Air hockey is a recreational game that is played between two people. It is played on a smooth surfaced table with each player brandishing a special paddle. The goal of the game is to knock a small disc back and forth while attempting to whack it in to your opponent's goal. The first player to score a predetermined set of goals or the one with the highest score after a set amount of time is declared the winner. And, like most popular games of its time, the history of the air hockey table is a unique and interesting one.
Three employees of the Brunswick Billiards Corporation, a Chicago based manufacturer, began work on a project that would eventually become the air hockey table in late 1969. The men were interested in creating a game that was played atop a completely frictionless surface. Although quite a bit of work was put into it, their project was ultimately scrapped and abandoned for several years. Then, in 1972, a fellow employee named Bob Lemieux came along and revived it.
The activity is played upon a special mechanized table that creates a cushion of air. When turned on, this cushion allows the small plastic pucks to glide around the surface. Each table hockey player uses a plastic mallet to smack the puck back and forth the length of the table. To prevent smash fingers, most mallets are made with a small ridge around the handle.
The hockey table was an immediate and total financial success. By the 1970's, table hockey enthusiasts had even began forming local competitive chapters. The intense interest surrounding the activity eventually led to the formation of air hockey associations. The groups were committed to sanctioning and organizing competitive tournaments. They also ensure that the rules and standards of the game are upheld.
The very first air hockey tournament was orchestrated and hosted by the game's manufacturer, Brunswick. The company had become disenfranchised with the image of their game and wanted to market it as a more serious sport. Their event was held at a New York City Holiday Inn in 1974 and offered a five thousand dollar prize to the first place winner.
In the late eighties, when newer arcade games threatened to diminish their significance, US Billiards started a campaign to breath new life into air hockey. The company, who was the only manufacturer of the tables at the time, revamped Brunswick's original design and began producing tournament worthy tables.
As of now, only eight foot tables that have been manufactured by the Dynamo corporation have been approved for tournament play. The United State's air hockey association chose the tables because of their high quality and popular design.
The basic rules of the game were determined by the game's major American association. A coin toss determines who gets possession of the puck before game play and making contact with the puck with anything other than the mallet is strictly forbidden. Stopping the puck by placing the mallet on top of it is also frowned upon automatically awards control of the puck to your opponent.
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