Who will reign supreme at this year’s K•Swiss Ping Pong Classic at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2011? Hosted by Top Chef winner Michael Voltaggio, this invite-only battle for ping pong supremacy will be between representatives from the Sundance Selects VOD films Kaboom, Uncle Kent, These Amazing Shadows, Septien and Mad Bastards, with the winner receiving a grand prize consisting of a donation from K•Swiss to a charity of the team’s choice. The official press release is below this video about last year’s inaugural tournament:
MICHAEL VOLTAGGIO TO HOST THE SECOND ANNUAL K•SWISS PING PONG CLASSIC DURING THE SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
Five Sundance Films Set to Battle It Out For A Grand PrizeMichael Voltaggio, acclaimed Top Chef winner, will partner with K•Swiss to host the second annual K•Swiss Ping Pong Classic, an event that celebrates the sport of ping pong while honoring a special selection of films premiering at Sundance. The event will take place on January 23rd at the TR Suites in Park City, UT.
Voltaggio has received several accolades including a Michelin Star while serving as Executive Chef at Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen in Sonoma Valley, CA and another while he was Chef de Cuisine at The Dining Room at The Langham Huntington Hotel in Pasadena, CA. As Executive Chef at Jose Andres’ Bazaar at SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills, he received a rare 4-star rating from the Los Angeles Times. In 2009, Voltaggio was a finalist for the James Beard “Best New Restaurant” award; the same year he famously won the honor as Bravo’s Top Chef in season six. In Spring 2011, Voltaggio will open ink., his first-ever restaurant, in Los Angeles. Voltaggio fits perfectly as the event’s host because, in addition to a passion for cuisine, he shares the brand’s enthusiasm for film and the sport of ping pong.
The K•Swiss Ping Pong Classic will consist of a three-hour cocktail party during which Voltaggio will kick off a ping pong tournament between representatives of five extraordinary films –KABOOM, UNCLE KENT, THESE AMAZING SHADOWS, SEPTIEN and MAD BASTARDS – each of which will be available simultaneously on demand nationwide at the same time as they premiere at Sundance. The films will get to battle it out on (and off) the tables, as the five films strive for supremacy in the snow. K•Swiss will award a grand prize to the winning film, consisting of a donation to a charity of the team’s choice.
Combining the worlds of film, celebrity and sport, the second annual K•Swiss Ping Pong Classic is expected to attract a slew of notable attendees, offering a heated match to keep the cool kids warm in the snow.
Congrats, Kent! You are my hero!
@ Marius
My name is Kent Osborne and I just won the tournament. We decided to give the money to the AYTTA based on your comment. Thanks for the suggestion!
http://www.worldchampionshipofpingpong.com/
The World Championship of Ping Pong (WCPP) is a global pop culture event. The best table tennis players from around the world will compete in the 2011 WCPP February 7-8 at the Palms Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, featuring the “Classic” and the “Marco Polo Cup” . Sixteen countries will be represented by a champion player, and all players will be compensated with cash prizes. The WCPP will award cash prizes of over $100,000. We are proud to partner with FoxSportsNet and Matchroom Sport and will be available in over 810 million homes.
K-Swiss and College pong should unite or heck any of these folks in Sundance. What is better then the College Bowl games over the holiday break or the Sweet 16’s of College Basketball….well take a look at College PONG!
http://www.nctta.org/champs/2011/sponsors.html
It would be nice if the USA Table Tennis Association were to miraculously receive any donation from these players who enjoy the sport. The association’s annual budget is probably less than half the cost of putting this tournament on, and K-Swiss is not a sponsor of any US National players or even of charitable organizations such as AYTTA, which teaches poor kids in NYC how to play the game as an after-school activity.