciplines in recent days (Oh the Shame of it! I'll never be allowed back into the North Star), but the best was yet to come.

Beer mat flipping, is a noble art which is usually dominated by the home nations. For those of you who don't know what I'm blabbering on about, beer mat flipping is where you rest your beer mat half on and half off the edge of the table. You then flick it from underneath, which will flip it over and then you have to catch it.

I pride myself on my beer mat flipping expertise. Having mastered the single mat flip you then place another beer mat on top and keep flipping, building up the pile as you go along with each successful attempt.

I can usually flip a respectable 6 beer mats in one go. Not bad, but not quite "Pub Olympian" standard.

As this is a demonstration event for the next Pub Olympics we allowed Laura, representing the USA to join the competition without previously qualifying (this being because she has never done it before). I showed her the basic rudiments of the "classic" technique used by most of the worlds top flippers, and she was away.

4, 5, then 6 she flipped. More beermats were called for. 10, 12, 14. By this stage a small but eager crowd were gathering. Up to 20!!! Ordinary pub goers were calling their wives and children to get down to the pub and watch this masterclass.

By 30, the pub was on the phone to the Guinness Book of Records, and the Brewery for some more beermats. 40 was her last attempt for the night!

FIRST TIME!

My memory is a little sketchy from that night, but I'm sure we hoisted Laura onto our shoulders and walked through a ticker tape parade in Downtown.

I worry for the British prospects at the next Pub Olympics.